CHRISTIANS CONTINUE TO SUFFER IN INDIA
(Extensions of Remarks - January 12, 2007)

HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, just before the new Congress convened, many of us celebrated Christmas with families and friends. I hope that every one of my colleagues, old and new, had a very happy Christmas and holiday season. But Christmas is another anniversary also for the Christians of India . Since Christmas 1998, 8 years now, India has been focusing its persecution in large measure on Christians .

In September, the convent and school of Loreto were violently attacked by the violent Hindu organization the Bharatiya Janata Yuva, a youth arm of the BJP, which is the political arm of the RSS, a Fascist organization that published a book on how to get minorities, including Christians , falsely implicated in criminal cases. A BJP spokesman demanded a high-level inquiry into the school, according to the Tribune newspaper of Chandigarh, saying it engaged in "irrational behavior.'' As I noted at the time of the attack, apparently, being a Catholic is irrational behavior and "unscientific activity'' in the world of Hindu militants.

Over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland have been murdered in India . Nuns have been raped, priests have been murdered, Christian schools and prayer halls have been attacked. Laws have been passed requiring the permission of the Hindu regime before one may be baptized. Christians have faced jail time, as well as threats and physical violence, just for sharing their faith.

Missionary Graham Staines was sleeping in his jeep with his two young sons when they were surrounded by a mob chanting "Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. The mob then burned Staines and his sons to death. Missionary Joseph Cooper of Pennsylvania was beaten so severely that he had to spend a week in an Indian hospital. Then the Indian government threw him out of the country. Police gunfire broke up a Christian religious festival on the theme "Jesus is the answer.'' Is this the secularism that India is so proud of?

It would be bad enough if Christians were the only ones suffering. But they are not. Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits, and others have also felt the lash of Indian repression. The time has come for freedom in the subcontinent. The time has come for the persecution to end.

Madam Speaker, there is a way to help bring freedom and secularism to the people of south Asia. We should end all U.S. aid and trade with India until everyone within its jurisdiction enjoys full human rights there. And now that we have a new Congress, we should go on record in support of freedom everywhere in South Asia. There is no better time than now. If we can help to stop the persecution we have a duty to do so.

I would like to place an article from the website of the Bible League into the RECORD at this time, Madame Speaker. It has further details about the persecution of Christians.

"HE HEARD OUR FEARS AND PRAYERS''

Nearly two years after the establishment of anti-conversion laws, Indian Christians are celebrating the effects of their repeal. Only time will tell the long-term blessings of this legal change, but several resulting miracles have already taken place. In the first month alone, a group of 50 Indian church planters reports having baptized over 1,200 new Christians !

Christians throughout India were stunned when the pro-Hindu government was overturned in the Spring 2004 national election, and several state governments annulled local anti-conversion laws.

Said one local Bible League-trained Christian, "I praise God for enabling us to spread the Gospel in our country. He heard our fears and prayers regarding the election. God gave us an extra bonus when He made our state government remove the anti-conversion law which was in force until now. Hallelujah!''

UNDETERRED BY FEAR
Indian Christians have faced many hardships in sharing the Gospel. Bible League-trained Christians in India report that they or fellow believers have faced threats, physical attacks, and jail time for sharing their faith.

Baptisms, in particular, became a significant challenge for local churches. Under the anti-conversion laws, anyone who chose to become baptized was legally obligated to seek permission from the government, as well as provide them with the name of the person performing the baptism. Fearing repercussions, many new Christians did not make this outward profession of faith until after the laws were repealed.

Still, thousands of Indians were undeterred in their faith. A local Bible League-trained Christian, while under the anti-conversion law, wrote, "We continue to encourage Christians through the Word of God. We remind them of the promises (Matthew 28:20) and the testimonies of the great martyrs. We are encouraged to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ, regardless of what happens to us. We are prepared for imprisonment, punishment, and even death for the sake of Christ.''

RELYING ON GOD'S FAITHFULNESS
Continue to pray for the Church in India . The repeal of state anti-conversion laws has been a tremendous miracle--but challenges still remain. One state continues to uphold anti-conversion laws, and persecution persists throughout the country.

Yet God has been faithful to His children in India , and they are recognizing Him as their Savior by the thousands. Praise God for increasing opportunities to share His Word with the lost.

THE GREAT COMMISSION--MATTHEW 28:19-20
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.