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India's elections could bring much change for believers

The stakes are high for believers in India as they watch the outcome of the election process. Hindu nationalists are expected to reform their alliances after May 16, reports MNN.

A team member with World Bible Translation Center in India, whom we'll call 'Samson' says Christians have already suffered at the hands of the Hindu nationalists. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would likely bring further erosion to religious freedom. "We need a government appointed by the Lord. The government has to support the church, support the missions, and we need a secular government who can stand for truth."

The BJP is in power in all four areas of the country. In the North, they are influential in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab. Gujarat is their stronghold in the West, and to the East, they hold sway in Chhattisgarh Bihar, Nagaland and Meghalaya. Hindu nationalists are powerful in the South region's Karnataka state. In many of the places where the BJP's ideology is shared, there are also anti-conversion laws either in effect or pending.

Given the reports of wholesale destruction of churches and the persecution experienced by many lay pastors, the likelihood of trouble during an election cycle was great. However, Samson says that disruption to the Tamil Nadu Bible distribution project has been minimal. "Evangelists and church planters have restricted their work to a certain extent, but the work has never stopped."

There's been opportunity to teach people in India how to read and write using Easy-to-ReadTM Scriptures. Since January, there have been 27 literacy centers started in villages in the states of Orissa, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, and a new literacy program is being finalized in Jharkhand.

The team is asking for prayer for a new ministry relationship between WBTC-India and TractsOnline as they work together to use Easy-to-ReadTM Tamil and Hindi Scriptures for outreach purposes.

Samson says they've just launched a new Web site specifically for India. It provides contact in areas too dangerous for their team. "Where people do not have access to the Word of God or where movement is restricted or where carrying Bibles is restricted, people can read the Bible in their own houses or in a nearby sidewalk cafe."

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TAGS: India elections change for believers persecution World Bible Translation Center religious freedom

[05/05/2009]

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