Agartala: A joint body of several Tripura NGOs working for the tribal welfare on Sunday condemned the rally called by Janajati Suraksha Mancha, an independent right-wing organisation to withdraw the ST status of tribal people who converted to Christianity. The body under the banner Joint Action Committee of Civil Societies (JACCS) vehemently opposed the rally slated on December 25, the day of Christmas, stating that the cause of the rally was against the state’s secular fabric. According to a press statement issued by JACCS, it is a non-political and secular platform constituted in 2011 with the participation of NGOs and student organisations for working cohesively for the interest of indigenous people. The constituents of the body include the TSF (Twipra Students Federation), the UTF (United Tiprasa Forum), the TDWS (Tripuri Doctors Welfare Society), the TEST (Tipra Engineers’ Society, Tripura), the TILA (Tripura Indigenous Lawyers Association), the BPHRO (Borok People Human Rights Organization) and the PSS (Pantwi Sporting Society). “The indigenous people of Tripura have believed in Hinduism, Christianity and Animism for a long time but still live peacefully together without any clash among them on the religious ground. This is the first time in our state any organisation has raised such sensitive religious

New Delhi: “Propagating religion and promoting good things about religion is not a crime,” a local court in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district noted on December 14 as it granted bail to six persons, including two south Indian-origin social workers, accused of converting lower caste and marginalised members of the Hindu community to Christianity through allurements and inducements. In the last two weeks, police in eastern UP have arrested at least four persons hailing from south Indian states on charges of allegedly trying to convert backward caste and tribal Hindus through allurements of providing them a better life and free education and health facilities. In the first case, lodged in the backward Sonbhadra district, on the complaint of an office-bearer of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, police booked 42 persons under Sections 3 and 5 (1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. Nine persons, including a person from Andhra Pradesh and one from Tamil Nadu, were arrested. In another case, police in Sant Kabir Nagar on December 11 arrested a couple originally from Kerala on charges of allegedly alluring a woman from the backward caste Nishad community to convert and for insulting Hindu deities. “They were creating a situation of

India is ranked as the eleventh-worst country for the persecution of Christians in the Open Doors World Watch annual ranking, with the United Christian Forum (UCF), an Indian Christian body, reporting an average of two anti-Christian incidents per day in the country. According to the UCF, which offers a toll-free helpline service (1-800-208-4545) to those in distress and unfamiliar with the law and system, there were 147 incidents of violence against Christians in 2014. The numbers increased to 177 in 2015, 208 in 2016, 240 in 2017, 292 in 2018, 328 in 2019, 279 in 2020, 505 in 2021, 599 in 2022, and 687 in 2023 until November. “This is in spite of Article 25 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees the right to choose any religion of one’s choice. In our country, today, we have so called “Freedom of Religion Acts” which is popularly known as “anti- conversion laws” in 11 out of the 28 states wherein a person living in India is expected to seek permission from the government to follow a religion of his/her choice by filing written information to a revenue officer in contravention to UN convention,” read a note by United Christian Forum. From January to November 2023,

India witnessed at least two attacks against Christians on each day this year, a sharp hike compared with 2014 when the pro-Hindu party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, an anti-persecution group has said. “This is despite Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guaranteeing the right to choose any religion of one's choice,” said A C Michael, convenor of the New Delhi-based United Christian Forum  (UCF) that tracks violence against Christians in India. Eleven out of 28 Indian states, most of them ruled by Modi’s party — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — have enacted anti-conversion laws ironically naming them as “freedom of religion acts,” he said The anti-conversion law stipulates that conversion candidates inform district authorities of their plan to change religion 30 days before the planned conversion ceremony. Candidates also have to prove that they have not been forced or “allured” into changing faith. Violators face a jail term of up to five years and a fine.   Under the sweeping law, a person is expected to seek “permission from the government to follow a religion of his/her choice by filing a written application,” Michael told UCA News. He said the UCF has collected details on 687 incidents of violence against Christians from 23 states up to November this

Invoking the alleged official Indian hand in the assassination an overseas Khalistani militant and plots to extend such killings -- even before any culpability has been established in the matter -- a US religious freedom watchdog has called on the Biden administration to designate India as a "country of particular concern" and sanctions under the US Religious Freedom Act. In its annual report earlier this year, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal government commission, had already recommended that the administration impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials responsible for "severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ assets and/ or barring their entry into the United States." It pushed the case again on Friday, saying, “The Indian government’s alleged involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and the plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States are deeply troubling, and represent a severe escalation of India’s efforts to silence religious minorities and human rights defenders both within its country and abroad." USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck said in a statement that the Commission is "alarmed by India’s increased transnational targeting of religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf." Recent efforts

