Updated on 31 May 2022

In December 2020, certain residents of a village in Chhattisgarh were plotting to deny basic amenities like food and water to Rajan* because of his Christian faith. However, timely intervention by some of the Christians there helped avert any untoward incident.

Just two weeks before, on 10 December, 2020, this group of Christians who helped Rajan had participated in a legal training organised by ADF India allied lawyers focusing on Fundamental Rights guaranteed to every citizen by the Indian Constitution. Because of this training, they were aware of their legal rights and promptly called the police to save Rajan from the persecution.

To stand with those targeted for their faith and to help them defend their religious freedom, simply taking on legal cases is not enough. Sadly, many communities lack the basic legal know-how—from knowledge of their fundamental rights to dealing with local authorities or the police.

The legal trainings act as an important tool in building the capacity of vulnerable communities in some of the most sensitive districts of the states. The training is designed to equip leaders, including women in the community, to be resilient in the face of communal conflicts.

Since 2014, ADF India has trained almost 40,000 people, including community members, leaders, lawyers, law students and activists across the nation.

in 2021, ADF India organised over a hundred legal trainings, both on-site as well as online. In these trainings, usually spanning over half a day, our legal experts cover essential topics such as Fundamental Rights and Duties, Freedom of Religion Acts, provisions for minorities, and best practices while practicing one’s faith.

We invite faith-based organisations across India to consider organising legal trainings with us, especially if:

They are situated in an area where persecution is frequent, or

They have a culture of active outdoor ministry, or

They are situated in a state where a Freedom of Religion Act has been enacted, or

They feel the need to increase their legal knowledge

For its next online training, ADF India is organising a webinar on “Anti-Conversion Laws and Secularism in India” on 10 June, 2022 from 4 PM to 6 PM via Zoom. The webinar will feature Prof. (Dr.) Mohsin Alam Bhat, Associate Professor and Executive-Director of the Center for Public Interest Law at the Jindal Global Law School, Delhi and Adv. Siju Thomas, ADF India Allied Lawyer. Join to hear these experts share insights on the Anti-Conversion Laws in detail to understand its constitutionality, lacunas and the challenges faced by the minority group.

We invite you to register for this training, especially if you are a social activist, lawyer, member of civil society.

To sponsor a legal training, please consider making a donation to the legal ministry of ADF India, click below.

*Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the individual