In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, where a new law forbidding conversions, two religious women were arrested for wearing the religious habit
Newsroom (14/10/2021 9:42 AM, Gaudium Press) Recently the Indian province of Uttar Pradesh passed a law prohibiting conversions. This is a crime against anyone who helps a conversion, considering it a crime of “abusive conversion”.
The measure, persecutory and anti-Christian, is already having an effect against the Christian minority in the region. It is worth noting that the crime does not occur in cases of conversion to Hinduism, the main religion of the locality.
Persecution of religious habit
In fact, last Sunday, two religious sisters of the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation were arrested by the police in the city of Mau. The two sisters, who were wearing religious habits, were waiting at a bus stop for their vehicle when they were stopped by the police.
The religious sisters were accused by Hindu extremists of forcing conversions and offending Hindu deities, the prime minister, and the provincial ruler.
The president of the Global Council of Indian Christians commented that these days, “wearing a nun’s habit means being recognized as an ‘enforcer’ or ‘agent of conversion’.
Religious men and women and Christians detained throughout the province
The religious sisters, Sr. Gracy Monteiro and Sr. Sor Roshni Minj, were taken by the police at noon and were only released after an intervention by the provincial capital around 6 pm.
Indeed, the International Christian Concern organization has reported the arrest of 30 Christians since the passage of the law on conversions last February.
Groups of Christians have already been arrested for the simple fact of praying together.
Another case was registered in March of this year when two other nuns were forced off the train because they were dressed in their religious habit.
Anti-Christian policies in Hindu and Buddhist countries
The Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) showed in its annual report on Religious Freedom that persecution against Christians is increasing in countries with authoritarian Hindu and Buddhist majority governments.
Other countries are implementing similar measures as India: Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, for example. (FM)