India (MNN) — India’s northern state of Rajasthan recently passed a draft bill that could lead to prison sentences of up to 10 years for people accused of “forcing” religious conversions.
Legislation like this is often used against believers, and justice is rare. “Christians are arrested, and then it’s months or years, in some cases, later [before] the case is decided,” Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says.
“The police arrest you, and then they ask questions later while you’re sitting in a jail cell.”
Even though India’s Constitution guarantees religious freedom, Nettleton says, “There are pastors in prison today because of those anti-conversion laws.”
It doesn’t take much to get believers in trouble. “You simply show up to the police station [and say,] ‘This person tried to entice me to change my religion,’” Nettleton explains.
“[Police will say,] ‘Well, what was the enticement?’ In some states, [the answer might be,] ‘I walked by and heard music playing. That was an enticement for me to go in and change my religion.’”
If the bill became law, Rajasthan would become the 12th state with anti-conversion legislation.
(Graphic courtesy VOM USA)
“The states that have passed anti-conversion laws have seen an increase in persecution,” Nettleton says. “In recent months, some of those laws have been extended and tightened up, and the punishments have been more severe.”
Pray for the Lord’s will to be done in Rajasthan, and pray that believers will be bold and courageous. Pray that the Gospel will change the leaders of radical Hindu groups.
“In the last 10 years, there’s been more persecution, to the point that here at Voice of the Martyrs, we changed the way we classify India earlier this year. [It changed] from a hostile area, which is a place where the Constitution promises religious freedom, and maybe the government tries to protect religious freedom. Still, some groups don’t allow religious freedom,” Nettleton says.
“[India’s status changed] to a restricted nation, where the government is the primary driver of persecution. And that is true in India under Prime Minister Modi. That change happened on his watch under his Hindu nationalist government; it is now the government that is the primary driver of persecution.”
Header and story images courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA.
