Is to ensure freedom to worship Jesus Christ in India.
The Indian Constitution guarantees the right to Freedom of Religion which is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 25-28 of the Constitution of India. Modern India came into existence in 1947 and the Indian constitution’s preamble was amended in 1976 to state that India is a secular state. Every citizen of India has a right to practice and promote their religion peacefully. Every citizen also has the freedom to change one’s religion or belief.
India is knitted together as a secular nation with so many religions and the constitution guarantees to every citizen, the liberty to choose, follow, propagate and practice the religion of their choice.
Recently, minority communities, especially Christians, have experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment & violence across India, largely by Hindu nationalist groups. Surprisingly the ruling party is silently supporting these groups instead of bringing it to a full stop. Many times, Police and Local Administration also take the side of these religious fundamentalists, which results in an increasing feeling of insecurity and apprehension.
The National & State governments also applied several laws to restrict religious conversion, foreign funding of NGOs, FCRA, Orphanages, Children’s home, Closure of Church’s in private properties, holding of public religious meetings etc.
Seven States – Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand, have passed the “Anti Conversion Bill’ criminalizing religious conversion. This Bill infringes upon the individual’s right to convert, favors Hinduism over minority religions, and represent a significant challenge to Indian secularism. This Bill has amplified the cultural difference between the Christian and the Hindu communities.
The word intolerance is insufficient looking at the threat it possesses as far as the current situation in India. Every Government machinery, National Television channels, Private TV channels, Print Media everything is pro to a particular religion, it’s our duty as citizens of India to question the actions of our government, that is what exactly we as Persecution Relief is trying to highlight these issues with the National and international forums to ensure Freedom to worship Jesus Christ in India
When incidences of religious intolerance occur in India, it is the responsibility and duty of the Indian government to curb & control these disputes and take strict actions against its perpetrators.
Persecution Relief has earned a reputation for providing trustworthy and reliable information. We speak up for millions of Christians who are denied their God-given right to choose his or her faith and to practice it in India; we believe that the freedom of choice is fundamental to the proper functioning of a democratic society.