India’s election cycle is massive. Held in seven phases, it took place from April 11th and ended on May 23rd. Votes were counted and Narendra Modi, of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), attained reelection in a landslide victory. Not only is Modi Prime Minister in India for another five years, but Indians awarded the Bharatiya Janata Party more significant control over the government. The BPJ was projected to take the Prime Minister seat, but early projections for majority control in India’s 537 seat parliament were not bright.

However, representatives of the BJP rode the wave of Modi’s campaign promises. Promising stronger national security and foreign policy is what many analysts say swayed Indian voters. The BJP led in 299 districts (directly representing 299 seats) and swept into majority control. To understand what a huge win this is, consider: India has more than 900 million registered voters.

So what do these current events mean for India and its Christians?

National religious identity for India

For many Christians in India, this news was not what they’d hoped for at the beginning of the election in April 2019. Now, in the face of Modi’s win, India’s Christians are preparing for increasing persecution in an already oppressive environment.

Since Modi came to power, India has climbed the ranks as a country where it is incredibly dangerous to be a Christian. It currently sits at number 10 n Open Door’s world watch list. The persecution watchdog group reports that Hindus believe they can attack Christians without consequence, simply because they are Christian.

Modi has increasingly tied Hinduism to identity as an Indian citizen. The belief that any religion other than Hinduism is foreign to India and must be eradicated is emphasized through the pressures Christian converts face from family and friends to return to the national religion.

Currently, there are 64 million Christians in India, which amounts to 5% of the population in India. Our brothers and sisters experience a variety of persecution, including police detainment, beatings, and in some cases, rape and murder. And the numbers back up the persecution claims. In 2014, Open Doors affiliates reported 147 incidents of violence. Their affiliates reported 216 incidents of violence, including two murders in the first quarter of 2019.

“We trust the Lord in it all…”

The reaction of Indian Christians varies from person to person. But many pastors interviewed by various outlets have expressed similar views. They’re neither happy or sad, but know they can trust Jesus no matter what comes their way.

As the violence intensifies, so does the resolve of Christian brothers and sisters to continue to preach the Gospel. CBN News references Dr. A.C. Michael, Former Member of the Delhi Minorities Commission as saying the church will continue to worship and serve Jesus Christ, “The does not mean that we Christians will stop practicing our faith as guaranteed by the constitution. I feel, however, that we have to adopt different approaches to win over the confidence of minorities who are otherwise living in fear of the Hindutva agenda.”

Another pastor interviewed by Open Doors said, “Some Christians are discouraged, yes, but they have also been preparing for this to happen. It is also true that neither Congress nor other parties work for the welfare of Christians. We would have faced opposition anyhow. So, we instead prepare ourselves to face what God has prepared for us.” (Emphasis provided by Open Doors.)

What we can do

Intercessory prayer is desperately needed for our brothers and sisters. The writer of Hebrews encouraged Christians never to forget those who are suffering for the Gospel:

Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

It is our responsibility to pray for Christians facing persecution around the world. To cry out to Jesus on behalf of those who are facing the loss of everything, even their lives, is a burden worth bearing.

And we want to take action. This week, we have a team in India assessing our Mobile Messengers there. They’ll be learning about the churches that have been established as well as what Mobile Messengers need to share Jesus in their communities effectively.

As they visit and make that crucial face-to-face connection with the global church, will you join with us in prayer?

Here are a few ways you can pray:

• Pray for Indian Christians that they would stand strong in Jesus and be bold in proclaiming Him to their communities. (Acts 4:29-31)
• Pray for Modi and the Indian government. Jesus can change hearts. He desires for people to come to know Him and the truth of His Word. Pray for softened hearts, willing to hear the good news of the Gospel. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
• Pray for the encouragement of the Holy Spirit and other Christians to pour into the hearts of our brothers and sisters. There are many temptations to leave the faith or to compromise the word. And constant persecution can make one feel weak and alone. We ask the Lord to send encouragement and love in His Spirit to these precious men and women. (Colossians 2:1-3)
• We hope to have an update for you in the coming weeks and ways that you can get involved in helping Indian Christians face and endure constant persecution. Make sure you sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay on top of all the news regarding our Mobile Messengers and the state of Christianity in Africa and Asia.