letter from South Asia
Global news headlines often focus on the physical violence facing our Christian brothers and sisters in India – the church burnings, rape of nuns, and mob attacks. However, a more silent, clinical threat is sweeping across the nation. In the “world’s largest democracy”, the law itself is being transformed into a weapon to stifle the good news of God’s Kingdom.
The most recent blow fell on 7 April 2026, when Governor Ramen Deka signed the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act into law. Despite desperate protests from the Christian community, this legislation has cast a shadow of suspicion over even the smallest gatherings. It signals a move from the state merely failing to protect believers to the state actively orchestrating their suppression. [Chhattisgarh is a landlocked state in central India with a population of roughly 30 million, the 17th most populous, according to Wikipedia.]
Under this new regime, the privacy of the soul is now a matter of public record. Anyone seeking to follow Christ must first notify a District Magistrate. This triggers a public inquiry, turning a personal decision of conscience into a state-monitored event.
