Barmer, Rajasthan.
IET has a small but good work in Barmer area. Roy Daniel with his family and Bhawani Singh with his wife are working here.
They were conducting discipleship training for the new believers from 27th March to 29th March. On the third day one VHP person came into the meeting place, Christ Church that is a union meeting place. He started to ask questions and looked at every literature of the people. Sitting there he made a few telephone calls on his mobile. Sensing trouble the leader Roy Daniel closed the meeting but the fanatics arrived in front of the church. About 60 people reached the colloctorate and demanded that every one must be arrested.
They took some people to their office and questioned them. They were all fearful of physical attack - that did not happen. Thereafter the RSS, VHP leaders came to the church and with the help of the police broke opened the church and took away the literature what ever they could find. They took 5 IET songbooks, notebooks of the 20 people who were doing the discipleship training and their 20 new testaments. From got their names from their note books and immediately they went to their homes and took all of them into police custody in Barmer Police station. At 5.30 PM police arrested 15 of them. But after the questioning they were released at 12.30 am.
The police wanted to get Bhavani Singh, who is a Rajput convert and IET preacher. We remember the trouble they gave him on his wedding day. They saw the marriage invitation and they chased the Bhavani Singh's marriage party asking how come a Rajput is marrying a Christian girl.
The VHP leader informed this matter to the Rajasthan government home minister and there was heavy pressure form the minister's office on the police.
Bro Roy Daniel was asked to report to the police every day. Later he was told to be available when ever they will call him. Roy Daniel is afraid to go out of his house as he could easily be attacked.
Bhavani Singh was immediately asked to leave the area and be else where with his wife. Their motorcycles are also kept elsewhere fearing attack on their vehicles.
Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for Roy Daniel who is Barmer and cannot leave the place as he is asked by the police to be available there any time they will call him and Bhavani Singh/his wife who is moved to another place.
