Christian minorities in central India face a new threat as Hindu extremists in more than a dozen village councils have passed resolutions imposing restrictions on religions other than Hinduism.
The laws, passed under the guise of stopping false conversions, made Christian prayer, services and "propaganda" illegal, World Watch Monitor reported. The Bastar district president of the World Hindu Council, Suresh Yadav, told The Times of India that more than 50 village councils have banned all non-Hindu missionaries.
The state government of Chhattisgarh, where the tribal Bastar villages are located, has not intervened to strike down the rules but plans to monitor developments, according to the Times. Chhattisgarh Christian Forum president Arun Pannalal told the newspaper that village councils were wrong to think they could pass resolutions that override constitutional protections. Pannalal noted that Article 25 of India's constitution guarantees freedom of religion for all. Read more
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