A Faithful Servant’s Calling
In the tribal hills of Chhattisgarh, India, where faith in Jesus often faces a storm of hatred, Pastor Yalam Shankar stood as a bright light for Christ. On March 17, 2022, he was martyred in Angampalli village, Bijapur district, when masked men dragged him from his home and stabbed him to death. This wasn’t a random act—it was an attack on a man who gave his life to share the gospel. As the senior pastor of the Bastar for Christ Movement Church and a former village sarpanch, Shankar’s life and death show what it means to follow Jesus’ words: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). This tribute, shared by the Sakshi Apologetics Network to honor Christian martyrs, lifts up Shankar’s story, why he was killed, and the hope he died for. Through his life, we’re called to meet the Savior he loved.
A Life Redeemed by Christ
Yalam Shankar grew up in Chhattisgarh’s Gondwana region, raised in a Hindu family surrounded by animistic and Hindu rituals. His world changed when a health crisis hit, and a Christian pastor prayed for him. God’s healing power broke through, and Shankar knew he’d met the living God. He and his wife gave their lives to Jesus, seeing the truth of God’s Word: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). That moment wasn’t just a new belief—it was a new life, a call to serve Christ with everything he had.
Shankar became a pastor, carrying the gospel to the tribal people of Chhattisgarh. As a former sarpanch, he had respect in his village and used it to protect Christians and share Christ’s love. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Shankar poured out his life for his flock, even as threats grew from those who hated his faith. He was driven by Jesus’ command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
Some say Christianity doesn’t belong in India, calling it a foreign faith. But Shankar’s story proves otherwise. Like the Samaritan woman who met Jesus and ran to tell her town—“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony” (John 4:39)—Shankar brought the gospel to his own people. His healing wasn’t forced or bought; it was God’s hand at work. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32), and Shankar’s life shows that truth speaks to every heart, no matter where they’re from.
The Storm of Persecution
Shankar’s faith burned bright in a place where following Christ can cost you everything. Chhattisgarh is a battleground for Christians, with Hindu nationalist groups pushing to make India a Hindu-only nation. Attacks on believers have grown worse in recent years, with hundreds of Christians facing violence, exile, or destruction of their homes. Anti-conversion laws in states like Chhattisgarh are twisted to target believers, even without proof of wrongdoing.
Shankar faced this hatred every day. Just days before his death, extremists warned him to stop preaching or face death. Jesus knew this kind of hatred: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). But Shankar didn’t back down. He lived out the call to “be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). His courage shows why the gospel stirs such trouble—it’s not just another belief; it’s the truth that changes lives. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Like Paul’s preaching that sparked riots (Acts 19:23–41), Shankar’s faith shook those who cling to power.
The Cost of His Witness
On March 17, 2022, Pastor Yalam Shankar was martyred in Angampalli village. Masked men broke into his home, dragged him outside, and stabbed him to death in front of his wife and daughter-in-law. The killers left a note claiming they were Maoists, saying Shankar was a police informer. But police and local Christians rejected this, pointing to Hindu nationalists who hated his faith. The real reason was clear: Shankar’s preaching and his stand for Christ made him a target.
Days before his death, extremists had warned Shankar to stop sharing the gospel. As a pastor and former sarpanch, he was a leader who stood up for Christians, making him a marked man. A year earlier, his name was listed among Christians threatened with violence if they didn’t abandon their faith. Some suggested the Maoist claim was a lie to hide the religious motive. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). Shankar died because he wouldn’t turn away from Jesus, choosing to obey God over man (Acts 5:29).
His death shows the gospel’s power to stand against darkness. Paul wrote, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Some claim Christianity harms Indian culture, but Shankar’s life was about serving others: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). He died for pointing people to Christ: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).
