National

The Supreme Court has rejected a petition by the Hindu Parishad to monitor Christian missionaries

Published

3 years ago

March 29, 2022

A Jesuit rights champion in India has hailed the Supreme Court for dismissing a petition filed by a Hindu group seeking to monitor the activities of Christian missionaries.

While declining to entertain the plea by Hindu Dharma Parishad on March 25, the apex court warned the organization it would face a fine if it came up with such a petition again, as reported by legal news portal Live Law.

The petition was earlier dismissed by Madras High Court in 2021, following which the Hindu group moved the Supreme Court, said media reports.

“It is a step in the right direction. The legitimate constitutional rights and freedoms of all citizens — particularly minorities — must be upheld and protected by the government and the judiciary,” Father Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit priest from Gujarat, told UCA News.

Father Prakash said the petition was frivolous on two major counts.

“Firstly, it is a direct violation of Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees every single citizen of India the fundamental right of freedom of conscience, the freedom to profess, practice and propagate one’s religion,” he said.

“Secondly, there are enough provisions in official legislation and in the Code Of Criminal Procedure, to ensure checks and balances and to address any misuse or abuse by any individual or group — irrelevant of one’s faith.”

He said that minorities, particularly Christians and Muslims, are demonized and denigrated as never before and this must stop immediately.

Father Prakash said that groups “like the Hindu Dharma Parishad indulge in divisiveness and vilification campaigns against minorities with the sole intention of destroying the country’s secular fabric and must be reined in without further delay.”

Madras High Court in its order had held that laws prohibiting forceful religious conversion were already in place. The Hindu group challenged it in the Supreme Court alleging that “anti-social and anti-national elements were forcibly converting people from Hinduism to other religions, notably Christianity.”

Its petition further appealed the apex court “to strengthen India’s unity and sovereignty and stability” for which it sought that the incomes and activities of the Christian missionaries be “checked” and “monitored.”

The group alleged that due to non-surveillance of the income earned by Christian religious properties, hundreds of new minority trusts disguised as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were being created.

“And these NGOs are getting large sums of money through foreign aid, which is being utilized for financing anti-social activities and provoking innocent people to indulge in disturbing the peace in the country,” it was alleged in the dismissed petition.

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മുനിയറ ബൈബിൾ കൺവൻഷൻ അനുഗ്രഹത്തോട് സമാപിച്ചു

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theendtimenews

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Sources:gospelmirror

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National

New Anti-Conversion Law Takes Effect in Rajasthan

Published

1 day ago

February 22, 2025

theendtimenews

India — As of this week, a newly enacted anti-conversion law requires people in India’s Rajasthan state to give two months’ notice to the government if they plan to change their religion voluntarily.

Further, the “converter,” or the person performing the conversion ceremony, must also give the government a month’s notice of his intention to perform the ceremony.

The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025, has made the procedures for conversions exhaustive and lengthy to stop unlawful conversions. Failure to involve government authorities in voluntary religious conversions could lead to up to three years in jail and a minimum fine of 10,000 rupees ($115).

The new law states that a prescribed declaration form should be submitted to the District Magistrate (DM) or the relevant authority 60 days before the person wants to convert voluntarily.

If the converter violates the law, it could lead to up to five years imprisonment and a minimum fine of 25,000 rupees ($289).
An officer not below the rank of Additional DM will “get an inquiry conducted through police with regard to real intention, purpose, and cause of the proposed religious conversion.”

Then, within 60 days of conversion, the converted person must send a declaration in a prescribed form to the DM. A copy of this declaration must be displayed on the notice board of the DM’s office until the date of confirmation.

Finally, the convert must appear before the DM within 21 days of filing the declaration to establish their identity and confirm the declaration’s contents.

According to lawmakers, unlawful religious conversions through coercion, force, allurement, or fraud, with allurement including cash, material benefits, employment, free education, and even inter-religious marriages, are taking place. This law aims to curb these so-called malpractices.

The anti-conversion law states that the burden of proof lies on the person who has “caused” the conversion. This is a reversal of the principle of assumption of innocence, which normally applies to the accused person in a criminal case.

Rajasthan joins 11 other Indian states that have passed anti-conversion laws. These include Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

Various offenses under the law are cognizable and non-bailable, which could result in harassment of innocent individuals, says Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), which has long acted as a safeguarding organization for the human rights of Indian citizens.
Sources:persecution

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National

Chrysalis: Preparing for Marriage Workshop

Published

2 days ago

February 21, 2025

theendtimenews

Bangalore – All Peoples Church (APC) is excited to announce the Chrysalis: Preparing for Marriage Workshop, scheduled for February 22, 2025. This workshop is designed to help couples build a strong foundation for their future together.

The workshop will cover various aspects of marriage, including communication, conflict resolution, financial planning, and spiritual growth. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from experienced speakers and engage in interactive sessions that provide practical tools and insights for a successful marriage.
Sources:christiansworldnews

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