Conversion and fundamentalism: challenges in India

Christians in India have expressed alarm following the arrest of 14 people for having converted to Christianity. At the end of March, police arrested 12 Tribals and two Protestant pastors in the Indian state of Orissa for "illegal" conversions.
The converts violated the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, which ironically bans any conversion without a permit issued by the authorities. Critics say Orissa is one of six Indian states that adopted the conversion law under pressure from fundamentalist Hindu groups who accuse Christians of proselytism and conversions for money. To date, neither claim has ever been proven.
The Global Council of Indian Christians has condemned the arrests and called for a stop to anti-Christian violence in the state.
In recent years, Hindu radicals have carried out attacks against Christians in Orissa. In 2008, 100 Christians were killed and another 55,000 forced to leave their homes. Christian groups have called for a full investigation of the involvement of Indian army in the massacre against Christians in Orissa.
Tracey McClure spoke with Averil Stone of the Council of Catholic Women’s National Secretariat in Bangalore. She says the rise in religioius fundamentalism is one of the primary challenges of the Church in India:
"We find it difficult to openly witness (our faith)...people who want to embrace the Catholic or Christian faith... conversioin has become an issue. They cannot freely and openly do it in most cases."
listen to the interview: