Prayer Needed TODAY for Critical Dalit Court Case
October 16, 2005
Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan is calling on Christians all across the world to pray today for an Indian Supreme Court case that will decide the fate of millions of Dalit believers.
The case, to be heard October 18 (tonight US time) will decide whether the nation's Dalit Christians will be afforded the same basic rights as their non-Christian counterparts. The Dalits, or "Untouchables," are the lowest rung in the Indian caste system. And although the caste system was legally ended in 1950, its reality permeates every aspect of Indian life, relegating millions of Dalits to virtual slavery.
The government of India has attempted to correct this injustice by giving affirmative action positions to Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist Dalits in university placements and government jobs, among others. But there is no mention of Christians, so when a Dalit becomes a Christian, they lose these rights.
Today, the Supreme Court will decide whether the several million Dalit Christians will no longer have to live without those rights. And Dr. Yohannan says your prayers can make the difference.
"Through our prayer and fasting, we are standing in the gap," he says, "and it takes a massive amount of prayer and fasting and intercession to break the hands of the evil one and make this thing work."
Yohannan is encouraging Christians to pray and fast today and tonight as the case is heard, because there is more at stake than just legal equality.
K.P. explains that there are 300 million Dalits in India, and if those who become Christians are guaranteed basic human rights, many more will be open to the Gospel.
"Jesus Himself said these things can only go with fasting and prayer," Yohannan says. "We are not dealing with just one demon-possessed person; we are dealing with millions upon millions in the valley of decision, not knowing what to do, and Satanic forces want to take them all to hell. We need to wake up and give up our food and drink and cry out to God on behalf of people today!"
