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India's Supreme Court Withdraws Language Criticized By Christians

By Howard M. Friedman

According to Cath News, India's Supreme Court today withdrew on its own initiative a paragraph in an opinion it handed down last week that had created significant concern among Christian leaders and human rights groups. At issue was the court's decision reviewing the life sentence imposed on radical leader Dara Singh who was convicted of leading a mob that set fire to a station wagon in which Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were sleeping, killing the three.  The prosecution has sought the rarely-imposed death penalty, but the lower court imposed life imprisonment. In upholding the sentence, the Supreme Court originally said that the killers had acted with the "intention to teach a lesson to Graham Staines about his religious activities, namely, converting poor tribals to Christianity. All these aspects have been correctly appreciated by the High Court and modified the sentence of death into life imprisonment with which we concur." Critics said the language would embolden Hindu radicals and that it is inconsistent with Sec. 25 of the Indian Constitution that allows individuals to profess, practice and propagate their religion.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 25, 2011 (boomark / email).