Church welcomes move to review anti-conversion laws

Published Date: July 2, 2009

Church leaders in India have welcomed a promise by federal Home Minister P. Chidambaram to review so-called “freedom of religion” laws that restrict conversions in several states.

Father M. D. Thomas, secretary of Indian bishops´ commission for inter-religious dialogue said the move, reported by local media, was “appreciable.” However, he said it was too early to comment, as details of the review have yet to emerge.

Media reports said the federal ruling alliance, led by the Congress Party that came to power in May, wants to review the situation.

The controversial laws make it punishable offence for anyone to change religion or perform a conversion ceremony without informing district authorities. The laws also have provisions to punish people who convert others using “force,” “fraud” or “allurements.”

Christian leaders say these clauses target missioners since their social services programs could easily be construed as inducements to convert.

The laws were enacted after the Indian Constitution was promulgated in 1950. Orissa in eastern India, became the first state to pass the law in 1967, followed by Madhya Pradesh in 1968 and Arunachal Pradesh in 1978. The Congress Party governed those states at the time.

In recent years, similar laws have been passed in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh.

Father Thomas said the Church hopes those states where such laws are in force would “reconsider” their rationale as the Indian Constitution guarantees all citizens freedom of religion.

Anti-conversion laws were “mainly framed to target minorities, especially Christians,” he said. He added that some states wanted to amend laws to re-define conversion as the act of becoming Christian, and to overlook Christians converting to Hinduism.

Father Thomas said the law must be “uniformly applicable to all religions in line with the promise of the constitution” that ensures the freedom to profess, practice and propagate a religion of one´s choice.

Bishop D. K. Sahu, secretary of the National Council of Churches said any review of the laws was “a positive gesture.”

“The anti-conversion laws curtail the freedom of the common people. These laws are often misused,” the Protestant prelate told UCA News. He said he wants the federal government to repeal them and develop a “consensus” among various religions to address conversion and religious freedom.

The general secretary of the Church of North India, Reverend Enos Pradhan, said he welcomes a federal review because it gives hope “for people to practise and profess their religion in their own way.”

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