A Martyr’s Sacrifice
Pastor Yalam Shankar is a martyr for Christ, a man who gave his life to show the world Jesus is Lord. The word “martyr” means “witness,” and Shankar’s life and death were a testimony to his Savior. He was killed for preaching Christ where faith could mean death. Like Stephen, who prayed for his killers as he was stoned—“Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60)—Shankar faced death with unshaken faith. His martyrdom echoes Paul’s words: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
His martyrdom shines through in his story. He was targeted for defending Christians and sharing the gospel. As a pastor and former sarpanch, he was a leader, like the apostles who faced persecution (Acts 12:1–5). He stood firm despite death threats. His sons, Pawan and Gopal, carry on his work—Pawan seeking justice, Gopal leading the church—showing that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).
Shankar’s sacrifice answers those who doubt the gospel. Why would a man die for a lie? The resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our faith, so real that martyrs like Shankar face death rather than deny it. “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8). His death calls us to trust the risen Christ who gave him such courage.
A Flame That Still Burns
Shankar’s death didn’t put out the gospel—it set it ablaze. In Chhattisgarh, Christians face beatings, exile, and ruined homes, pressured to return to old rituals. Shankar stood up for his people, and his death has strengthened their faith. Hundreds came to his funeral, worshipping through their tears. His wife, Kamla, spoke of their hope in Christ, and his sons carry on his mission. “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16).
Some call Christianity a foreign faith, but Shankar’s work among the Gond tribes shows it brings life to all. He lived out Christ’s call to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), showing love that tears down walls: “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). His death has fueled the church’s growth, just like the early church: “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).
The Power of His Sacrifice
Shankar’s martyrdom shows what it means to follow Jesus. The Bible calls persecution a sign of true faith: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:11–12). Shankar’s blood, shed for Christ, joins the martyrs in Revelation: “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). His sacrifice points to the glory awaiting God’s people.
When people ask why God allows suffering, Shankar’s story gives an answer. Suffering for Christ is a gift: “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). Jesus’ suffering on the cross brought salvation: “He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace” (Isaiah 53:5). Shankar’s death was a victory, showing the world the hope of resurrection.
A Call to Hold Fast
Shankar’s martyrdom urges us to hold fast to our faith. Peter wrote, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). Shankar’s life and death are that reason. His courage shows the gospel is worth dying for. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), and Shankar lived that truth.
Some say Christianity doesn’t belong in India, but Shankar’s work among his people shows the gospel’s love knows no bounds. He became “all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22), serving with Christ’s love: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). His death proves the gospel transforms, not destroys, lives.
A Hope That Endures
Pastor Yalam Shankar’s martyrdom has lit a fire in Chhattisgarh’s church. His death hasn’t stopped the gospel—it’s spread it further. The church he planted stands strong, proving that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). His family and flock carry on, unwavering: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Despite countless attacks on Christians in recent years, the church grows. Shankar’s life shows the gospel thrives in persecution, just as it did long ago: “The word of God increased and multiplied” (Acts 12:24).
An Invitation to Meet Jesus
Yalam Shankar’s life and death call us to Jesus. He went from a Hindu villager to a pastor and martyr because he met the living Christ. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Shankar believed this, and it cost him everything, but he gained eternity: “Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21). His sacrifice points to Christ’s sacrifice: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
If you don’t know Jesus, Shankar’s story is a call to open your heart. The gospel invites you to know the God who loves you and died for you. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Like Shankar, you can trust Jesus as your Savior and Lord. He promises, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). Will you answer His call, joining Shankar and countless believers who found in Christ the way, the truth, and the life?
A Call to Honor and Follow
Pastor Yalam Shankar, a martyr for Christ, lived and died for Jesus. His transformation, courage, and sacrifice in Chhattisgarh show the gospel’s unstoppable power. On March 17, 2022, Hindu nationalists killed him for his faith, hiding behind a false Maoist claim. His legacy lives on, urging us to follow Christ no matter the cost, knowing that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). Through the Sakshi Apologetics Network’s effort to honor martyrs, we lift up Shankar’s story, praying it draws hearts to the Savior he loved.
Sources: Morning Post, Asia News.
