APCLF APPEAL FOR REVAMP OF PROCESS OF ISSUING RELIGION AFFIRMATION CERTIFICATE

People applying for a certificate to affirm the status of their chosen religion are being forced to run from pillar to post. The situation is much worse especially for those seeking a certificate as a Christian. Devotees from many different faith and caste wanting a certificate as a Christian are being subject to unnecessary waiting time and in some cases applications are being rejected on frivolous grounds. That there are cases of Certificates of Religion not being issued to Christians by ascribing reason(s) such as -
- Applicant / family members having Hindu name
- Having members of the family who are Hindus

Freedom of religion is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 15 and Article 25 of the Constitution of India. Every citizen of India has a right to promote and practice their religion peacefully, which means every citizen is free to adopt any religion as per his/her wish, belief, etc. An individual can change his/her religion due to marriage or divorce or self-belief. But that the change should be in good faith as this is the fundamental right of any citizen of India. It is also of knowledge that Government does not determine the caste or religion of an Indian. It can only verify caste by birth and religion by self-declaration for the purposes of affirmative action. That various courts have in fact expressed a similar view in many a cases is also to be considered in the perusal of this plea.

Hence the documentary evidence and the procedure required for getting such a certificate must be revamped in order to ensure that the Constitutional guarantees are ensured uniformly and without prejudice.

In view of the above, the Christian community of the Telugu speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana hereby demand that the process/procedure of issuing a certificate of affirmation of Religion must be relied solely on a notarised self-declaration of the applicant in an online application format without the need of the issuing officer to check / seek baptism certificate, members of family in other faith / religion, NOC from family / religion converting from / to,  family details, descendants, dependents etc., of the applicant and no application be rejected and no applicant be denied the affirmation of his choice of religion within the ambit of the constitution.