India’s celebrates its first March for Life

Photo Credit: Christians and pro-life activists gather to observe the first National March for Life in New Delhi on Aug. 10. (Photo by Bijay Kumar Minj/ UCA News)

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On August 10th,  India as it held its very first National March for Life in New Delhi.

Pro-lifers heralded it as an "unforgettable day" as they committed to fight for the Right to Life for the unborn with the recent studies revealing that sadly 15.6 million Indian babies die to abortion each year.

Jantar Mantar, a place permitted by the government to be used as a space for protest marches, was for the first time a place of pro-life witness, as pro-lifers held posters opposing abortion,  and were freely able to sing and pray for the end to abortion in their country.

The March also happened to fall on the 51st anniversary of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act which legalized abortion in India in 1971.

India's abortion laws have expanded in recent time  - in 2003, and further in 2021, the abortions laws changed to permit women to seek abortion services “on the grounds of contraceptive failure and in increase in the gestation limit to 24 weeks for special categories”. 

Auxiliary Bishop Deepak Valerian Tauro of Delhi, who is also chairman of the Pro-life Commission in theArchdiocese, said: “We are lucky because we are alive today and have gathered here. It is our moral obligation as well as a sacred duty to pray that people will be inspired by God to stop abortion,”

“We have been praying for the war in Ukraine to come to an end. Let us also pray that the unjust killing of innocent and helpless children in wombs also comes to an end,” the prelate said.

Another attendee Joseph John, a pro-life activist from the western state of Maharashtra, said. “Abortion takes place around the world and India is no exception. Being a Christian, at least we can try in our capacities to help stop this practice in our country."

As we all know, abortion is not just an issue in India.

Ireland began The National Rally for Life event back in 2007 and the pro-life community continues to gather annually to march and show opposition to our inhumane abortion law and the impact it has on both mothers and babies.

Shamefully, the Irish government is now trying to silence the pro-life community by implementing new laws to criminalize people from standing and praying outside of abortion facilities, without any evidence of wrongdoing. We are being led to believe that even standing alone in silence is overwhelming enough to be considered “intimidating”.

The fight for Life continues, and the march in India should inspire us to keep moving forward.