**** Special Edition - Part 3 on the Dalits ****
Rally Reports
(Read about the preparations for this event.)
Click here .....
November 7 and 8, 2001.
Since sending our email report on this event, Nov 6th (below), we have received another eye witness report of the Rally. I suggest you read this one first. Then the other two below. This was written by
Dr. Joseph D'Souza, one of the Indian Christians invited to speak at the Rally. It is excellent. I also recommend his web site: www.indianchristians.org (Note: This site doesn't work in Netscape. It does work in Internet Explorer.)(We also received this brief message from Rick Wood:)
Rick Wood (editor of Missions Frontiers magazine of the US Center for World Missions) was asked, "Concerning the Dalit conversions in India. The newspaper reports that dalilts are convertaing to Budhisam. Are there a number of people who are converting to Christianity?"
Rick Wook Answered:
"You are correct. The conversions are not to Christianity, but to Buddhism. Ram Raj, the leader of this independence movement convereted to Buddhism. I do not know of any specific cases where people accepted Christ at this rally. The importance of this event is that Christians leaders were allowed to speak and that they were received warmly by the crowd of around 100,000 Dalits and that the Christian leaders are taking a strong stand in favor of Dalit independence from Hinduism. This may open up a fantastic opportunity for the Christian church in India to be seen as the allies of the Dalits in their struggle for dignity and liberation. As a result, the 300 million Dalits could see following Christ as a very attractive option for their new lives outside Hinduism."
"We must pray that God would use the Church in India to draw the Dalit people to Christ and bind the enemies attempts to stop Dalits from realizing that true freedom comes only through Jesus Christ."
Rick Wood
---------- Here is our report which we sent out on Nov 6th ------------------------
David and Molly Johnson --Email Update-- (DMJ-update)
November 6, 2001
Writing from Seattle WA about 9:30PM, Tuesday, Seattle Time.Dear Friends,
We received two excellent reports today on the Dalit Rally, Sunday, Nov 4, 2001 in India. One includes several news accounts and a first person report (2) by John Pudaite. The second is a report (3) by Tom Briggs. His analysis has good background and insight on this important event. (I am posting both of these on our web page, or if you prefer, I will send them to you via email. In the next few days, if I find more good information on the rally, I will add these to our web page. I don't anticipate sending another email on this topic.)(Rick Wood of the US Center for World Missions and the Mission Frontiers magazine forwarded these to his email list.)
**** Summary of the Rally ****
The government cancelled the rally and used police and other government agencies to block busses and trains of people from going to the rally. They used disinformation, threats, and force to stop many who tried to attend. (A reported 350,000 were blocked this way.) They also blocked access to the grounds where the rally was to be held. So instead of 1 Million, an estimated 50,000 – 100,000 gathered in another location. They set up a stage and microphones and the rally was held there.
At this event, Ram Raj led the crowd in formally renouncing Hinduism and then led them in joining the Buddhist religion.
Two senior Christian leaders, (Dr.K.P. Yohanan and Dr Joseph D'Souza) were allowed to speak to the crowd. These men gave the Dalits their pledge that they and their Christian organizations loved them and would welcome them. (Quotes from K.P. Yohanan’s speech are in the report by Tom Briggs.) The Dalits responded very positively to his message.
Ram Raj spoke at length about the love and support he had received from the Church in India, and how the body of Christ supported freedom of choice for the Dalits. He asked the Christian community to continue to help them in every way possible.
There was applause as he shared about the solidarity that Christians had pledged to the Dalits. He said, "Thank You for Opening Your Heart to Us."
Though there were confrontations between the crowd and the police, there was no mob violence. This is an answer to prayer.
**** Dr Pudaite's son, John, gave a first person report and analysis. ****
(Click here to read his full report).He wrote his report on Monday. I recommend that you read his entire report. He enumerates answers to prayer and many interesting details. He reported that he was to meet with Ram Raj Monday evening. He requests continued prayer for the ministry to the Dalits in the coming months in India.
