Story number 1 for 28 Feb 2003

(India)–Topping the headlines, India’s Gujarat state is bringing in a new law to stop the practice of religious conversion. Other states in the election cycle are seeing the nationalist movement growing stronger. Dave DeGroot is with Mission India of Grand Rapids. “We’re watching the elections very carefully. There is a very strong nationalist Hindu movement that could possibility be moving from one state to another. However, each state has its own complexion; each state is an entity to itself. We have to just take it on a state-to-state basis.” DeGroot says ministry has gotten creative, in spite of the increased risk for those involved with evangelistic work. “One group in Tamil Nadu just had 33 people step forward for baptism and we’re very happy to hear that. These are all people that stepped forward since the new anti-conversion law came into effect. They are going to go across the border into a neighboring state, into a rather remote jungle area, and they’re going to hold the baptism service in a river there.”