05/07/2019 India (International Christian Concern) – In 2016, Pastor Balu Saste, head pastor of a small village church in Madhya Pradesh, his wife, and eleven other Christians that had gathered for Sunday worship were attacked and beaten by a mob of Hindu radicals. In response to this attack, police arrested Pastor Saste, his wife, and his six-year-old son and falsely charged them under the state’s anti-conversion law.

Recently, after three years of court hearings, Pastor Saste and his family were acquitted of the false forced conversion charges that had come to dominate their lives. The acquittal is being hailed as a triumph for religious freedom in India by local Christian advocacy groups.

In a statement by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, Tehmina Arora, director of ADF India, said, “The acquittal of Pastor Balu and his family is a vital step toward the protection of religious freedom and the right to freely live out one’s faith. Now he can continue to tend to his small community of Christians without interference from the state.”

However, Arora reminded the media that Pastor Balu case is not unique. “Unfortunately, this is not the only case in India where Christians have been falsely accused under anti-conversion laws. These laws make religious minorities subject to arbitrary imprisonments and criminal charges, mob violence, and violations of their fundamental rights.”

Currently, anti-conversion laws are actively enforced in eight of India’s 29 states. This includes Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Hindu radicals and other extremists seeking to persecute Christians or other religious minorities abuse these laws by falsely accusing individuals of perpetrating or attempting forced conversions. In many instances, false accusations are used to justify and cover up mob violence against religious minority communities.

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected].