Tehmina Arora
Photo: Youtube Eight Christians accused of kidnapping 60 children for the purpose of converting them to Christianity have been acquitted in India.
The six men and two women were alleged to have attempted an illegal religious conversion of tribal children were freed in Madhya Pradesh on February 18.
The adults were on their way to Nagpur with the children in May 2017 when they were arrested and charged under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act.
“No one should be targeted for their faith,” said Tehmina Arora of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
“The anti-conversion laws are tools to harass and target Christians and should be repealed since they restrict the freedom of religion guaranteed under the constitution of India.”
Madhya Pradesh is one of the few states in India with a tough anti-conversion law.
According to the law, it is mandatory for a person to obtain prior permission from the state before converting to another religion.
Institutions
“The Church and its institutions should be very alert and careful in the state because it is nothing new,” said Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal.
“Our people are attacked even when they are carol singing, which the fanatic groups consider as religious conversion. The Church does not promote or propagate religious conversion.”
Elsewhere in India, Catholic bishops have called the government to stop using religion as a criterion for determining Indian citizenship.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, meanwhile has been re-appointed President of The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India following an election last week.