by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A UK-based Christian advocacy organization has renewed its calls for India to revoke the harsh anti-conversion laws that have been abused by Hindu nationalist extremists to persecute Christians across the vast nation, Christian Today (CT) reports.
Using India’s ongoing national elections as a springboard, the Release International organization has highlighted the fact that, while India claims to be the world’s largest democracy, non-Hindu religious groups are being targeted both in law and in criminality against them.
“We have seen a dramatic rise in intolerance towards Christians since the BJP first swept to power in 2014,” Paul Robinson, CEO of Release International, said in a statement. “Our partners in India report pastors beaten, churches attacked, and prayer meetings disrupted at the hands of ultra-right wing Hindu militants. At the same time, states in India are passing anti-conversion laws which prevent Christians from sharing their faith with Hindus,” Robinson said.
The Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) confirmed the situation, citing an ‘unprecedented’ 601 cases of persecution against Christians in India in 2023, CT reports. Notably, the EFI said the recorded incidents only “scratch the surface.”
In a current website statement about the situation facing Christians in India, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy group reports: “More and more states are also implementing anti-conversion laws, creating an environment where any Christian who shares their faith can be accused of a crime, intimidated, harassed and even met with violence…Christians who convert from Hinduism are the most vulnerable to persecution across India, particularly communities who have faced historical oppression or discrimination such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Additionally, church leaders and their families can be particular targets in places that are heavily influenced by Hindu extremists.”
Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party for nearly 10 years, India now ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christian are persecuted.
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