Sukhbati continued, telling ICC, “Later on, the villagers performed some black magic ritual hoping that my master (tribal women address their husbands as ‘master’) would die, but it was unsuccessful. They later taunted my master, saying, ‘You are becoming a pandit (priest) so our black magic didn’t work.’”
When all else failed, the fanatics called for a meeting of the community leaders under the authority of the Gondwana Bikas Mandal (GBM), a welfare organization of the Gond community, in order to discuss the matter of Anant Ram.
They issued a summons letter for Anant Ram to attend the meeting.
“Members of this GBM, numbering around 200, converged from all surrounding villages and conveyed a menacing message to Anant Ram to reject Christianity. This happened in January 2019,” Das recalled.
When their arguments didn’t work, they ostracised Anant Ram and his family. He began to live outside the village on a parcel of forested land where he was cultivating rice and corn.
“Even after all this, seven people came to us in the beginning of February, giving my master an ultimatum to renounce Christianity or else they would send the tigers of the jungle (Naxalites),” added Sukhbati.
One week later, Anant Ram was killed.
Ironically the GBM is meant to work for the welfare of the community. Instead, they murdered one of their own members.
Bhenos village is part of a grouping tribal settlements in the forest areas of the Raighar province of India’s Odisha state. It took nearly an hour of driving in the dust and heat to reach the area. Basic infrastructure like access roads, safe drinking water, and electricity are virtually non-existent in this area. Although time has passed and society has advanced, the people in these regions still struggle to feed themselves day to day.
These forest dwellers scavenge for produce in the forest during the summers and farm during monsoon season. The government has attempted to start welfare programs, but they currently exist only on paper. Christian workers offer the message of hope to this community that otherwise leads a hopeless life. The GBM on the other hand does little to alleviate the poverty that grips the community.
Sukhbati now lives in fear about what the religious fanatics might do to her five children: Purnima (age 12), Dhanomati (age 10), Purno (age 6), Kekoi (age 5), and Hemlata (age 2). However, her faith is bold and alive.
Sukhbati concluded, “My master is dead. He has been killed for his faith. But I will not forsake Jesus Christ my saviour. We request you to uphold my children and me in your prayers for our faith to remain strong and for our daily needs.”
For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org