Christian groups from northeast India have urged the country's president to end more than four months of sectarian strife in Manipur where six people were killed on Sept. 1 to take the toll to 181. “We are writing to you to urgently appeal for your intervention to end the ongoing conflict in Manipur,” five Christian groups, all based in Manipur’s neighboring Nagaland state, said in a memorandum to President Draupadi Murmu, India's first president from a tribal community. Manipur, bordering civil war-hit Myanmar, has witnessed unprecedented violence since May 3 between Kuki tribal Christians and the Meitei Hindu community. The sectarian strife over granting tribal status to the Meitei Hindu community has seen the burning of more than 350 Christian churches. The Nagas, as the people from Nagaland are called, form the third major community in Manipur and have maintained a distance from the ongoing violence. Along with Nagaland and Manipur, five other states form India’s northeastern region. “We earnestly request your support in rebuilding the churches and religious institutions that have suffered extensive damage due to the violence,” the Nagaland Joint Christian Forum, Christian Forum Dimapur, Nagaland Theological Colleges Association, Dimapur Baptist Pastors Fellowship and Dimapur Baptist Women Union said in the memorandum, submitted to La Ganesan, the Nagaland

Five Christians including a pastor were granted bail after spending over two months in jail on suspicion of alleged religious conversion activities in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. A court in Azamgarh district on Aug. 30 granted bail to Pastor Poonam Bind, Sheel Bind, Vijay Bahadur, Sonvarsha and Asha (identified with their single names), their lawyer Ashish Kumar told UCA News on Sept. 1. All five were in jail since June 29. “My clients were in Azamgarh jail for over two months on conversion charges. I can’t share more details right now as I have to see the court order,” Kumar added. The lawyer said the case against the five Christians “is not yet closed” and investigations will continue. Media reports said they were arrested in Azamgarh for organizing a house prayer service after a complaint was filed with the police by local residents. Persecution of Christians continues in the district although there have been no religious conversion activities, Pastor Dinesh Kumar told UCA News on Sep. 1. On Aug. 13, the police registered a case of alleged conversion against three Christians including a woman and her daughter in Sadatpur village in the district. The two women were detained by the police for inquiry, he said. In neighboring Jaunpur

A troubling trend is emerging in the world's largest democracy. Millions of Indians believe the country belongs to Hindus and that all other religions, including Christianity and Islam, must be eliminated from society. Human rights groups have accused India's Prime Minister and his government of supporting the extremist view. It's led to a surge in violence against Christians often with tacit approval from the central government. At 16 years old, "Paul" was instructed to target Christians by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or R.S.S., a radical Hindu paramilitary organization. "Since I was a Hindu and part of the R.S.S., I became a staunch follower of their Hindu principles, and because of that, killing Christians and pastors became my goal," Paul told CBN News. We've concealed Paul's real identity for safety. He says the R.S.S. singles out Christians because so many Hindus in India are abandoning their faith to follow Jesus Christ. One of the group's early founders said Christians are "anti-national" and "hostile" and should be treated as such. R.S.S. members often combine religious Hindu education with self-defense classes and exercises. "They told us Christianity doesn't belong to our country because they are converting people therefore we have to attack pastors and demolish their churches so that our country will

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in Allahabad High Court against the reported sealing of a church located in District Kaushambi. More details can be found in: https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/allahabad-high-court/allahabad-high-court-pil-illegal-sealing-church-forced-religious-conversion-right-to-worship-pray-236114?infinitescroll=1 The article is published on https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/allahabad-high-court/allahabad-high-court-pil-illegal-sealing-church-forced-religious-conversion-right-to-worship-pray-236114

Church leaders have asked the Indian government to probe the alleged irregularities in scholarship distribution for minorities, including Christians, and called it a nationwide scam. An internal investigation by India’s Ministry of Minority Affairs has reportedly found illegal transfers of over Rs 144.83 crore (US$ 1,75,22,547.21) into the accounts of ineligible persons, depriving minority students of the money to pursue their education. “We want a thorough probe into the irregularities in the distribution of minority scholarships,” demanded Father Michael Pulickal, secretary to the Commission for Social Harmony and Vigilance of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, a regional bishops’ body in southern India. Quoting media reports, the Carmelite of Mary Immaculate priest said that the illegal transfer has been taking place for the past five years. “The scam is spread across 21 states in the country,” a statement by the commission said on Aug. 22. India has a total of 28 states. The commission asked the federal government, led by the pro-Hindu government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to punish those persons involved in it. “It is very unfortunate that scholarships meant for minority students were siphoned off by a caucus of government and bank officials,” the commission said. The Catholic Congress Global Samiti (council), attached to the

Police in India have issued questionnaires to at least 40 churches in Indore, Madhya Pradesh state seeking information that Christians fear will be used by Hindu extremists to attack them, sources said. The questionnaires are intrusive and discriminatory, as they were sent only to Christians, church leaders said. “We contacted the police commissioner and told him that it is an unjust order and very discriminatory – why only Christians?” Indore Catholic Diocese Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal told local media. “The questions in the letter are also very suspicious. This is not in good spirit.” The 16-point questionnaire issued by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Information Centre of Indore, addressed to all police stations, seeks information about Christians’ activities in the city over the three months prior to its issue date of July 7. It has had a chilling effect, with many churches stopping in-person worship and going to online services, sources said. “Although the police commissioner had stated that they withdrew the alleged notices, the police are still approaching the churches and enquiring about the same details and asking the pastors to fill out the document,” a source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Morning Star News. Police are obtaining information about evangelization and other

A 100-strong mob surrounded the police station in Delhi’s GTB Nagar for several hours and raised provocative slogans as the pastor and injured persons reached to file their complaint. On Sunday, August 20, when members of the Christian community were praying at the Siyyon Prarthna Bhawan in Delhi’s Tahirpur area, individuals allegedly entered the building and disrupted the prayers by blaring promises of a ‘Hindu nation’ over loudspeakers. When community members attempted to register a police complaint, a crowd of over 100 Hindutva activists gathered to prevent them from doing so. Around 10:30 or 11 am, people were praying inside the Siyyon Prarthna Bhawan when suddenly, a few individuals holding speakers entered the Bhawan. The speakers blared, “Hindu rashtra banayenge, Jai Shri Ram.” This is Hindi for “We will make a Hindu nation, hail Lord Ram.” Christian community members alleged that they had been assaulted with sticks by the individuals – who they say belonged to the Bajrang Dal – while praying. “Every Sunday, when we gather to pray in church, we do so in fear – the fear of being attacked,” said a Christian man, requesting anonymity. At noon, some Christians went to the GTB Enclave police station to file a complaint against this group. In response, more

Goa Police have booked 10 persons for allegedy placing the idol of a goddess atop a structure infront of a church.   Panaji: Goa Police have booked 10 persons for allegedy placing the idol of a goddess atop a structure infront of a church. The incident took place on Friday in Sancoale, South Goa, a video has also gone viral on social media.   In the video, the people who placed the idol were seen urging people to come and seek the blessings of the goddess.   The Verna police have lodged the FIR against the 10 accused persons. “We have registered offense against 10 persons and doing formalities to summon them to the police station to investigate the matter,” the police said. After the video went viral, people of the area informed the police of the incident and asked to take action to maintain peace. Police personnel were deployed in the area as a result.   The article is published on https://www.mangalorean.com/

Police raid their prayer service on the nation’s Independence Day at a village in northern Uttar Pradesh state. Five people including three pastors were arrested and released on bail in a northern Indian state for allegedly luring people to convert to Christianity. Police in Uttar Pradesh on Aug. 15 filed a complaint of alleged conversion activities against 37 people including 19 women in Rajjupur village in Jaunpur district. The arrested five were produced before a sub-divisional magistrate who granted them bail the same evening. “The Christian community was holding a prayer service on the occasion of Independence Day in the Dalit colony of Rajjupur when a police force came and arrested five people,” Pastor Dinesh Kumar told UCA News on Aug. 18. The pastor said organizing Christian prayer services on Sundays and special days was nothing new in the village. “We do not disturb anybody in the locality and there were no objections from villagers so far. The sudden police raid has shocked our people,” he said. Pastor Kumar said the community was aware of who filed the false complaint with the police but “we have nothing against anyone and want to live here peacefully.” He recalled that the police along with some hardline Hindu activists had barged