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REX/David Pearson
World News

Expert warns Indian Christians could see a rise in violence against them if conversion laws are passed

by Hannah Tooley

Release International is warning that a proposed anti-conversion Bill poses threat to religious freedom and will further add to a culture of intolerance.

Andrew Boyd from Release International told Premier's News Hour that it risks creating violence against India's Christian minority: "There have been lots of attacks against Muslims and Christians in India.

"These particular laws, which are a nod towards that violence - in a way it they're almost saying we understand that that's happening and that kind of violence is justified."

India is a mainly Hindu nation but is also home to Muslims and Christians.

The Bill would propose a ten-year jail sentence for evangelists and if passed would outlaw conversion from Hinduism across the country.

Paul Robinson, the Chief Executive of Release International, said that: "Ultra-nationalists in India are creating a climate of intolerance that will lead to increased religious violence.

"This Bill would outlaw evangelism and stir up further violence against India's religious minorities."

The leading BJP party is thought to have links to Hindu nationalists as well as the Hindutva philosophy, the idea that the belief that the Indian subcontinent is the homeland of Hindus, and to be Indian is to be Hindu.

Speaking on Premier's News Hour, Andrew Boyd from Release International said that: "These moves ... would affect the entire nation - and you'd have a picture now where the word's largest democracy would outlaw freedom for its own individuals to choose their faith and you would loose the freedom to share your faith."

Listen to Premier's Hannah Tooley speak to Andrew Boyd here:

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