Niyogi Commission on need of Anti Conversion policy

Niyogi Commission  on need of  Anti Conversion policy

Panel recommendations The Christian Missionary Activities Enquiry Committee, appointed by the Madhya Pradesh Government consisting of six citizens including Mr. S. K. George, a Professor of Commerce, a devout Christian belonging to the oldest church in India, the Syrian Christian Church, and presided over by the retired Chief Justice of the Nagpur High Court, Mr. M. B. Niyogi which visited 77 centres, contacted 11,360 people from 700 villages, examined 375 written statements, visited

hospitals, schools, churches, leper homes, hostels, etc. and after 2 years of arduous labour has made the following recommendations:

(1) Those missionaries whose primary objective is proselysation should be asked

to withdraw. The large influx of foreign missionaries is undesirable and should be

checked.

(2) The best course for the Indian churches was to establish a united independent Christian church in India being independent of foreign support.

(3) The use of medical and other professional services as a means of conversion

should be prohibited by law.

(4) To implement the provision in the Constitution of India prohibiting the imparting of religious education to children without consent of parents and guardians.

(5) Suitable control of conversions brought through illegal means should be imposed. If necessary through legislative measures.

(6) Advisory boards at State, regional and district levels should be constituted of

non-officials, minority communities like tribals and harijans being a majority on these boards.

(7) Rules relating to registration of doctors and nurses employed in hospitals should be suitably amended to provide a condition against evangelistic activities during professional services.

(8) Circulation of religious literature meant for propaganda without the approval of

the State Government should be prohibited.

(9) Institutions in receipt of grants-in-aid or recognition from government should be compulsorily inspected every quarter.

(10) No non-official agency should be permitted to secure foreign assistance except through government channels.

(11) Government should lay down a policy that providing social services like education, health, medicine, etc. to scheduled classes will be solely by the StateGovernment, and adequate services should be provided as early as possible,

non-official organisations being permitted to run only for members of their own faith.

(12) No foreigner should be allowed to function in a scheduled or a specific area either independently or as a member of a religious institutions unless he has  given a declaration in writing that he will not take part in politics.

(13) Programmes of social and economic uplift by non-official or religious bodies

should receive the prior approval of the State.

Laws regulating the forceful Conversion

The laws are in force on converson  in eight out of twenty-nine states: Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand.