The Supreme Court has issued several petitions for Rajasthan to justify the anti-conversion law’s constitutionality, which allows state officials to seize property and demolish homes based on allegations of forced conversion.

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World via Facebook)

John Pudaite, President and CEO of Bibles For The World (BFTW), says it’s part of a broader legal battle as India’s Supreme Court takes a magnifying glass to anti-conversion laws across multiple states.

“They are questioning how this current government — the BJP government — can continue to steamroll across the country and pass these anti-conversion laws, which are nothing but an attack primarily on Christianity,” he says.

This new scrutiny may also cause those who target Indian Christians using anti-conversion laws to think twice.

“As they felt impunity, they would attack the churches and attack the Christians,” says Pudaite. “People are realizing that the laws they thought covered them may not have as much strength…as they had hoped.”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World via Facebook)

Looking ahead, Pudaite urges the global Church to take this critical case, and others like it, before the Lord.

“We need to continue to pray for the Supreme Court and those justices, that they can be impartial in their evaluation of the evidence and of those laws. We can pray that they will not be politically influenced or otherwise influenced.”

Pudaite also encourages believers to keep the Gospel in sight — with hearts to reach their persecutors with the Gospel.

“Especially as we go into this Christmas season, pray that this may be a special time for the Body of Christ to be able to share the Good News of the birth of Jesus Christ…. Pray that the true spirit of Christ in Christmas may be able to shine.”

Header photo: Architecture in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. (Photo courtesy of Dexter Fernandes/Unsplash)

First, the new challenge. Rajasthan’s law, which received the governor’s final assent on October 8, opens the door wide for accusations.

“The Rajasthan law puts in place the possibility of life in prison for encouraging someone to change their religion, and anyone can report it,” says Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA. “You don’t have to have been present for the conversation. You don’t have to have been present in the church service where someone came to faith in Christ. You can file a report even if you know hardly anything.”

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

It’s “guilty until proven innocent.” For years, Christians have contended that India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that these types of laws contradict it. But the Hindu nationalist-led government supports anti-conversion laws. That’s why all eyes are on the India Supreme Court for the case currently scheduled for November 4th. 

“They’re not considering the constitutionality of the anti-conversion laws yet, but they are considering putting a stay on the enforcement of the laws while they consider the constitutionality,” says Nettleton. He notes that the court date may be pushed back. 

Please pray! This one Supreme Court decision could remove the permission that anti-conversion laws give for persecution.

Nettleton spoke recently with a human rights attorney in India. “One of the questions I asked is, ‘If they put a stay on it [anti-conversion laws], then when would they decide if it’s constitutional or not?’ I was told that [it] could be months, it could be years, and honestly, they could never issue a ruling,” Nettleton says. 

However, never issuing a ruling could be like a decision against anti-conversion laws. “If they [the Supreme Court] didn’t want to take a controversial stand that these laws are unconstitutional, they could just leave the stay in place and then not ever issue a final ruling about the constitutionality,” Nettleton explains. “So this is a very significant time to pray for Christians in India, to pray for the Justices of the Supreme Court.”

Header photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA. 

Though India’s constitution guarantees an individual’s right to choose their own religion, “We do see states where the BJP is the strongest starting to enact stronger, more stringent anti-conversion laws: Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan,” John Pudaite with Bibles For The World says.

“These are states that have a BJP party in power or a coalition in power.”

Anti-conversion laws make it illegal to change your faith, and they penalize the people who introduce you to a different religion.

“They position these laws often under the title of Freedom of Religion Act, and it’s actually the exact opposite,” Pudaite says.

“It’s meant to restrict people from exercising their ability to practice the religion of their choice.”

These new laws broaden the scope of activities considered “conversion,” putting more believers at risk.

“Anything they do, whether they post something on social media or they meet together in a home and have a time of prayer and worship, these things now can be considered as offenses,” Pudaite says.

Keep India’s Christians in your prayers. Ask the Lord to strengthen and encourage them. Request a free prayer guide from Bibles For The World to further inform your intercession.

“The immediate threat is how it emboldens the pro-Hindu, anti-Christian activists. With the government behind them, they can do things against Christians and know that there’ll be no prosecution,” Pudaite says.

“Pray for the leadership, for wisdom and strength in their faith, as well as the congregations, and that they may continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Header image courtesy of Bibles For The World. 

It’s a move lamented by Christians around the world. Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada says: “The thing that is so troubling about this is hat India is supposed to have some freedom of religion and conscience, but when you’ve got a radical government – the radical Hindu party the BJP – their desire is to see India become a fully Hindu country. If you’re Indian, you’re Hindu.”

Unfortunately, this isn’t the start of a trend; it’s a pattern that other states have already set. “Rajasthan is following the lead of the previous 11 states that have gone this direction, and it’s just going to be causing more and more problems with fines, imprisonment, and really what it is is intimidation.”

Both suggested policies could put undue pressure on the local Church. Conversion is rarely something a person expects, and demanding 60 days notice before someone makes a life-changing decision is a nearly impossible task. Arguably, that’s the point.

Then there’s the ban on forced conversions. Local magistrates would be the ones to decide whether a conversion is “forced.” Some officials have already suggested that charitable aid could be seen as a bribe. In other words, if an organization helps someone with their practical needs, the government could label any resulting conversion as a “forced conversion.”

That’s a huge problem for groups like Voice of the Martyrs Canada, which makes practical compassion a cornerstone of their work. “When you go into these situations and you give them food, you give them clothing, and you encourage them, they’re going to see the love of God, and the desire is that we would then share the Gospel with them,” Musselman says. 

“Now, I don’t believe in proselytizing people if there’s any kind of coercion involved – that’s just not the way that Jesus ministered. But we believe in evangelism. We are compelled to share the Gospel.”

All of this puts an intimidating obstacle in the face of the Indian Church, especially young believers. “Somebody comes to know the Lord through the kindness of believers and now they’re facing persecution as a result of that,” Musselman says. “I know many pastors and leaders in India. They’re not being intimidated by this, but it’s the newer believers, those that are young in their faith, especially if they’ve come from Hindu backgrounds.”

And yet despite the anxiety and persecution, God’s presence in India continues to grow. “​​God is working. Many are coming to know the Lord,” Musselman says. “I think the big prayer here would be that the church would not pull back, that they would continue to share the message of God, the message of God’s love through his son Jesus, that they would do it with humility, but they would also do it with boldness.

“We need to be bold. We need to go forward and do what we’re to do, but we’re also to show humility and kindness, and that would be my prayer for our brothers and sisters in India.”

Learn more about the work of Voice of the Martyrs Canada here.

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Officials passed a draft anti-conversion bill earlier this month, and it needs one more set of votes to become law. If that happens, Rajasthan will be India’s 12th state using the legal system to prevent people from changing their faith.

Unknown Nations’ Greg Kelley says the push for religious suppression comes from the top.

“There’s no doubt that Prime Minister Modi [has] pursued a very aggressive Hindu nationalist agenda, really since he took power in 2014. His re-election in 2019 just further emboldened him,” Kelley says.

(Photo courtesy of Unknown Nations)

“Some of the people we know on the ground are saying that these anti-conversion laws are distractions [to hide] issues like child labor and domestic violence, child marriage, even illiteracy. There’s such a massive increase of robbery and murder and rapes,” he continues.

“So, it’s really viewed, in many ways, as a political posturing to create fear and distract the people from some of the main issues.”

Mob justice is a concerning reality in states with anti-conversion laws. Vigilantes hijacked believers’ Christmas outreach in one location, using the anti-conversion law as a cover. Unknown Nations partners were distributing Christ-centered gifts to schoolkids.

“These boxes were filled with little goodies and things for the children, and some Christian literature was in there. It was distributed with the blessing and permission of the school authorities,” Kelley explains.

“[A] mob had heard about it, a vigilante group of people, and they immediately went to the school and scared the children, took all these boxes, and that teacher got suspended. He’s being tried right now.”

Pray the fear generated by anti-conversion laws will not overcome believers.

“Imagine if you were just going around, especially in the season of Christmas, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, and by doing that, you could be put in jail for five years,” Kelley says.

Partner with Unknown Nations here to help reach India for Christ.

“We need to recognize India for what it is,” Kelley says. “It is ground zero of the unreached world. By the year 2030, it will simultaneously be the most populated Hindu country and the most populated Muslim country [in the world.]”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Element5 Digital/Pexels.

Legislation like this is often used against believers, and justice is rare. “Christians are arrested, and then it’s months or years, in some cases, later [before] the case is decided,” Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says.

“The police arrest you, and then they ask questions later while you’re sitting in a jail cell.”

Even though India’s Constitution guarantees religious freedom, Nettleton says, “There are pastors in prison today because of those anti-conversion laws.”

It doesn’t take much to get believers in trouble. “You simply show up to the police station [and say,] ‘This person tried to entice me to change my religion,’” Nettleton explains.

“[Police will say,] ‘Well, what was the enticement?’ In some states, [the answer might be,] ‘I walked by and heard music playing. That was an enticement for me to go in and change my religion.’”

If the bill became law, Rajasthan would become the 12th state with anti-conversion legislation.

(Graphic courtesy VOM USA)

“The states that have passed anti-conversion laws have seen an increase in persecution,” Nettleton says. “In recent months, some of those laws have been extended and tightened up, and the punishments have been more severe.”

Pray for the Lord’s will to be done in Rajasthan, and pray that believers will be bold and courageous. Pray that the Gospel will change the leaders of radical Hindu groups.

“In the last 10 years, there’s been more persecution, to the point that here at Voice of the Martyrs, we changed the way we classify India earlier this year. [It changed] from a hostile area, which is a place where the Constitution promises religious freedom, and maybe the government tries to protect religious freedom. Still, some groups don’t allow religious freedom,” Nettleton says.

“[India’s status changed] to a restricted nation, where the government is the primary driver of persecution. And that is true in India under Prime Minister Modi. That change happened on his watch under his Hindu nationalist government; it is now the government that is the primary driver of persecution.”

