NEW DELHI, (CWNews.com) - Fears by Christian groups in eastern Orissa state over the enactment of a controversial law-- that requires prior government permission before religious conversion-- have been realized this week.
Police in Balasore district in the state are reported to have prevented the six-member tribal family of Channa Singh from embracing Christianity, invoking the provisions of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act enacted in November 1999. Following the silence of government officials even three weeks after Singh's family applied to the District Collector in the prescribed form for permission to convert, Singh and Protestant pastor Rameshar Mundu decided to go ahead with the conversion ceremony. However, police stopped them on the grounds that the investigation into their causes leading to their conversion was not yet complete.
Under the controversial act, those seeking to convert have to apply to the District Collector who would then ask the police to investigate the matter and report to him. If he is satisfied with the reasons for which the person intended to convert, permission would be granted for it. However reports say that government officials are holding back the permission for the tribal family to convert under pressure from Hindu fundamentalist outfits.
Churches had expressed the same concern last March when they jointly petitioned the state high court challenging the validity of the law, saying that it violates the fundamental right "to profess, practice, and propagate the religion of one's choice" under the Indian constitution and is likely to be misused against Christians.
While dozens of tribal Christian families were "reconverted" under threat amid much fanfare by Hindu fundamentalists several months ago, Christian calls for invocation of the act went unheeded in the state ruled by a coalition government in which the pro-Hindu BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is a partner.