National

Christians Imprisoned under Indian Anti-Conversion Law Languish Behind Bars

Published

9 months ago

May 28, 2024

India — Nearly 70 Christians arrested under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance of 2020 are languishing in jails in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) as authorities delay or deny their bail applications on flimsy grounds.

According to Pastor Bishnoi, who has helped free detained Christians, the most common reason to deny a believer’s bail is to complete the formalities for bail under various pretexts.

“Since the time the national elections for the Lower House of Indian Parliament have been announced, we have seen that the process for bail applications to move forward and bail hearings have all become slow. I can say that around 70 pastors are still in jail,” said Pastor Bishnoi, who lives and works in UP’s Varanasi city, considered the main pilgrimage center for Hindus.

In December 2023, more than 50 pastors and believers were detained simultaneously in two adjacent UP districts. Most were released in a day or two, but authorities sent nine pastors to prison.

At that time, Bishnoi and high-ranking Christian lawyers helped secure the release of eight of the nine pastors in a tough legal battle that lasted more than a month.

“I am directly involved with lawyers trying to obtain bail for 46 people who are in various jails,” Bishnoi said. “There are many more. My guess is at least 70.”

Bishnoi added that UP is a large state in terms of both area and population, so collating exact numbers is difficult.

The state remains the most notorious for intimidating Christians under its anti-conversion law.

Police have since brazenly stormed peaceful gatherings of Christians in their churches and even houses, accusing pastors of forcefully converting Hindus to Christianity and subsequently detaining them on multiple false charges.

Any gathering of Christians in UP, even a ubiquitous birthday celebration, carries risk as those who attended such events have been falsely implicated and detained.

Right-wing fanatic organizations often alert police about Christian gatherings. Pastors and other believers are sometimes kept at police stations for several days without any charges filed.

Once behind bars, the long, arduous process of securing their release becomes another form of punishment.
Sources:persecution

http://theendtimeradio.com

Share this post:

Facebook WhatsApp X (Twitter)Pinterest SMS Email

National

മുനിയറ ബൈബിൾ കൺവൻഷൻ അനുഗ്രഹത്തോട് സമാപിച്ചു

Published

18 hours ago

February 23, 2025

theendtimenews

ഫെയ്ത്ത് ഗോസ്പൽ മിഷന്റെ ആഭിമുഖ്യത്തിൽ നടത്തപ്പെടുന്ന ഹൈറേഞ്ചിന്റെ സുവിശേഷ സംഘമമായ 24-ാത് മുനിയറ ബൈബിൾ കൺവൻഷന് അനുഗ്രഹ സമാപ്തി. 2025 ഫെബ്രുവരി 18 ന് വൈകിട്ട് 5.30 മുതൽ 9.30 വരെ മുനിയറ അങ്കണവാടിയ്ക്ക് സമീപം വച്ച് നടന്ന മുനിയറ കൺവൻഷൻ പാസ്റ്റർ ഷാജി ഇടുക്കി ഉത്ഘാടനം നിർവഹിച്ചു. ഫെയ്ത്ത് ഗോസ്പൽ മിഷൻ പ്രസിഡൻ്റ് പാസ്റ്റർ ജയ്മോൻ അദ്ധ്യക്ഷത വഹിച്ചു. സമീപ പ്രദേശങ്ങളിലുമുള്ള സഭകളുടെയും ദൈവദാസൻമാരുടെയും ആത്മീയ പ്രവർത്തനമാണ് ഫെയ്ത്ത് ഗോസ്പൽ മിഷൻ. പാസ്റ്റർമാരായ പ്രിൻസ് തോമസ് റാന്നി, സജു ചാത്തന്നൂർ , അനീഷ് കാവാലം എന്നീവർ പ്രസംഗിച്ചു. ഫെയ്ത്ത് ഗോസ്പൽ സിoഗേഴ്സ് മുനിയറ ഗാനശുശൂഷയ്ക്ക് നേതൃത്വം നൽകി. പാസ്റ്റർ ബെന്നി മത്തായി (സെക്രട്ടറി ) പാസ്റ്റർ റ്റിജി സി.സി (ഖജാൻജി) ബ്രദർ ജോർജ് ഇ.സി (വൈസ് – പ്രസിഡന്റ്) ബ്രദർ അനീഷ് എൻ.എ (ജോ.സെക്രട്ടറി) കമ്മിറ്റി അംഗങ്ങ’ൾ ബ്രദർ സണ്ണി റ്റി.ഒ, ബ്രദർ ജോൺ സി.സി, ബ്രദർ പത്രോസ്, ബ്രദർ ഷിജു കുര്യൻ. എന്നിവർ നേതൃത്വം നൽകി.
Sources:gospelmirror

http://theendtimeradio.com

Share this post:

Facebook WhatsApp X (Twitter)Pinterest SMS Email

National

New Anti-Conversion Law Takes Effect in Rajasthan

Published

2 days 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

http://theendtimeradio.com

Share this post:

Facebook WhatsApp X (Twitter)Pinterest SMS Email

National

Chrysalis: Preparing for Marriage Workshop

Published

3 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

http://theendtimeradio.com