missionary who was kidnapped by suspected militants in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, an official said.
Pastor Subhash, a young single missionary who started five mission stations "and led 28 people to Christ," is returning home in a taxi with five other people, but never reached his destination, confirmed GFA President K.P. Yohannan.
The taxi and its passengers disappeared last week and have not been found said GFA, a major mission organization in India. Subhash’s parents received a letter saying he had been kidnapped by an extremist Marxist group known as the Naxalites, GFA added. The letter did not mention any ransom or other demands, but apparently asked that Subhash’s parents "help in order to secure his safe release." The Naxalites could not be reached for comment.
BADLY BEATEN
GFA President K.P. Yohannan noted that this latest incident came in a week in which over two dozen GFA native missionaries and Bible college students "were badly beaten in attacks in [the states of] Bihar and Madhya Pradesh."
It also comes as up to 500,000 Hindus are expected to attend a religious festival this month in a tribal area of Gujarat state, a move church groups say is aimed at persecuting Christians there. Christians in the Dangs district of Gujarat are considering whether to evacuate in advance of a major gathering of Hindu extremist groups,GFA said.
"The Shabri Kumbh festival, to be held February 11-February 13, could attract a half-million Hindus chanting the slogan, "Arise Oh Hindus! Throw out the Christians!" The total Christian population of Dangs today is more than the 8,000 often quoted," Yohannan added. Yohannan said he has appealed to Christians around the world "to pray for Subhash’s safe release, and for his parents, that God will be with them" through this ordeal.
"ANTI-CHRISTIAM ELEMENTS"
"Please also join me and the rest of the GFA family in praying for all of our persecuted brothers and sisters across South Asia who are suffering at the hands of anti-Christian elements," Dr. Yohannan said.
Yohannan’s organization, headquartered near Dallas, Texas, has more than 14,500 indigenous missionaries serving in 10 Asian nations, GFA states on its website. A major focus is in India where GFA began.
"Christians in the West must resolve to pray and fast," Yohannan said. "The situation is urgent; Christians all over India are in peril. In just the past few days we have received reports of our native missionaries being beaten and church meetings attacked in two other Indian states."
He said the "fanatics are becoming bolder and bolder." Human rights groups say Hindu nationalist organizations are angry about the apparently growing number of churches in tribal areas and among ‘dalits,’ the term used for the so called "untouchables in India," up to 300-million people, who occupy the lowest place in the countries ancient caste system of Hinduism.