Header and story images courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA.

It was an unorthodox match, but no one questioned the king. At least not until years later.

500 years afterward, the current king of Rajasthan was dividing up the kingdom. Everyone wanted to get their fair share, including one lonely tribal group, the Garasias.

The Garasias were the descendants of the previous king and his concubine. The king, outraged that tribal people were demanding land but aware that he had a responsibility to them, gave the Garasias land in the jungle so they could live with and as the animals.

Fast-forward ahead 500 years to today. The Garasias are currently known for a good deal of violence and animism. They continue to live in the jungles bestowed to them five centuries ago.

On a recent stay in India, J.P. Sundararajan with Audio Scripture Ministries met a pastor who has been ministering to the Garasias. Despite warnings against going to them, the pastor continued and began sharing the message of Salvation with them.

"They don't have a concept for God, so he had to create one for them. So he came up with this name called ‘Uparwala,' which basically in Hindi means ‘The One Who Lives Above,'" explains Sundararajan.

"He said to them that this God, this Uparwala, loved them. It was the most amazing message the Garasias had ever heard. They still had those scars from that legacy of pain and rejection that happened over 500 years ago. And to hear that somebody actually loved them was quite overwhelming. Their response was, ‘Why did you wait so long to come and tell us that story?'"

Work was set in motion to get a written New Testament for the Garasias, and it was completed last fall. After generations of hurt, the Garasias are receptive and have the Gospel, but one problem remains.

"They know they have a Bible, but nobody can read it." Sundararajan says as many as 98 percent of the 221,000-person tribe are illiterate. Only two to five percent can read.

Enter Audio Scripture Ministries. ASM specializes in recording the Word and sending it out to those who cannot read it for themselves. ASM hopes to complete an audio form of the New Testament for the Garasias by the end of the year. Funding for the project is actually already covered, but finding people who can read the Word so it can be recording may be a long search.

"Finding people who are literate among this tribe is a challenge in itself. Secondly, this language does not have a script. So the Bible that was translated had to be put into a different script. So whoever has to read it has to read their own language via a different language," explains Sundararajan.

The Garasias are starved for truth. Sundararajan observes, "It's pretty obvious that this is a group that is just waiting and has been ready for this moment for a long time now." Pray that readers would be found quickly, and that funding would come in for distribution as soon as the project is completed.

According to Gospel for Asia, three families were worshipping as usual last week when a group of anti-Christian extremists barged in and beat them without mercy.

They also beat up Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Nayan Rao, who was leading the meeting. The extremists told the believers to stop following Jesus and ordered them to return to the gods of their village tradition.

These families had recently left these gods to know and follow Christ, and they regularly attend the Sunday worship services and evening prayer meetings.

GFA field leaders request prayer for Nayan and the believers who endured beatings with him during this recent attack.

GFA’s 54 Bible colleges train native missionaries for the
mission field. At Bridge of Hope
centers, Dalit children receive food, education, and medical checkups. 

In India,
Dalits or “Untouchables” are despised as members of the lowest caste. They live lives of virtual slavery, unable to
obtain property, an education or escape from their caste. GFA’s child sponsorship program gives
opportunities to Dalit children that they would never have otherwise, including
the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ. 

Police suspect that Islamic extremists used bicycles to
plant the bombs, although they have not established a motive for the
attack. The bombs were planted in a busy
marketplace and near a popular Hindu temple. Eight bombs were planted, but one failed to
detonate. 

Most residents of Jaipur are Hindu, but a large Muslim
minority also lives in the city which spent at least 2 days under a curfew. It is a popular tourist destination. 

The BBC reports that the police have released a sketch of
the suspect and are investigating an e-mail from the “Indian Mujahideen”
claiming responsibility for the attacks. 

Dave Stravers who heads up Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India says
one of their project coordinators fell under suspicion. He
was preparing to train a class of 10 church planters.

Each church planter is provided
with a bicycle, along with Bibles and materials, to help them travel from
village to village during their two years of training. The bicycles are a key part of the ministry. "Pastor
Samuel had gone to purchase bicycles from a bicycle shop, and because he was
purchasing 10 bicycles all at once, somebody got suspicious and called the
police."

Stravers goes on to say, "The police arrested him, and he found himself
under rather intense interrogation regarding what he was doing with the
bicycles. The fact that he's a religious worker made them even more
suspicious." 

Police have also released a
sketch of a man in his early 20s who is suspected of buying the bicycles and
have questioned nearly a dozen people.

Though no charges were filed,
authorities escorted the pastor to his home and went through his papers,
questioning him about his ministry work near Jaipur.

Stravers says he's now under scrutiny, which could complicate ministry. "We
purchase about a thousand bicycles a year for our church planters. The church planters we train plant, on
average, two churches per year."  

Despite the anti-conversion laws in Rajasthan, their teams will remain
evangelistically active. "The authorities have felt a need to try
to put a damper on this because they see what's happening with so many people
becoming Christians for the first time, and they're sensing the open spiritual
atmosphere."

Pray for other Christians
doing ministry work in the region, where just 0.1% are followers of Jesus.