National

Pastor, Church Member Detained in Uttar Pradesh on Charges of Forced Conversions

Published

7 months ago

August 4, 2024

India — A missionary pastor who had recently sought permission to reopen his church in Northern India’s Uttar Pradesh (UP) state was promptly arrested, along with a member of his church, on July 29 on false charges of forceful conversions.

Instead of looking into Pastor Shyam’s request, the government official who met with him, a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), insulted the pastor and called the police on him and the man with him.

Following the pastor’s arrest under the draconian UP Anti-conversion Act, a local Hindu nationalist helped create a false narrative about the pastor. A local news website published a story about how the right-wing activist was able to stop the pastor and his colleague as they allegedly attempted unlawful religious conversions in a certain part of the town.

Pastor Shyam lives in a small town in the Ayodhya division of UP. Authorities closed his church building in 2023 after Hindu groups objected to the presence of Christian worship in the area.

Nearly a year later, Pastor Shyam visited the police station and sought permission to reopen his church facility. Police told him he needed to meet with the SDM, who called the police and local Hindu nationalists. The police promptly arrested both the pastor and the church member.

Meanwhile, a local news website reported on Pastor Shyam’s arrest and spun an entirely different story.

The false story published about the pastor claimed that he engaged in indiscriminate religious conversions by luring Hindus with money and promises of housing.

The website said that Pandey Dubey, coordinator of a Hindu nationalist group, filed the complaint that prompted police to register a case against Pastor Shyam and his friend under sections 3 and 5 (1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act 2021 and section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), India’s official criminal code.

Dubey’s complaint alleged Pastor Shyam stopped him, five of his friends, and another person in a public place and told them that if they converted from Hinduism and accepted Jesus, they would receive INR 10,000, or roughly USD 120, and they would get free housing.

Dubey also alleged that while he and his friends were about to convert to Christianity, other people saw them and grew upset, claiming that the pastor and his friend had tried to convert others to Christianity a week earlier but were chased away.

“On hearing this,” Dubey said, “I refused to take the oath, and they abused me and ran away.”
Sources:persecution

http://theendtimeradio.com

Share this post:

