By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, September 6, 2019: James David Murray, a Christian businessman who was blacklisted and denied entry by the Indian government in June 2015, was finally able to return to India on September 4.
This was possible after the federal Ministry of Home Affairs in June cleared for Murray’s return to India, says a press release from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) that took up Murray’s case.
Murray and his wife Melody and their two sons were handed a “Look Out Circular” in June 2015, while they were leaving for their annual holiday to the United States, on the charges of being involved in missionary activities or activities in contravention to the provisions of the business visa.
The Murrays, American citizens, were jointly directing a business in India which employs about 150 skilled, semi and unskilled workers and delivering high-end creativity of Indian crafts to 300 retailers in seven countries with internationally renowned brands.
In 2017, they challenged the deportation order before the High Court at Delhi and the Court directed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to conduct an inquiry, within eight weeks, whether the American citizens were involved in missionary activities or activities that contravenes the provisions of the business visa.
However, MHA never provided any response despite the time limit. In the same directive, the High Court had asked the MHA to remove the petitioners from ‘Adverse List’ or ‘Black List,’ if they are not found involved in such activities, the September 6 ADF press release explained.
In spite of these directions, the MHA failed to act and the Murray’s were unable to return to India to manage their business.
On June 22 this year, through the intervention of allied lawyer from ADF India, the MHA issued a letter stating “There is no impediment for the visit of the petitioners from the side of Government of India.”
Sanbha Rumnong, allied lawyer, ADF India who represented the Murrays said, “The Murrays were unduly targeted because of their religious identity. The Ministry of Home Affairs has remedied this and reinstated their visa. Religious freedom is good for business and in a climate where India is experiencing an unprecedented economic slowdown, the government should be making more efforts to help foreign investment and businesses to flourish in India, rather than wrongly targeting people for their faith.”