Hopegivers president still languishing in Rajasthan jail

New Delhi, India – The leader of one of India's largest evangelical mission groups was on Wednesday, March 29, in a Kota Centra Jail of the state of Rajasthan, which has been shaken by religious strife, officials confirmed. This move is expected to raise international concerns, officials said.

Hopegivers International (HI) leader Samuel Thomas was detained on March 16 by security forces and two weeks after that on Tuesday, March 28, the authorities decided to transfer him to the detention center pending trial.

On March 27, a judge denied the bail to the benevolent Christian leader and ordered him to be held in judicial custody until he appears before the court again. He is schedule to appear before court on April 10.

Dr. Samuel Thomas and his 71–year old father had been in hiding to avoid assassinations and arrest for what their involvement in inciting hatred by publishing perceived anti–Hindu book, Haqikat. Both men are wanted by militants and government officials. Father and son have denied the accusations saying HI had not published that book.

The book, written by M.G. Mathews and reportedly an analytical study on the "Bunch of Thoughts" written by RSS idealogue M.S. Golwalkar, was sold in Rajasthan but was stopped following widespread protests.

Police have also arrested three EMI employees and have revoked the mission's charity license.

Local authorities have also sealed EMI's offices and frozen their bank accounts, claiming that they had recovered all evidence that suggest the entire exercise of publishing the controversial book was carried out by the EMI.

"US–based HI have set up a Legal Defense Fund for Thomas and launched a massive letter–writing campaign urging Indian officials to release the mission leader," BosNewsLife quoted Hopegivers Executive Director, Michael Glenn saying.

"This is a clear case of religious discrimination," said Glenn. "But we are very encouraged by events like the freeing of the Christian convert Abdul Rahman in Afghanistan," who was facing the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity. "Governments do listen to world public opinion when Christians are falsely imprisoned like this." HI claims the real reason for the detention of Thomas and staff members is their work among Dalits, seen as "untouchables" under India's ancient caste system of Hinduism.

Under the “Rajasthan Dharma Swatantrik Vidhayak," or Rajasthan Religious Freedom Bill, anyone is found guilty of indulging in conversion activities "by deceitful means, or by means that are against the law," would be liable for imprisonment of two to five years, church sources said.