Ranchi: In a powerful response to the rising climate of intolerance and discrimination against minorities, the Catholic Religious of India (CRI), Ranchi Unit, convened a historic meeting at Manresa, the Motherhouse of the Ranchi Jesuit Province, to reflect and respond to the growing misuse of anti-conversion laws in India. The gathering, themed “Anti-Conversion Law: Impact and Response,” united more than 115 priests, nuns, scholastics, and novices representing multiple congregations, including the Jesuits, Ursulines, Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary (SCJM), St. Anne’s, and the Missionary Sisters of the Queen of the Apostles (SRA).
The event, held on October 11, was spearheaded by Jesuit Father Justine Tirkey, President of CRI Ranchi and Director of the Satya Bharati Centre for Religious Literature and Culture. Addressing the assembly, Fr. Tirkey underscored the urgency of the moment, calling for “greater legal awareness and a renewed pastoral commitment to love, justice, peace, and solidarity with marginalized communities.” He urged the religious to move beyond fear and inertia, to stand up as moral witnesses in defense of human dignity and constitutional values.
A Call for Justice and Awareness
The keynote address was delivered by Advocate Sister Sujata Jena, a member of the Sacred Hearts Congregation and a respected human rights activist and legal advocate. Drawing from her extensive experience across Odisha and other states, Sr. Jena meticulously outlined the political manipulation and legal misuse of anti-conversion legislation across India.
She noted that twelve states have enacted such laws, beginning with Odisha in 1967 and followed most recently by Rajasthan, yet “not a single person has been convicted under these acts, though hundreds have been falsely accused, detained, or attacked.”
“These laws are presented as protective measures,” Sr. Jena said, “but in reality, they serve as tools of intimidation. They violate the basic principle of justice by reversing the burden of proof—forcing the accused to prove innocence rather than the accuser to prove guilt.”
She shared disturbing examples of harassment and violence: prayer gatherings raided by mobs, worshippers beaten, churches vandalized, and in many instances, police siding with aggressors rather than victims. “Even funerals have been targeted,” she added, recounting instances where mobs exhumed Christian bodies to conduct coerced “reconversion” ceremonies. “It is inhuman but it’s happening across our land.”
Faith, Freedom, and Resistance
Sr. Jena also addressed the deeper social and political motives behind these laws. “They claim to defend Dalits and Adivasis,” she said, “but in truth, they deny these very groups their right to freedom of conscience.”
Quoting Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, she reminded the assembly that conversion can be an act of dignity and resistance, a way for oppressed communities to reclaim self-worth in a system built on inequality. “When faith becomes a matter of survival, conversion is not betrayal it is liberation.”
Decrying societal apathy, Sr. Jena said, “We have grown numb to injustice. We scroll past violence as if it were entertainment. Our silence is complicity. It’s time we reclaim our prophetic voice.”
A Collective Resolve
The participants responded with emotion and conviction. One Sister voiced what many felt: “Your clarity and courage give us hope. We now see that defending the Constitution is part of our mission of faith.” The meeting concluded with a collective resolution to stand in unwavering solidarity with all oppressed peoples Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, Christians, women, and the poor affirming that the Church’s mission is inseparable from justice and human dignity.
The Way Forward
The CRI Ranchi assembly adopted a seven-point plan of action, reaffirming their resolve to defend both faith and the Constitution:
• Stand in universal solidarity with marginalized and oppressed communities.
• Reclaim the Constitution by living its spirit of equality, liberty, dignity, justice, and fraternity.
• Establish “Samvidhan Kendras” or Gandhi–Ambedkar Centres for youth dialogue and civic engagement.
• Empower grassroots defenders through legal literacy and responsible media reporting.
• Advocate policy changes that uphold minority rights and human freedoms.
• Safeguard equitable access to land, livelihood, and justice.
• Integrate civic and ethical education into schools and formation houses.
• Live Ambedkar’s call to “Educate, Agitate, Organize” for peace and fraternity.
Faith Rooted in Justice
Jharkhand, home to a vibrant and faith-filled tribal Christian community, has long been a cradle of movements for equality and social transformation. Through this landmark gathering, the Church in Ranchi reaffirmed its historic mission to stand with the poor, to defend the Constitution, and to bear witness to the Gospel of justice.
As one participant reflected at the close, “To follow Christ today is to stand where the oppressed stand. Reclaiming the Constitution is not just a civic duty it’s a sacred calling.”