Here is John's initial analysis: --------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------The results of the rally preparation, and our outreach preparation,
are also significant.1. Awareness -- An awareness has been created in the Dalit people
that they can be free from the bonds of the caste system.
This message will be reverberating through these people for the
next days, weeks and months.2. Awareness -- An awareness has been created around the world
as prayer has been raised for the country of India. People are
now aware of the plight of the people, of the evils of the Hindu
religion, of the shackles of the caste system. This awareness has
come about because of all of our efforts to educate the people to
know how to pray for this event and outreach.3. Network -- a tremendous network of people has been mobilized
that want to share the Gospel and Christ's love with the Dalit
(and other) peoples of India. I can not begin to tell you how
many wonderful future ministry partners I have met through the
course of this outreach preparation.4. Ministry -- Some of our ministry partners, very quietly, came to
the Rally, and served the Dalit people, showing Christ's love by
serving them. They made them tea beginning at 5 am, and served
them over 8000 lunch packets throughout the day, all unstatedly
in the name of Christ. They also collected thousands of names
and addresses for follow up contact.5. Scripture -- Almost all of the Gospels printed for the event have
already been reallocated. (We planned to distribute all of them
on Nov. 4, but it looks like God wanted it on Nov. 5.) Jacob,
the rest of the team, and I have been extremely busy with this
all day. Likewise for the 14,000 copies of the Jesus Film, on
video, VCD and audio tape.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
**** Tom Brigg’s Report adds excellent perspective.****
(Click here to read his report.)
Tom Briggs gives insight and perspective on the significance of this event in the history of the Gospel in India. He emphasizes that this event is a “Gateway” to ministry to the Dalits all across India and requests prayer for the ministries that are seeking to reach out to the Dalits in the months and years ahead.
**** Information on the Web ****
The two web pages I recommended in our first letter about the Dalits don't have reports on their sites yet about this event. (And their background articles which were there prior to this event, were not visible on Monday and Tuesday, 5th and 6th.)
I recommend Vishal Mangalwadi's site as well: http://www.VishalMangalwadi.com
On his page you can read (or order a copy for yourself) the book which he wrote for distribution on this occasion. (Some people call him the Francis Schaefer of India.) This gives background and perspective on this amazing event in the history of Christianity in India. (About 1/4th of the population of the country changing their religion!)
If you request it, South Asian Resources will send you a regular prayer letter or more information on helpful materials which they have available. They say: PLEASE CONTACT US WITH YOUR NAME & ADDRESS, E-MAIL and FAX number. Please visit www.VishalMangalwadi.com and www.WisdomFromIndia.com. To request this, visit one of these web pages.
**** Some personal thoughts ****
This major cultural shift is a wonderful opportunity for the Gospel. Lets pray that Christians across India will reach out to Dalits in Christian love. And that as the Dalits reach for change, they will find that Christ has the answers they seek.
Consider: If Ram Raj had publicly changed to Christianity, he would have faced persecution and perhaps been killed.
Though Ram Raj formally joined the Buddhist religion, he still has contact with Christians. Lets pray that he accepts Christ as his Savior. Lets also pray that God will preserve his life.
If this rally had been conducted as scheduled, (and there had been a major Gospel presentation) persecution of Christians would almost certainly have intensified immediately. (It may anyway, of course.) Lets pray that individuals and smaller groups will embrace Christ all over the country in lower profile ways in the months and years ahead.
In Christ,
David (and Molly) Johnson
P.S. As stated in our first email on the Dalits, Molly and I (and ACTION) have no direct connection with the ministry to the Dalits. We are interested in what God is doing there and think it will interest you too.
----------------------------"DMJ-update" is from------
David and Molly Johnson -
Serving with:Action International Ministries
PO Box 398,
Mountlake Terrace WA 98043-0398
Ph:(425) 775-4800 FAX: (425) 775-0634To email us, click on "Contact Us" on our web page.