Facebook WhatsApp X (Twitter)Pinterest SMS Email

Up Next

കേരളത്തില്‍ ആദ്യമായി മാര്‍ച്ച് ഫോര്‍ ലൈഫ് ഇന്ത്യാസ് ഓഗസ്റ്റ് 10ന്

Don't Miss

ക്രിസ്ത്യൻ വെൽഫെയർ അസോസിയേഷൻ പ്രയർ ഡ്രൈവ് നടത്തി

National

മുനിയറ ബൈബിൾ കൺവൻഷൻ അനുഗ്രഹത്തോട് സമാപിച്ചു

Published

13 hours ago

February 23, 2025

theendtimenews

ഫെയ്ത്ത് ഗോസ്പൽ മിഷന്റെ ആഭിമുഖ്യത്തിൽ നടത്തപ്പെടുന്ന ഹൈറേഞ്ചിന്റെ സുവിശേഷ സംഘമമായ 24-ാത് മുനിയറ ബൈബിൾ കൺവൻഷന് അനുഗ്രഹ സമാപ്തി. 2025 ഫെബ്രുവരി 18 ന് വൈകിട്ട് 5.30 മുതൽ 9.30 വരെ മുനിയറ അങ്കണവാടിയ്ക്ക് സമീപം വച്ച് നടന്ന മുനിയറ കൺവൻഷൻ പാസ്റ്റർ ഷാജി ഇടുക്കി ഉത്ഘാടനം നിർവഹിച്ചു. ഫെയ്ത്ത് ഗോസ്പൽ മിഷൻ പ്രസിഡൻ്റ് പാസ്റ്റർ ജയ്മോൻ അദ്ധ്യക്ഷത വഹിച്ചു. സമീപ പ്രദേശങ്ങളിലുമുള്ള സഭകളുടെയും ദൈവദാസൻമാരുടെയും ആത്മീയ പ്രവർത്തനമാണ് ഫെയ്ത്ത് ഗോസ്പൽ മിഷൻ. പാസ്റ്റർമാരായ പ്രിൻസ് തോമസ് റാന്നി, സജു ചാത്തന്നൂർ , അനീഷ് കാവാലം എന്നീവർ പ്രസംഗിച്ചു. ഫെയ്ത്ത് ഗോസ്പൽ സിoഗേഴ്സ് മുനിയറ ഗാനശുശൂഷയ്ക്ക് നേതൃത്വം നൽകി. പാസ്റ്റർ ബെന്നി മത്തായി (സെക്രട്ടറി ) പാസ്റ്റർ റ്റിജി സി.സി (ഖജാൻജി) ബ്രദർ ജോർജ് ഇ.സി (വൈസ് – പ്രസിഡന്റ്) ബ്രദർ അനീഷ് എൻ.എ (ജോ.സെക്രട്ടറി) കമ്മിറ്റി അംഗങ്ങ’ൾ ബ്രദർ സണ്ണി റ്റി.ഒ, ബ്രദർ ജോൺ സി.സി, ബ്രദർ പത്രോസ്, ബ്രദർ ഷിജു കുര്യൻ. എന്നിവർ നേതൃത്വം നൽകി.
Sources:gospelmirror

http://theendtimeradio.com

Share this post:

Facebook WhatsApp X (Twitter)Pinterest SMS Email

National

New Anti-Conversion Law Takes Effect in Rajasthan

Published

1 day ago

February 22, 2025

theendtimenews

India — As of this week, a newly enacted anti-conversion law requires people in India’s Rajasthan state to give two months’ notice to the government if they plan to change their religion voluntarily.

Further, the “converter,” or the person performing the conversion ceremony, must also give the government a month’s notice of his intention to perform the ceremony.

The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025, has made the procedures for conversions exhaustive and lengthy to stop unlawful conversions. Failure to involve government authorities in voluntary religious conversions could lead to up to three years in jail and a minimum fine of 10,000 rupees ($115).

The new law states that a prescribed declaration form should be submitted to the District Magistrate (DM) or the relevant authority 60 days before the person wants to convert voluntarily.

If the converter violates the law, it could lead to up to five years imprisonment and a minimum fine of 25,000 rupees ($289).
An officer not below the rank of Additional DM will “get an inquiry conducted through police with regard to real intention, purpose, and cause of the proposed religious conversion.”

Then, within 60 days of conversion, the converted person must send a declaration in a prescribed form to the DM. A copy of this declaration must be displayed on the notice board of the DM’s office until the date of confirmation.

Finally, the convert must appear before the DM within 21 days of filing the declaration to establish their identity and confirm the declaration’s contents.

According to lawmakers, unlawful religious conversions through coercion, force, allurement, or fraud, with allurement including cash, material benefits, employment, free education, and even inter-religious marriages, are taking place. This law aims to curb these so-called malpractices.

The anti-conversion law states that the burden of proof lies on the person who has “caused” the conversion. This is a reversal of the principle of assumption of innocence, which normally applies to the accused person in a criminal case.

Rajasthan joins 11 other Indian states that have passed anti-conversion laws. These include Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

Various offenses under the law are cognizable and non-bailable, which could result in harassment of innocent individuals, says Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), which has long acted as a safeguarding organization for the human rights of Indian citizens.
Sources:persecution

http://theendtimeradio.com

Share this post:

Facebook WhatsApp X (Twitter)Pinterest SMS Email

National

Chrysalis: Preparing for Marriage Workshop

Published

2 days ago

February 21, 2025

theendtimenews

Bangalore – All Peoples Church (APC) is excited to announce the Chrysalis: Preparing for Marriage Workshop, scheduled for February 22, 2025. This workshop is designed to help couples build a strong foundation for their future together.

The workshop will cover various aspects of marriage, including communication, conflict resolution, financial planning, and spiritual growth. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from experienced speakers and engage in interactive sessions that provide practical tools and insights for a successful marriage.
Sources:christiansworldnews

http://theendtimeradio.com