PERSECUTION
WATCH
Christians
Protest Anti-Conversion Bill in Gujarat, India
By Dan Wooding
Assist
News Service
CBN.com
-- SECUNDERABAD, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) -- Christians around the world
have been urged to protest the anti-conversion bill being introduced into the
Gujarat assembly. Dr. Joseph D'souza, president of the All India Christian
Council has asked Christians to pray against and protest the bill, which he described
as being against the India constitution. In an urgent AICC communiqu,
D'souza said, "Dear partners and friends of the All India Christian Council. This
is another urgent and important communication from us that requires your urgent
action and lobbying and prayer. "Right behind the attempt to take the census
of Christians in Gujarat, the Government of Gujarat has now tabled the anti-conversion
bill. It is being introduced in the Gujarat assembly, and will be passed by the
end of next week since the BJP government has a brute majority and will not listen
to the voice of freedom, democracy and even the Indian constitution. "Please
note that the Gujarat bill which is again mischievously called the Freedom of
Religion bill goes further than the one introduced in Tamilnadu, in that now it
requires a person to take the permission of a district magistrate before he changes
his faith. All this is ostensibly done to prevent the use of force and fraudulent
means of conversion. "It is clear that it is the State and the BJP which
is using brute state force to prevent the Tribals, Dalits and others who want
to choose other faiths and liberate themselves from inhuman discrimination. The
mass exodus of the Dalits in the last couple of years to other faiths is the main
reason for these draconian laws. Above all this law is anti-Dalit and continues
their brutal oppression. "The Dalits have been one of the most dehumanized
people in the world numbering over 250 million people." D'souza said that
the All India Christian Council is launching a major appeal in the High Court
of Gujarat against this draconian bill. "We encourage all those who receive
this communiqu to act now and contact those whom you know to register their objection
to this violation of the fundamental rights of the Indian citizen guaranteed by
the Indian Constitution." He said that concerned people should write to
the Prime Minister of India and also to the President of India. "Each letter counts,"
he said. Here is the contact information: The President of India:
His Excellency, The President of India Fax: +91 11 301 7290 The
Prime Minister of India: Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Honorable Prime Minister of
India Fax: +91 11 301 6857 The All India Christian Council website
can be found at http://www.aiccindia.org/
and its president, Dr. Joseph D'souza can be reached at his cell phone which is
(706) 888-5924. This is a US number that will be transferred to India. More
from Assist News Service More from CBN News
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