SUBSCRIBE NOW

SIGHT

Be informed. Be challenged. Be inspired.

INDIA: SIXTH STATE SEEKS TO ADOPT ANTI-CONVERSION LAW AS ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES INCREASE

DAVID ADAMS reports…

The Indian state of Maharashtra is debating the introduction of an anti-conversion law, which, if passed would make it the sixth Indian state to enact such a law, according to a report from World Watch Monitor.

“This law will give the legitimacy (to persecute Christians) in the hands of the state and the non-state actors also, who would, or may be, holding the majority (intolerant) opinion.”

– Pramod Singh, president of the Christian Legal Association of India

The organisation says Maharashtra would follow Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in implementing a Freedom of Religion Act, which “seems harmless in name, but in practice discourages evangelism”.

Pramod Singh, president of the Christian Legal Association of India, told WWM that the new law would affect Christians in particular “because propagation is something which is very intrinsic in the (Christian) faith.”

“This law will give the legitimacy (to persecute Christians) in the hands of the state and the non-state actors also, who would, or may be, holding the majority (intolerant) opinion,” he said in an interview with the organisation.

Meanwhile, Franklin Caesar, an activist for Dalit Christians, told WWM that while, under the anti-conversaion law, it was “easy” to convert Christians, including Dalit Christians, to Hinduism, “converting people from Hinduism to Christianity is very tough.”

He described a 1950 Presidential Order and subsequent amendments which ruled that Dalits who convert to Christianity or Islam do not qualify for special protections and reservations in educational institutions and jobs as granted under the Indian Constitution as “the first attack on religious freedom” in independent India.

Mr Caesar said that although a challenge to the order is currently pending before the Supreme Court, various Indian Governments had protracted the case for the last nine years by failing to file an affidavit in the case or come before the court and explain “why reservations (in jobs and educational institutions) should not be extended to Dalit Christians or Dalit Muslims.”

WWM reports that while the government has delayed the case in the Supreme Court, a court in the southern state of Kerala, which has a sizeable Christian population, recently ruled that if Dalit Christians return to Hinduism, they would be eligible for the protections.

“Christians fear this will promote a campaign started by Hindu nationalist forces to convert Christians back to Hinduism,” said WWM. “Justice remains a distant dream for them.”

Mr Singh agreed. “This judgment will certainly promote reconversions, because there has been a denial, a continuous denial, of the rights of Christians and Muslims when they converted to Christianity.”

Meanwhile World Watch Monitor reports that there was an increase in the number of “violent attacks” on Christians and churches in India over the (northern hemisphere) summer with 16 of 18 incidents recorded between July and early September taking place in states where “anti-conversion laws” are in place.

The incidents documented by WWM include the destruction of schools, attacks on pastors and churches and attacks on Christians which resulted in their deaths.

~ www.worldwatchmonitor.org

Donate



sight plus logo

Sight+ is a new benefits program we’ve launched to reward people who have supported us with annual donations of $26 or more. To find out more about Sight+ and how you can support the work of Sight, head to our Sight+ page.

Musings

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

TAKE PART IN THE SIGHT READER SURVEY!

We’re interested to find out more about you, our readers, as we improve and expand our coverage and so we’re asking all of our readers to take this survey (it’ll only take a couple of minutes).

To take part in the survey, simply follow this link…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.