First Stop- India!

First stop- India

Is the 7th largest country by area.

Is the 2nd most populous with over 1.2 billion people.

has 50 million kids working, making 10-15 cents a day, but has to give it to their boss/owner.

has parents selling their kids in hope that they will survive because they are no longer able to feed them.

has a caste system (Hindu) that was outlawed and few years ago, but is still implanted in the peoples minds.

The caste system- (from the book No Longer a Slumdog by KP Yohannan)

“This oppressive way of life for the worlds most impoverished all began with the arrival of the Aryans in India, about 1500 B.C. Because the Aryans believed themselves to be a superior race, they devised a cruel system to prevent themselves from becoming “contaminated” by the indigenous peoples. Through this tactic, the Aryans were quickly able to become a rich and highly educated minority.”

Brahmins- Priests and teachers, comprise the highest caste. 5% of the population.

Kshatriyas- Rulers and soldiers.

Vaisyas- Merchants and traders.

Sudras- Laborers and servants.

Dalits- The Lowest. There are about 250 million Dalits. That means almost 20% of India’s population is considered subhuman and treated like dogs.

Not only do they have the caste system, but the Christians  are being persecuted for their faith. Families disown them and the Hindu are causing trouble for them.

I found this article on the Voices of Martyrs-  

“Recent remarks by an RSS leader reveal the true motives of the Hindu nationalist movement – a movement described as the ideological mentor of India’s ruling BJP party – and point to a worrying future for India’s Christian minority.

At a function on Sunday, Aug. 10, the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said, “The entire world recognizes Indians as Hindus, therefore India is a Hindu state. … the cultural identity of all Indians is Hindutva and the present inhabitants of the country are descendants of this great culture.”

Hindutva refers to Hindu religious fundamentalism and an ideology that all other religions are invalid. Two days earlier, an RSS coordinator in the Uttar Pradesh region told The Hindu news that in December his organization plans to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism in two separate programs.

“On Dec. 23 … we will convert Muslims to Hinduism in at least 50 locations,” he said. “On Dec. 25, the day when Christians convert people to their religion, this year, we will do the reverse – by converting them back to Hinduism. In two to three years, the rural hinterland will be free of Christians.”

When asked how he would convince people to become Hindus, he said, “It will be a test of who is stronger. Hindus or them. You just wait and watch.””

God is stronger! He will not let His glory be given to another. 

Despite this, God is doing great things in India!! 

Here is another story I found on voices of Martyrs- 

“Vani, a 30-year-old widow, spent 15 days in jail after being charged with kidnapping and forcing a child to convert to Christianity. During her two-week stay, she witnessed to more than 70 women, 14 of whom became Christians. Vani was charged in connection with an incident in early February, when she helped a teenager and introduced her to some other believers. Vani was arrested after the girl’s parents reported her to police. While Vani was in jail, the jailer encouraged her to share the gospel and pray for the other women because he had seen dramatic change in those who accepted Christ. Vani has been released from jail and is now interested in continuing prison ministry.”