Part One:

Part Two:

Bhavesh yearns to know the truth about himself, his religion, his life. First, he tried to locate the purpose and meaning of his existence within his social and cultural realm, but got more confused, more frustrated and more disappointed. Then in 2005, he got attracted to the Christian religion through Geeta, the eldest of four siblings who is married to Victor Paul, now Truthseekers International’s networking partner in Gujarat.  Bhavesh went through the Christian ritual of water baptism in Delhi in an Evangelical fellowship and within weeks, filled with a newfound religious zeal, returned to his ancestral village, gathered all the idols and religious books of his old religion, and set them on fire in his courtyard.

Courtyard where Bhavesh burned all the idols.

Bhavesh's brother summons the ancestral spirit.

The family takes a 6 hour lorry ride.

After the lorry, a ferry ride.

Victor, Geeta, Renee & Jabez

Now hold your breath, because as you read further, your religious sensibilities could be deeply offended. Victor and Geeta, watched intently by many, knew that they will have to build many new bridges on the ashes of the foundations of the old bridges which had been burnt down by their previous insensitive religious approach. This time, they deliberately stayed away from all forms of organized religious activities of the church, not even attending any Sunday worship anywhere. And believe it or not, it is this fact alone that paved the way for Bhavesh to think afresh about approaching truth. Victor and Geeta’s non-religious and non-conventional approach helped Bhavesh in having a glimpse of the vision of Truthseekers. Geeta, Victor and their children never stopped interceding, never shied away from talking about Jesus, continued meeting and praying corporately, but they continued their witness without the accompaniment of any organized religious activity. The battle for Bhavesh’s soul was bitter and bloody. The demons tried every trick in their books. 

A breakthrough! Bhavesh returns to the Bible.

We believe that God has answered our prayers and shown us a miraculous sign of beginning a people’s movement in Gujarat. Truthseekers, as a socio-spiritual people’s movement, is about spiritual transformation and not religious conversion. Pray that God may unleash the power of Truth through the new life of this young man. Amen. 

Truthseekers International is a Christ centered socio-spiritual movement in India that works among the caste oppressed and helps remove socially engineered caste hostilities. In its engagement with the lowered castes in Gujarat, TSI was invited to participate in a 3 Day All-Caste Reconciliation Meeting organized by the community leaders of Nadishala, a low caste village in north-central Gujarat. Various religious and cultural processions were led by the leaders of the Patel community.

Apparently, the more than 50,000 low caste participants from dozens of villages had gathered to dedicate a temple to Ram in the village square. But appearances can be deceptive. In reality, the extravaganza was a strategic move by the upwardly mobile Patels to create a potential vote-bank for their Gen-X leadership. Pawns in the unseen hands of the brahminical grandmasters of India’s caste game, the highly religious Patels unwittingly promote the socio-political agenda of the upper caste leadership. Tragically, they do so at the cost of their own religious and cultural freedom. The Patels too, like all other lowered caste communities, have been led to believe that the Brahmin’s religion and culture are their own. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As seen above, the monotheist turned animist low caste people are steadily being co-opted into the mainstream brahminical culture and, in the process, are surrendering their social traditions and religious beliefs. In this iniquitous bargain, they are trading away their ancient spiritual identity as people of One True God – Mahadeva. 

In the spiritual realm, the event in the photo has ominous ramifications. It means that all spiritual authority of the place and its people is being consolidated and located in one spiritual (read demonic) principality that would then be the primary ruling spirit in the spiritual realm of the region. But Mahadeva, the God of their forefathers was never worshipped as an idol nor had any temple or priest. People remembered Him by simply raising a stone memorial (pinda) to Him and pouring oil on it, just what Abraham did when he traversed the land of Canaan.

As people of Yehova-Mahadeva, let us pray that the Other Backward Castes (OBC) of India may see through the devious political and social machinations of the upper caste elite and return to their roots. Let the people of Mahadeva be reconciled with God their Father and with their brothers and sisters without being deceived by the divisive regime of caste. Let Truthseekers message of love, equality, freedom and dignity give them hope in the kingdom of their true king Baliraja Yeshua Masiha. Amen. 

Campaign for the Renke Commission for Nomads- August 31, 2011

Truthseekers is always seeking ways to support oppressed groups, castes and tribes in their pursuit of human rights. In August, Truthseekers participated in a campaign (rally) supporting rights for Denotified nomadic people in India. Below is an explanation & report from our New Delhi team about the rally.

What are Denotified Tribes?

These communities, due to specific administrative as well as law and order reasons, were ‘notified’ (designated) as ‘born criminal’ by the British Government under a series of laws starting with the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871.  After Independence, the Act was repealed in 1952, and the communities were ‘de-notified’, hence the name.

Even though they were denotified, the Indian government does not recognize them as citizens, so they are unable to get identification cards, government services and many other basic civic rights.

The campaign was led by the friend of TSI (Truthseekers International), Mr. Balkrishna Renke, the prominent leader for more than 280 nomadic caste groups. Rev. Sunil Sardar’s team (TSI) inaugurated event with prayer and songs and Rev. Sardar challenged the people to take off the chains of brahmanical lies and be free and united.

• Stirrings of a Movement
• India’s Tragic History
• A Modern Reformer:  Sunil Sardar
• Reconciliation in Action
• Changing the World, One Foot at a Time: Truthseekers’ Footwashing Rallies
• A Bible for the Shudras…for the first time in history
• Truthseekers in Action:  A School for Gypsy children, a Modern Madrassa
• Kanta Bhirao’s Ministry to Women 

A Movement of Hope for India is available for a suggested donation of $5 per copy, which includes packaging, shipping, and postage.  Just use the form below and tell us how many copies you'd like. We also have a pdf format for e-readers – just let us know what you want!

If you'd like to charge your donation to a credit card, just click below on the "Buy Now" button.

So if you’re like us and still frequently ask, “Just what is the Truthseekers movement all about?”,  A Movement of Hope for India provides the answers.  Enjoy!

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I had a math teacher once who, rather than getting us ready for algebra, spent most of his time explaining why Americans would never fully embrace the metric system. His argument was that the words didn't fit our culture. How in the world could a people who wore “ten gallon hats,” encouraged others to “walk a mile in someone else's shoes,” or complained about having a “ton of work” ever accept the metric system? There was too much to clean up, he argued. Our language itself would have to change in order for us to go metric, and so he didn't think Americans would ever fully switch.

No, he wasn't a very good math teacher, but his argument fascinated me. Language and culture are inexorably linked. Want to know about a people? Learn their language. Their language will tell you what they consider important. Hindi is no different. Recently, Steve and I made a list of different Hindi words for god. We quickly came up with eight. We weren't trying to write down different titles for God. All the words on our list had the same meaning: god. There are probably more. Then, we wrote down all the Hindi words we could think of for worship. There were seven. They weren't words describing different types of worship. Each one simply meant worship. Gives you an idea of what most Indians consider important, doesn't it?

What about Americans? What do we consider so important that we've come up with 7, 8 or 100 ways of saying it? You'll think I'm crazy, but have you ever thought of the many different phrases we have so we can ask where the bathroom is without ever actually using the word toilet (gasp)? We sometimes ask for the restroom. We ask for the men's room, the ladies' room, the little girls' room, or the little boys' room. We enquire where we can “wash our hands,” or “powder our nose.” We might say we need to “walk down the hall,” or even that we need to “freshen up.” What does it say about us that we go to such great lengths to mask the obvious? What are we so embarrassed about? Here in India, people very simply ask, “Toilet kaha hai?” (Where is the toilet?)

