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All India Christian Council and All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations will jointly organise massive protest against anti-conversion laws and anti-Christian activities across India at Nagpur on 14 October 2006. The protest will include burning of the copies of the anti-conversion laws existing in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat and Dalits from different parts of the country openly embracing a variety of religions in large numbers. Addressing a press meeting jointly organised by All India Christian Council and All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations in New Delhi on 6 October 2006, Udit Raj, Chairman of All India Conference of SC/ST Organisations and Lord Buddha Club said the World Religious Freedom Day would be observed in Nagpur on 13 and 14 October 2006 in which not only people from India but also from the United States and the European Union would participate. The event would coincide with the celebrations of the 50th year of Dr BR Ambedkar’s embracing of Buddhism on 14 October 1956. Udit Raj said recently the Gujarat Government had passed the Anti-Conversion Bill, declaring Buddhists and Jains as part of Hinduism. Buddhists and Jains had been agitated and outraged by this clandestine move. “On one hand, the Sangh Parivar is attempting to intimidate and discriminate against Christians and Muslims by coming out with draconian laws, on the other, they are trying to bring Buddhism and Jainism under the umbrella of Hinduism,” he said. Madhu Chandra, Regional Secretary of All India Christian Council, said Christians in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat were being targeted by Sangh Parivar activists. “Today the situation is such that Christian priests and pastors can't help even a person who is ill or an accident victim in view of proselytisation charge. Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have brought out anti-conversion laws that deny religious freedom. Now the victims of caste discrimination cannot even walk out of Hinduism,” he said. The aicc leader said, “Christians cannot even carry out their normal services like education and health care because the moment they try to do so, Hindu activists would pounce up on them with the charge of converting people. In fact people from Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are approaching aicc for help. Since they are not allowed to change their religion in these States, they are asking if they can embrace other religions on the World Religious Freedom Day to be held at Nagpur on 14 October 2006.”
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