The Tripura High Court on Tuesday reprimanded certain Chakma community groups for allegedly calling for a social boycott of a Chakma man (petitioner) and his family members who had converted to Christianity. Justice Arindham Lodhi emphasized that India is a secular country, and every citizen possesses a fundamental right to propagate, practice, and select their religion. This reprimand by the Tripura High Court has come at a very opportune time. In recent years, there has been an increasing call for the boycott of minorities in India. Calling for a social boycott of people just because they follow a different faith is against the Indian constitution.
In this particular case, various groups from the Chakma community allegedly called for a social boycott of the petitioner, who belongs to the Chakma community and converted to Christianity. Choosing one’s faith is a personal choice and the constitution guarantees freedom of religion. No one is above the constitution. People should respect the secular nature of the Indian constitution. By acting against it, they are only disrespecting the constitution. Hopefully, this strong reprimand by the Tripura High Court will send a tough message to the religious hate-mongers.