Assam state police arrested a Baptist church worker Nov. 22 on charges of violating a new law intended to curb “magical healing.” The arrest came after he prayed for villagers in the northeastern India state.
Pranjal Bhuyan, was arrested and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days for violating the Assam Magical Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, 2024, and attempting to convert people to Christianity, the Union of Catholic Asian News reported.
International Christian Concern reported, “locals grew concerned that Pastor Bhuyan had been preaching the Bible to children during sessions, so they prevented their children from going to his house for studies,” a few months ago.
Those parents “filed a complaint with the village police, and Pastor Bhuyan was detained under the Assam Magical Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act.”
Bhuyan is the first person to be arrested since the act came into effect, ICC noted.
History of the bill
On Feb. 26, the Legislative Assembly of Assam passed the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024. The bill’s preamble states its aim is to “bring social awakening in the society and to create healthy, science-based knowledge and safe social environment to protect human health against evil and sinister practices,”
Additionally, it aims to “eradicate non-scientific healing practices with ulterior motives for exploiting the innocent people.”
However, The Hindu news outlet reported the bill was introduced by the “Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had earlier said it was needed to ban magical healing practices with the explicit goal of curbing evangelism.”
The Assam Christian Forum, an interdenominational Christian body, strongly countered the chief minister’s “misguided and misleading” statement that magical healing equals proselytization when the bill was introduced.
“Healing in our context is not synonymous with proselytization. It is a compassionate response to human suffering, irrespective of religious affiliation,” the Assam Christian Forum chief said, according to The Hindu.
Despite opposition from Christian groups, the governor of Assam assented to the legislation March 15.
The Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi runs the state government.
“The BJP and its supporters oppose Christian missionary work, considering it a challenge to their aim of establishing Hindu hegemony in India,” according to UCA News.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Calli Keener and originally published by Baptist Standard.
