Source: www.persecution.org
Date: June 23, 2023
India (International Christian Concern) – Heavy monsoon rains have displaced tens of thousands of people in the Assam state in northeastern India. About 14,000 people are currently housed in government-run refugee camps in 20 of the 31 state districts, according to government officials. More than 500,000 people have been affected by the monsoon.
As northeastern India recovers from the devastating monsoon, Christians in the region face potential persecution in aid distribution to refugees. Christians are often last in line to receive aid if at all. This comes as the church in the neighboring state of Manipur continues to suffer persecution during ongoing civil unrest. International Christian Concern (ICC) previously reported on the overall trend away from religious freedom in India.
This serves as a backdrop to this week’s visit to Washington, D.C. by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the discussions focused primarily on the military and economic partnerships between the two countries, religious freedom advocates, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), called on President Biden to raise concerns on that front. Despite reports to the contrary, Modi minimized the ongoing persecution in India during a press conference as reported by ICC.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for all aid to be distributed fairly. Pray for the displaced families to have a safe place to live. Pray for displaced Christians to shine the light of Christ in their refugee camps.