The top court in a northern Indian state has said the right to freedom of religion does not mean the right to convert and denied bail to a person accused of violating the sweeping anti-conversion law. This is the second such order within 10 days from the Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh where 17 Christians are jailed for breaking the state’s stringent anti-conversion law, enacted in 2021. “When the high court continues to pass such orders it will be difficult for those in prison to get any consideration in a lower court,” noted a Christian leader assisting the jailed Christians. “It is a matter of serious concern,” he said on condition of anonymity. “The individual right to freedom of religion cannot be extended to construe a collective right to proselytize,” Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal said while dismissing Shriniwas Rav Nayak’s bail plea on July 9. Agarwal in an order on July 1 had denied bail to Kailash, mentioned by only a single name, and ordered to stop all the religious congregations where conversions are taking place. Uttar Pradesh is ruled by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP is against the conversion of marginalized people like the Dalits (former untouchables)

During the last decade in India, a Hindu nationalist government has taken the helm, and Hindutva ideology, once considered as fringe, has become firmly entrenched and empowered politically and socially. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi first rose to power in 2014, India has grappled with rising religious nationalism, posing significant challenges to its founding principles of pluralism and equality. Democracy watchdogs have expressed concern about the health of the world’s largest democracy. In 2018, for instance, one group categorized India as an “electoral autocracy.” In 2024, the country was downgraded in status, becoming known as “one of the worst autocratizers.” Both domestic and international observers have raised concerns about potential threats to India’s constitutional framework and minority rights. Many rejoiced when Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to win an absolute majority last month for the first time in three elections, but concerns about the widespread political and social influence of Hindutva remain. Against this backdrop, P. I. Jose’s new book, Hindutva Palm-Branches and the Christian Resolve, examines India’s evolving political and religious landscape. Drawing on his extensive experience practicing in front of India’s supreme court, Jose examines the growing influence of Hindutva and its impact on India’s constitutional democracy and secular fabric. CT

The co-founder of AltNews Mohammed Zubair on Tuesday shared on the social media some videos saying that a Hindutva mob attacked a Christian prayer meet which was going on in a house in Dehradun One of the videos showed a group of activists barging into the house and assaulting people including the women present in there. He wrote, "Hindutva mob attacks Christian prayer meet in Dehradun. A group of Hindutva 'activists barged into the house and assaulted people including women present inside.The video shows a group forcefully entering and destroying the crucifix inside the prayer room and the bedroom. The group is seen making insulting remarks against the Christian faith and accused the people present in the room of forced conversions The post read, "Forcefully entered inside the house and vandalised a Christian cross, prayer room and bedroom, made derogatory remarks against the Christian faith, and accused all of them of forced conversions". It has been alleged that one of the members leading the mob, Devendra Dobhal has claimed that he is an ex-army personnel and an RSS member. In the ongoing threads to the X post, Zubair wrote, "One of the accused who led the mob, Devendra Dobhal claims to be a former army man

Lucknow (AsiaNews) - It is mainly through the anti-conversion laws implemented in some Indian states that the persecution of the Christian community in the world's largest democracy is taking shape. The latest hostility concerns the arrest of four Christians, including a pastor from Uttarakhand, arrested in a village in the district of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. The alleged charge is that of converting people to Christianity by luring them under the pretext of granting them benefits. "The number of attacks on Christians and their gatherings for worship services is increasing," Bishop Gerald Mathias of Lucknow told AsiaNews. "The Christian community cannot profess, practise and propagate its faith in freedom, as enshrined in the Constitution, because of these interferences, intimidations and atrocities". An investigation into the incident, which allegedly took place last Friday evening, was initiated by the police following reports by activists of two Hindu organisations, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. The legal basis is the reference sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a penal code passed in 2023, and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act of 2021. Thakurdwara police officer Rajesh Kumar said the incident allegedly took place in Rammanawala village, under the jurisdiction of

Local believers and Open Doors partners believe a ‘revengeful drive’ following the BJP’s lost majority in the recent election is behind an increase in hostility against religious minorities in India, including a spate of Christian arrests in Uttar Pradesh in June. At least 14 Christians in Uttar Pradesh, India, were arrested last month for alleged forced conversions in what is believed to be a response to the BJP party losing its majority in the recent election. The arrests took place between 7 and 23 June, with most happening during prayer meetings. Two pastors were among those detained. Police acted in response to complaints from local villagers. “A revengeful drive” Uttar Pradesh is one of India’s 11 states with an anti-conversion law, prohibiting any attempt to force someone to convert to another religion (than Hinduism) through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by fraudulent means. These are the accusations often levelled at Christians, when all they are doing is freely expressing or sharing their faith, such as gathering for prayer or telling a friend about Jesus. Whilst provisions in the law stipulate that only a person who has been forced to convert, or a blood relative of theirs, can register a FIR (First Information Report)

Seven families who left their tribal religion to become Christians were evicted from a forested village in south Odisha last month. Forced out by the tribal village council, the families are now without proper food or shelter and are facing the brunt of the heavy monsoon season in India. Although the incident occurred in June, the news only recently became public, as the village is deep in the forest areas of the district of Malkangiri in Odisha. Christian workers and pastors are providing some relief materials to the seven families. A member of one of the families recorded a small video on their phone and shared it on social media. In the video, a man shares how his family became Christians five years ago and how the non-Christian village members used to harass them to return to their tribal faith. He added that his family and the other families are in danger because of their professed faith in Christ, and he asked for prayer. In June this year, villagers beat up members of the Christian families and threw their belongings out in the rain, which destroyed them. The villagers also threatened to kill the Christians if they returned to the village. Speaking to International Christian Concern

India, the world’s largest democracy, has been hailed as a beacon of democracy in the developing world. However, in recent years, India’s democracy has come under threat, with a number of worrying trends emerging. There has been serious concern worldwide about an ominous trend of India’s backsliding democracy in the last few years. India’s Human Freedom Index has already plummeted 17 spots to 111th rank out of 162 countries, and the country was ranked 142 in the Press Freedom Index. The country has also witnessed a fall of 26 spots in the Global Economic Freedom Index along with low scores on academic freedom and internet freedom indices. All these factors hint at a steady decline of political democracy in India. Erosion of Democratic Institutions The erosion of democratic institutions has been phenomenal. One of the key indicators of a healthy democracy is the strength of its institutions. In India, however, these institutions have been under threat in recent years. The judiciary, for example, has been subject to political interference, with the appointment of judges becoming increasingly politicized. In 2018, four senior judges of the Supreme Court held a press conference to express their concerns about the functioning of the court, including the allocation