Sometimes the opposite is true, that instead of many words for something, there is no word for something in a language. This can be just as insightful. For instance, consider the word righteous. The Hebrew word for righteousness means integrity, equity, justice, straightness. For the Hebrews, righteous people were people that had been judged as lives pleasing to God. Noah and Abraham were described as righteous men. What made them righteous? How did they lead lives which pleased God? Habakkuk (and later, the Apostle Paul) made it very clear when he said, “…the just [righteous one] shall live by faith.” In other words, Noah and Abraham were considered righteous, not because of anything they ever did, but because they believed. They believed God, and He counted their belief to them as righteousness. Today, we who follow Christ believe the same. God judges us as righteous, not because of anything we do, but because of what (in Whom) we believe (trust). 

By contrast, the Hindi word for righteous is dharmee. This is a word based on the idea of dharma. Dharma, in a nutshell, is one's caste duty. How does one become dharmee? Only by doing one's duty. There is no other way. It is not a way of faith or belief, but of duty and requirement. For instance, if someone is born a brahmin, then that person must put caste duty (dharma) above all else. That person must never break caste by doing any work of another caste. The brahmin must never clean up after himself, sweep the floor, carry out the garbage, or touch a dead body. If he sticks to his own dharma, he is considered dharmee. Likewise, if one is born into a low caste, then that person may only observe the duty of that caste. The lowly sweeper must never aspire to anything higher or better. If he does, then he is denying his dharma and can never be dharmee. 

This word, dharmee, is the accepted Hindi word for righteous. In the Hindi version of the Bible, Noah is dharmee. So is Abraham. But, that's not correct. The translation is wrong! They weren't dharmee men. They were righteous men. They were men of faith. They were not bound by lists of do's and don'ts. Rather, they were men who believed. Indians who want to break out of the caste system, need a new word for righteous. They need to be free from the slavery of dharma. They long to be free to live righteous lives of faith, not dharmee lives, bound by obligation and subjugation. 

For more information about Truthseekers' efforts to provide a translation of the Bible that truly communicates to the lowered-castes, read The Bible in India's Spiritual Language. Robin & her husband, Steve, are ministry partners with Truthseekers in New Delhi.

By Lon Allison, Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton, IL

Like many, I have fantasized and romanticized about traveling with the Apostle Paul to be first to Greece, Asia Minor, and Italy with the gospel. In a very non-romantic way, that dream became a reality in March, when the Billy Graham Center and students from

Sunil Sardar interpreting for Lon Allison at a footwashing rally

On my first morning in Delhi, I was informed I would be speaking at an outdoor political rally near the Indian Parliament buildings. The rally was held by men from the nomadic (hidden) people, which make up seven percent of India's tribes. The demonstration was to protest a lack of basic facilities and the desire to carry identification cards. My host and fellow speaker, Sunil Sandar, whom I describe as a combination of Martin Luther King, Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and Francis Schaeffer, told me to be brief and clear. "What was I, a Christian evangelist, doing at a political rally?" I wondered.

Many protestors had come to Delhi from villages and small towns. Many had never seen a white westerner in the flesh, much less heard a gospel message. In the areas where we were to go this week, there were no Christian churches. There was no Christian history, and probably no Christian teaching. I was with utterly unreached people. As we approached the group, eyes turned toward me. I was wrongly dressed in dockers and a polo shirt. Tattered and faded robes covered these men. We sat down cross-legged in the dust, in a small area just off the main road. I was also too clean. My clothes were clean, my body bathed. Not these men.

Numerous speakers spoke of the injustices faced by this group. Through translation, I learned that most viewed political power as the only hope to rectify the wrongs. Then it was our turn. "What could I say in five minutes? How should I insert gospel ideas into such a milieu of foreign thoughts and passions?" I didn't have time to worry, or prepare. My instruction had been brief from Sunil and the other leaders: "The first thing to understand about India," they said, "is the belief that people are not created equal." I started there. I told them I had come from a country where we believe all people are created equal. "We believe this," I said, "because we are created by the one God, in his own likeness. And we believe that at one time God sent his own Son, Jesus, to be the true King who would love us and lead us."

