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<\/source><\/picture>A Christian orphanage in a central Indian state has been denied a renewal of its permit to receive foreign charitable funds, intensifying concerns about religious freedom and governmental oversight in the country governed by a Hindu nationalist party.<\/p>\n
The Department for Women and Child Development in Madhya Pradesh state declined to renew the license for Adharshila Sansthan, an orphanage in Damoh district managed by a Protestant couple, UCA News reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n The state is governed by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.<\/p>\n An official from the orphanage, who wished to remain anonymous, was quoted as saying that they have been operating since 2005 and have always complied with legal requirements.<\/p>\n The orphanage has facilitated the adoption of 18 children by foreign couples and 27 by Indian couples. Currently, 11 girls and five boys are ready for adoption and will be transferred to other state-run orphanages.<\/p>\n The state\u2019s child rights panel accused the orphanage of not adhering to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act on Sept. 5. The main reason cited for the denial was that the orphanage was running boys\u2019 and girls\u2019 hostels under one license, which the orphanage official says is not prohibited by law.<\/p>\n Praksha Pathak, Damoh district chairperson of the child rights panel, was quoted as saying that decisions about relocating the children are pending. She declined to provide further details, citing confidentiality.<\/p>\n Church officials claim that the state government has been targeting Christian institutions like schools, hostels and orphanages.<\/p>\n Madhya Pradesh has also enforced a stringent \u201canti-conversion\u201d law since 2021.<\/p>\n Priyank Kanoongo, chairperson of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, filed a complaint against the orphanage and its founder, Dr. Ajay Lall, on Nov. 13, 2022. The complaint accuses the orphanage of violating the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, and the case is still under investigation.<\/p>\n The orphanage official called the situation a \u201cplanned conspiracy\u201d against their institution.<\/p>\n Christians constitute only 0.29% of Madhya Pradesh\u2019s population of over 72 million, more than 80% of whom are Hindus. The state has been under BJP rule for nearly two decades, except for a brief period between 2018 and 2020.<\/p>\n In 2017, Christian child sponsorship organization Compassion International was forced to leave India. The federal government blocked its funding, affecting 147,000 children. The organization was founded in 1952 and had been sending funds to over 500 local child development projects in India.<\/p>\n Christians make up about 2.3% of India\u2019s population and face suppression from the national government, according to the U.S. State Department. Amendments to the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act in 2020 have added more restrictions on Christian groups, including onerous oversight and certification requirements.<\/p>\n Several Christian organizations have had their Foreign Contributions Regulation Act licenses canceled.<\/p>\n The United Nations has criticized the act, stating that it has been used to justify intrusive measures against civil society organizations.<\/p>\n The Department of State has noted that Christians in India are subject to surveillance, harassment, property demotion and detention under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.<\/p>\n