India: Kerala State High Court Rules in Favor of Christians
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – In a rare move of encouragement for Christians in India, the High Court of the south Indian state of Kerala ruled that two young adults can have the religion cited on their official documents changed from Hindu to Christian, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Raised by Hindu parents, 24-year-old twins Lohith and Logith left Hinduism to follow Christ. Following their conversion they requested that officials change the religion entry on their official school certificates, ICC reports. When officials denied their request, the twins sought relief from the courts.
Setting an important precedent, the Kerala High Court determined that a person cannot be required to follow a particular religion just because they were born into it. “Even if it is to be accepted that there is no provision enabling change of religion entered in school certificates, that is no reason to tie down a person to one religion, merely by reason of his birth,” the High Court said.
“The freedom to practice and profess any religion of one’s choice is guaranteed by Article 25(1) of the Constitution. If a person embraces another religion by exercising that freedom, necessary corrections will have to be made in his records,” the High Court ruled.
India has been ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for nearly 10 years and ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
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