African evangelist silenced in India

Police in Kerala, India, on Nov. 3 asked Ghana-based evangelist Bernard Blessing to refrain from speaking at a religious meeting lest he violate India's vistor visa norms.

Blessing has to attend a three-day religious meeting, titled “Power Conference,” that started on Nov. 2 at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala state capital. Harvest Television and Productions and Divine Blessing Empower 09 organized the event.

On Nov. 2, the City Police Commissioner issued a notice to the organizers to explain to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs if Blessing had a “Missionary Visa” that allows preaching at religious congregations.

In the latest notice to Blessing, the commissioner said the organizers could not give any document showing the evangelist possessed a missionary visa. The notice asked him to refrain from activities that would violate his visa norms.

The notice also warned the evangelist that the police would register a case against him under Section 14 of the Foreigners’ Registration Act if he is found to have violated visa conditions. The commissioner is also the District Foreigners’ Registration Officer.

The police served the notice to Bernard at his hotel room in the city.

The notice follows Hindu opposition to Blessing’s preaching.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) district chief P. Sudhakaran said his organization would prevent Blessing from speaking at the congregation on Nov. 4. RSS activists would block vehicles ferrying believers to the venue, he added.

Tension prevailed in the city for some time after activists of Hindu Aikya Vedi and RSS shouted slogans when Blessing addressed the gathering on Nov. 2.

The commissioner reached the venue and asked the organizers to tell Blessing to stop his speech. The evangelist wound up his speech within a few minutes.

The protestors also courted arrest peacefully and was let off on bail.

The organizers claimed Blessing had attended a similar event in Kochi last year and at that time police had raised no objection. They denied that the convention was aimed at converting people to Christianity. Blessing is the president of Rescue Life International, a ministry based in Accra, Ghana.