The Supreme Court today (15.5.2023) directed the State of Manipur to furnish to the court appointed committee steps it had taken to restore the places of worship which had been destructed in the ethnic violence. The bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra also recorded the assurance given by Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta that necessary steps would be taken so that all those in relief camps could celebrate the upcoming festival of Christmas Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for Meitei Christian Churches Council, submitted that the court-appointed committee for rehabilitation in the State headed by Justice Gita Mittal had made certain recommendations to restore the places of worship and requested the court to accept the same. Ahmadi clarified that the relief was sought regarding places of worship of all communities and not confined to any particular religion. The CJI asked–"What is being done by State to protect the places of worship that were vandalised? What is the state doing to restore?" To this, ASG Bhati submitted that the State of Manipur had filed a detailed affidavit as per which the process of identification of destroyed places of worship and subsequent securing of the same had already been done.

Two Christians were critically injured, and several others wounded, when Hindu nationalists raided a church service in India’s Chhattisgarh state earlier this month, International Christian Concern reports. On Dec. 3, a group of radical Hindu nationalists invaded an ongoing Sunday service at a church in Chhattisgarh led by Pastor Rajendra, ICC reports. Hindu nationalists have agitated for the closure of the church for many years, arguing that Pastor Rajendra has engaged in “conversion activities” aimed at causing locals to leave Hinduism for Christianity. A church leader who asked not to be named for security reasons told ICC: “It is going to be all the more difficult for Christians to live safely in the state. As the pro-Hindu political party returns to the government in the state in the recent elections, Christians are worried.” No action was taken against the Dec. 3 attackers, and police even refused to register a complaint made by the congregation, ICC reports. According to ICC, this month’s attack was one of 100 violent incidents against Christians in Chhattisgarh this year. “In 2023, there have been more than 143 incidents of violence against Christians in Chhattisgarh, with more than 35 incidents of social boycotting and 20 incidents of not allowing Christians

The Union Home Ministry has revoked the Foreign Contribution Registration Act (FCRA) licence of the Church of North India (CNI), a prominent evangelical organisation that has been active since 1970. As per reports by Economic Times, officials cited alleged violations of rules as the reason behind the decision, stating that the trust cannot receive or utilise foreign contributions until the licence is renewed. The CNI, formed through the merger of six different churches, including the Church of India (formerly known as the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon), has been engaged in various social service programmes through its Synodical Board of Social Services. CNI has been receiving donations from various countries, including the United States, Europe and Canada. The decision comes as part of the government's broader crackdown on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) violating FCRA regulations. NGOs with FCRA licences are required to apply for renewal, and the deadline, initially set for September 2020, has been extended until 31 March 2024. However, the ministry has been actively reviewing and taking action against organisations found in violation. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) grants FCRA licences for five years and reviews applications based on annual returns and the purpose-specific utilisation of foreign grants. Any misuse or diversion of foreign funds

Despite criticism from the Opposition, Tripura’s Janajati Suraksha Mancha, a tribal rights body that the Congress and the CPM say has the RSS’s backing, announced Sunday that it would hold a rally on December 25 demanding that tribals converts to Christianity be denied Scheduled Tribe status. “We are not against any community or any religion. We are saying that there are people who are getting dual benefits even after being converted to Christianity. We are organising the rally on December 25 demanding the delisting of tribals who have converted to Christianity,” Milan Rani Jamatia, a member of the Mancha, told reporters in Agartala. According to the Mancha, the delisting demand was first raised in 1966-67 under the leadership of MP Kartik Orang. Later in 1970, the demand list with the recommendation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee was submitted to the prime minister. “We are holding rallies in different villages. So far, a total of 14 rallies were held in the country. More rallies will follow. Another huge rally, Chalo Delhi, will be organised. At least five lakh people will take part in it and submit a memorandum to the President of India,” said Binud Kumbang, a senior member of the Mancha. Nearly 30 per cent

In many parts of India, anti-Christian sentiment is getting worse among those influenced by the ‘Hindutva’ persuasion that says all Indians must be Hindus. This ideology leads to violent mobs attacking Christians, as well as their churches, homes and businesses. Last week, several worshippers were severely injured in a brutal attack. Pastor Rajendra has been in service to his congregation for several years. He confirms that the constant pressure from Hindu nationalists who request him to shut down the church due to “conversion activities” is becoming more severe. Following the attack, Pastor Rajendra was forced to close the church. He also filed a written complaint to authorities, but they did not process it, and the assaulters were not even reprimanded. The Pastor said that, unfortunately, this is common in Chhattisgarh. The latest incident is one of more than 100 instances of violence against Christians in the area in 2023. Based on reports from the United Christian Forum, there have been more than 143 episodes of brutality against Christians in Chhattisgarh, with more than 35 occasions of social boycotting and 20 incidents of not allowing Christians to bury the dead bodies of their family members. Chhattisgarh ranked second in the most persecuted states