Report No. 90

3.5. Comment of the Government of India.-

The Government of India in the Legislative Department,1 while agreeing in principle with the need for amendment of the law, has, in its common on the Working Paper, referred to the history of the past attempts at reform of the law on the subject, (a matter which was mentioned in the Working Paper of the Law Commission also). The Legislative Department has also referred to abandonment of the Bill implementing the 15th and 22nd Reports of the Law Commission, after the Bill was reported on by the Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament. The Department has also made mention of the starred Question on the subject which was answered by Government in the Lok Sabha on the 16th December, 1980. It appears from the comment that Government is anxious that the views of the Christian community in the matter may be ascertained, with special efforts. The basic approach of the Government seems to be contained in the last paragraph of the comment, which we reproduce below:-

"While on first principles the answers to the three questions posed by the Commission in their Working Paper have to be in the affirmative, it would appear necessary, particularly in view of the past experience of the Government, to make special efforts to ascertain the views of the Christian community in the matter."

1. Legislative Department, F.11(2)/82-L. II, dated 12th January, 1983.