India: Assam State Lawmakers Seek To Ban Christian Prayer For Healing
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – In an effort to curb evangelism, Hindu lawmakers in India’s Assam state have passed a law criminalizing “magical” prayer for healing, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
CT reports that the proposed ban was passed by the Assam state assembly on Feb. 26 and has been sent to the desk of India’s Prime Minister and head of the BJP for ratification.
The proposed legislation does not specifically mention Christian prayer, but Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, said in a statement: “We want to curb evangelism in Assam, so in that direction, the banning of healing … will be a very, very important milestone.”
According to the ban: “No person shall take any part in healing practices and magical healing propagation for treatment of any diseases, any disorder or any condition relating to the health of a person (relating to the human body) directly or indirectly giving a false impression of treatment to cure diseases, pain or trouble to the human health,” CT said. Offenders can face up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to 100,000 rupees (about $1,200 USD).
Speaking out against the proposal, the Assam Christian Forum (ACF) said in a statement: “Prayer is a universal practice across religions, used to invoke divine healing. Labeling it as magical healing oversimplifies the profound spiritual dimensions of faith and life.”
In a website statement about the persecution of Christians in India, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization explains: “Christians around the nation of India find themselves increasingly under threat. This hostility is often driven by an ongoing belief among some Hindu extremists that Indians ought to be Hindu—and any faith outside of Hinduism is not welcome in India.”
Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party almost continuously since 2014, India ranks 11 on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
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