Violence is a Way of Life in Northeast India
Prayer is very much a part of life in West Bengal. Very often the people pray for their own safety when they are caught in the middle of violent confrontations. |
Violent confrontations and ethnic clashes are a sadly routine part of living in Northeast India, and very often, Gospel for Asia missionaries are caught up in the drama being played out before them.
Two separate reports from the fall of 2007 in the state of West Bengal highlight the troubles these missionaries face.
The bullets barely missed the missionary himself.Fighting erupted in late September after a local disc jockey made derogatory remarks about Prashant Tamang, the first Nepal native to win Indian Idol, a television talent show based on the popular American Idol.
According to reports published in the Indian media, more than 2,000 of Prashant's fans gathered in the town and moved in a procession to submit a memo to the local government office to take action against the disc jockey. When an ambulance tried to pass through the procession, the fans blocked it. The media reports that the Idol winner's fans then assaulted the ambulance crew and the patient. Local people joined in the confrontation, which then spilled over into the town, where shops and vehicles were vandalized and set on fire and many people were injured.
The violence continued to spread until it reached the next town, three kilometers away, which is also the home of a Gospel for Asia Womens Bible College. The women in the college were scheduled to go on a weekend outreach at the same time that the riots reached their doorstep. Rather than go out sharing the love of God, they were forced to remain locked down in their buildings for their own safety.
A few weeks later, a woman who attends a local church where a Gospel for Asia missionary serves as pastor was killed by random gunfire. The bullets barely missed the missionary himself.
Gospel for Asia missionaries often rely on one-on-one evangelism to reach the people of West Bengal. |
Parbati Mitra was sitting in her courtyard eating a meal on a Sunday afternoon when she was caught in the crossfire of two rival groups. She was shot four times and died. The 75-year-old farmer's widow had professed faith in Christ and had been worshipping in missionary Supol Tamang's church for 10 years. She had been to church the same morning that she was killed. Parbati had only been home long enough to prepare her lunch when the bullets began flying.
Two other people, including a 10-year-old girl, were also injured in that same attack.
Supol himself was on his way to conduct another prayer meeting during the crossfire, but the bullets flew over his head and he was not injured.
He asks for continued prayer for this area of West Bengal. There are 30 people in his church. He also leads several smaller congregations in the area. He asks that people would pray for the Christians in this area to be strengthened and protected as they live amid these harsh and dangerous circumstances.
A Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope center is changing lives in West Bengal. Get the details here.