Sunil took it from there. I'm not sure what he said, but the men began clapping, cheering, and raising their protest signs. I think our presence adorned our words. These listeners, considered some of the very lowest in their society, were lifted by the fact that an American had come to sit with them. I hope so. I hope more, however, that the brief words about Jesus lodged in their minds enough that they can hear his voice, which will come to them through other voices—and that somehow they will find him.

From the rally in Delhi we traveled a hundred kilometers through smaller cities and villages. We spoke of Jesus, we washed the feet of untouchables, we prayed for people. We brought our hope in Christ and left hoping he would never leave or forsake these dear people, and that he would bring them to salvation. We witnessed a caste leader of the Cobblers, who after hours of post-meeting discussion with Sunil, shared that he and his people would now follow this Jeshua, who reminded them of their ancient story of a Bali Raja (Sacrificed King). The "utterly unreached" is no longer romantic to me. Deep sadness at these people's plight is more like it, and a deeper Spirit-born confidence that the gospel is for the utterly unreached, as well as for us. Pray for the more than two billion utterly unreached in our Father's world.

GURGAON, India — In this city that barely existed two decades ago, there are 26 shopping malls, seven golf courses and luxury shops selling Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs shimmer in automobile showrooms. Apartment towers are sprouting like concrete weeds, and a futuristic commercial hub called Cyber City houses many of the world’s most respected corporations.

Gurgaon, located about 15 miles south of the national capital, New Delhi, would seem to have everything, except consider what it does not have: a functioning citywide sewer or drainage system; reliable electricity or water; and public sidewalks, adequate parking, decent roads or any citywide system of public transportation. Garbage is still regularly tossed in empty lots by the side of the road.

With its shiny buildings and galloping economy, Gurgaon is often portrayed as a symbol of a rising “new” India, yet it also represents a riddle at the heart of India’s rapid growth: how can a new city become an international economic engine without basic public services? How can a huge country flirt with double-digit growth despite widespread corruption, inefficiency and governmental dysfunction?

Read the rest of the article by following this link: http://tinyurl.com/3vpnfo8

What kind of growth is India experiencing?  Some highlights include:

Second-largest population (will pass China around 2050)
World’s third-largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP)–$4.726 trillion USD annually
GDP growth of 9.4% per year—one of the fastest growing in world
Third-largest military force in the world
Nuclear power since 1974

India can boast about these and other attributes that speak to its rise on the world stage.  But there is another, darker side to the emerging nation that is India: Suffering India.

Suffering India is made up of the nearly 80% of their citizens who are classified as lower castes, dalits (untouchables) and tribals. These Indians have labored under a system of “divinely” sanctioned slavery for over 3,000 years.  The effects of this caste system are chilling:

80% of the population lives on $2 a day or less
34% of the population lives on $1 a day or less
43% of the population cannot read or write
India suffers some of the highest malnutrition, malaria, and HIV-AIDS rates in the world

For a vivid, disturbing look at the impact of this system on real people, click onto Left Behind, a powerful 5-minute video by Dai Sugano:  http://www.mercurynewsphoto.com/2008/leftbehind/

The explosive emergence of India masks the reality that the benefits of this emergence go to a privileged few…while the vast majority of her people are locked into a system of perpetual servitude.

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_UnVZT0-0k

Part 2:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-xzZ0-Ex8E

Part 3:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKTxr30h8CE

Part 4:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyWQab8fkoE

Part 5:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_90TdBfZEU

Part 6:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6zrqRztACg

Part 7 (Sikhs practice caste):

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTv4JmeznnQ

Part 8:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWZkH0v0cJ8

Part 9 (Christians practice caste) video skips a bit:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL27PaS62EI

Part 10 (Final section):

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPKYFX-hAiA