Can you imagine?
More than 14 families — including women and children — are hiding in the jungle without food, water, or even shoes, surrounded by poisonous snakes and wild animals. They have spent several nights outdoors and are still unsure if they will ever be able to return to their village.
These are people from a tribal community in a place called Lohandiguda, in the state of Chhattisgarh, India, who worship Jesus. Although they follow Christ, they still identify as part of their tribe and haven’t officially changed their religion in government records.
On November 3rd, their small church was burned down. Two days later, on November 5th, they were chased out of their homes. It appears their tribal leader was unhappy with their prayer gatherings and approached the Naxalites — a group identified by the Indian government as terrorists. Normally, the Naxalites are opposed to the government, but they maintain close ties with the villagers. Recently, however, they have begun acting much like Hindu extremists.
When the displaced believers went to the police for help, the authorities refused to register their complaint, claiming that since they had no official documentation identifying them as Christians, they could not act against the terrorists or the tribal leader.
The Chhattisgarh Christian Forum has taken up their case and is fighting on their behalf. This is just one of many such incidents in Chhattisgarh. In this month alone, there have been more than 12 attacks — including the burning of one church and three homes.
Here are a few more examples:
- In another village, Tongpal, seven families were chased out of their homes and survived by the roadside for three days.
- In Khairagarh District, two churches were ordered to close.
- Many believers are being forced to return to tribal customs instead of worshiping Jesus.
In some villages, Christians are even denied burial rights. When a Christian dies, the grieving families are refused permission to bury their loved one in the village, forcing them to travel miles carrying the body — a heartbreaking and humiliating experience that continues to this day.
I have shared about one state — Chhattisgarh — but similar situations are unfolding in other states, such as Uttar Pradesh, where many pastors and believers have been arrested. We will address this in the next update.
Please pray that these believers will be strengthened, protected, and comforted. Times are growing darker and more difficult, but this is when our light must shine brighter. The gospel must be preached.
