Christian Persecution Precedes Anti-Conversion Bill Vote in India

India has seen more anti-Christian violence in Rajasthan – an area where the state government wants to implement an anti-conversion law despite great outcries from the local Christian community.

Recently a Christian gathering in the Alwar district was raided, allegedly by a group of Hindu militants report AsiaNews.it. The uninvited guests burst in and began to threaten those present with violence. The attackers then went on to beat eight Protestant clergymen that were praying and desecrated their Bibles. The beatings given were so extreme that the men had to later receive hospital treatment.

The chairman of the Global Council of Indian Christians, Sajan K. George reported that the militants were sent by a Hindu nationalist group called ‘Bajarang Dal’, and came with lethal weapons.

George has now attempted to get A.P.J Abdul Kalam, the Indian President’s attention, and wants to show him the unjust violence that the Christian community experience throughout India.

In addition, Rajasthan’s state government is scheduled to vote on an anti-conversion bill on March 24th, which many report holds anti-Christian sentiments. The bill was originally registered by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – a Hindu nationalist and supremacy party – reports AsiaNews.it.

The Home Minister of Rajsthan, Gulab Chand Katria told the state assembly that the bill would "curtail" evangelical missionaries’ efforts to convert people to Christianity. He concluded, "We cannot allow conversions to take place in our state."

Although the bill seems to protect the rights of religious freedom by punishing those who force others to convert, religious minority rights activists have reported that Hindu fundamentalists abuse these seemingly innocent laws, and will no doubt use this new legislature to restrict the freedom of Christian mission.

They point out that under the proposals, Christian charity works could be accused of proselytising and therefore be forced to stop their works and be punished.

The Christian churches in Rajasthan have strongly spoken out against the bill and have condemned this renewed attempt to restrict the Christian community from growing in the country. Church leaders have asked the Chief Minister to explain why the new law is necessary when the existing laws seem to be sufficient to control extreme conversion practices.

One Christian activist, J C Biswas said that the law "will be a blunt instrument in the hands of fundamentalists to attack minorities and minority institutions."

Rajasthan, in India, has a population of 56 million people – with a majority 89.2% Hindu, 8.3% Muslim, and a tiny minority of just 72,000 (0.07%) Christian.