many crucial points in the Kargil area:

The war against the Pakistani backed intruders in Kargil has been the
main concern of the nation. Over 200 Indian soldiers and officers have
given their lives to drive out the fanatic infiltrators from Indian
territory. For the first time the bodies of the dead soldiers and
officers are being sent back to their families for burial or cremation.
This has evoked deep solidarity with the Indian soldiers among the
Indian masses. The Indian army has been able to recapture many crucial
points in the Kargil area even the point known as Tiger Hills now under
the control of the Indian army.

At the time of writing the Pakistan Prime Minister after his talks with
President Clinton has announced that the infiltrators will be asked to
move out of Indian territory. Pakistan has been isolated internationally
because of this misadventure as a number of nations have condemned this
intrusion into Indian territory. World leaders rightly are concerned
about this escalating into a full-fledged war and the horrible
consequences of that as both nations have gone nuclear.

According to the USA Today Paper one of the Mujahedin groups involved in
the war has been declared as a terrorist group by the US government.
Further, Time Magazine has reported that the intrusion started last
November was with the backing and connivance of the Pakistan army. It is
extremely sad that all this was happening in the midst of the Lahore
declaration process.

The Graham Staines (Austrailian Missionary) enquiry:

Finally some reports have come out regarding the Graham Staines murder.
The Central Bureau of Investigation report has said that the attack on
Staines was completely unjustified and had nothing to do with
conversions. 18 people have been charged but they are still hunting for
the main culprit Mr Dara Singh. At the same time the Wadhwa
commission report has been submitted to the Government. Again Staines
has been cleared of any guilt. There is the comment about Dara Singh
working for political parties but the commission report is likely to
stop at connecting the murder with any particular group.

Meanwhile, there is a clamour from human rights groups to make the
report public. At the same time the Onlooker Magazine in their
investigation of the crime has found that Dara Singh was connected with
the extremist group whose slogans were shouted at the scene of the
crime. There is no doubt that religious extremism has to be brought
under control in India or else the nation will be engulfed in totally
unnecessary tragedy and destruction.

There are reports that there was inadequate Christian preparation for
the defense of the Staines case as the commission went about its
enquiry, while the extremist groups put in enormous efforts and
competent people to manage their defense. The extremist groups are well
organized and have the people and resources to mount a campaign of
defense at very short notice. The small Indian Christian community has a
major job ahead of it, in tackling similar situations in the future and
in north India it is going to be all the more difficult since the number
of Christians is still smaller.

The Indian Christian community has had 50 wonderful years in proclaiming
the Gospel. Now it is in a context where the community has to defend the
Gospel and Gospel workers even as it goes about bearing witness to the
Lord.

Foreigners need special clearance to visit India:

The Hindu newspaper reported that foreigners visiting India to attend
conferences and seminars held by Indian NGO's now need special clearance
from the Home Ministry in Delhi. This means that such foreign visitors
applications will be referred to Delhi. The paper reported that the
applications of some visitors were turned down. There is lack of clarity
on this as to why the Government has brought about this new rule since
tourists and businessmen can still visit India freely.

NGO's have protested against this ruling which victimizes agencies that
are contributing enormously to the building of the nation. Efforts are
being made to get the actual government order on this to get a clearer
picture. The aicc constituency will be informed immediately as soon as
we are able to get hold of the order.

A well-known Indian evangelist attacked and

son killed in mysterious circumstances:

On 14th June His car was stoned by thugs on the way to the airport.
Fortunately he had a friend in the car who could take care of him. On
20th of June his son Michael was asked to go out and attend a phone
call by two friends studying with him in the medical college. On the way
a car hit Michael and knocked him out and by the time he was taken to
the medical hospital he was brain dead. Michael was kept alive till the
28th and brought to Delhi and went to be with the Lord. Over 5000
people attended the funeral in Delhi and there was a powerful testimony
to the power and grace of the Lord in the midst of terrible tragedy.

The Malayalam Manoroma paper reported it as a murder in view of the
circumstances in which Michael alone was killed and the complete
non-identification of the car owner etc.

The Christian community is very disturbed by this and is wondering
whether this is the next stage of the attack on Christian leaders and
Christian families. It cannot but wonder whether a clandestine planned
attack on Christians is the new phase. This strategy will not expose the
extremists frontally and they will not get the kind of reaction of
outrage and media uproar that arose out of the open attacks in Orissa
and Gujarat. One would not be surprised if this not the new strategy and
that the continuing hate Christian media campaign of the extremists has
begun a new phase of violence against Christian workers, leaders and
their families. Harassment, threats and the like are becoming more
common. There is open knowledge that in some places government machinery
is being used to do this.