New Delhi: The 106-year-old All India Catholic Union has said in a statement that it is concerned at the intimidation of Christian communities across India.
The AICU said it is “deeply disturbed” by developments in Arunachal Pradesh, where there is an attempt is afoot to revive the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978, a legislation which remained dormant for the last 47 years.
It was reported earlier this year that the Arunachal Pradesh government is working to bring back this act which is meant to legislate against “forceful” conversion.
The AICU said that Christians of the state fear that once the Act is made operational, the indigenous co-existence between tribes and communities is likely to be disturbed.
The AICU has also cited how in Madhya Pradesh, chief minister Mohan Yadav said that his administration is planning to amend the anti-conversion law so that conversion of girls could be made a punishable offence with death penalty.
The AICU also mentioned Manipur, which was brought under President’s rule in February this year, and where “concrete steps remain to be taken for the rehabilitation of over 60,000 internally displaced persons still living in makeshift non-government camps.”
The statement mentioned that hate crime documentation groups registered 834 incidents of violence against the Christian community in various states by December 2024. “Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have become the hotspots of viral hate, brutal mob violence, rampant social ostracisation in which elements of the law and justice apparatus are complicit,” it said, adding that many attacks go unreported for fear of retribution in the environment of impunity and political patronage.
“Despite this, the All India Catholic Union leadership is clear that the ordinary people of the country are not involved in these hate campaigns and violence,” the group said.
It called on people in authority to identify the persons, groups or organisations involved, and see that they are brought to book.
