The state of Arunachal Pradesh in north-east India intends to reverse a 1978 law which bans converting from one religion to another.
Premier reports that the chief minister of the state, Pema Khandu, made the announcement at a Catholic memorial for a lay Benedictine missionary who died ten years ago.
The president of Arunachal Pradesh Catholic Association, Taw Tebin, told World Watch Monitor: “This law has always remained a threat to the Christians. The declaration by the chief minister is a big relief for the Christian community.”