E/CN.4/2001/0063 page 19 54. India replied: “The notification No. 63286 dated 26 November 1999 issued by the Government of Orissa relating to the Orissa Freedom of Religion Amendment Rules, 1999, does not require a citizen wishing to convert to seek permission of the local police and the district magistrate. As per the amendment rule, only an intimation is required by way of prior information to the district magistrate. The purpose of the amended rule is to restrict forcible, unlawful, immoral and fraudulent inducement for conversion.” 55. While recalling that freedom of religion does not justify the exploitation of social instability and poverty for purposes of conversion, the Special Rapporteur wishes to reiterate the observations made with regard to Georgia (see para. 46 above) by referring to the Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 22 of 20 July 1993, concerning article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which deals with restrictions that may be placed on the freedom to manifest religion or belief. 56. According to another communication from the Special Rapporteur, on 20 March 2000 in the village of Chatisinghpura, south of Srinagar, 36 Sikhs were reportedly murdered by Muslim extremists. In New Delhi, the Prime Minister’s security advisor identified two extremist groups that may have been involved in this massacre, namely the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hizb-ul Mujahideen. 57. India replied: “A group of approximately 20 heavily armed terrorists carried out a massacre of 30 Sikhs in Chatisinghpura village of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir on 20 March 2000. After entering the village, the terrorists segregated the male Sikhs from their women and children and massacred them. The terrorists, who belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hizb-ul Mujahideen, were wearing military combat fatigues. The Indian investigating agencies made a breakthrough by arresting Mohammad Yakub Wagey, a terrorist of Hizb-ul Mujahideen who is a resident of outer Chatisinghpura. Wagey revealed that the terrorist group involved in the massacre included some local Hizb-ul Mujahideen terrorists but the overwhelming majority were foreign terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba. He confirmed that the terrorists, after reaching the village, called all male Sikhs from their houses and divided them into two groups. Both the groups were subsequently fired upon and killed. The security forces succeeded in carrying out an operation on 25 March during which five foreign mercenaries were killed in Anantnag district. These mercenaries were also wearing combat uniforms. Five AK series rifles, two wireless sets and several grenades were found in their possession. Investigations and further operations have continued in terms of case No. 85/2000 under relevant provisions of the law. The allegations that this was the first attack on the Sikhs is totally false. More than 40 Sikhs have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir between 1995 and the incident in question. In fact, one of the aims of this brutal massacre of innocent Sikhs was to cause an exodus of Sikhs from Kashmir, as has been the case with Hindus. Crime No. 85/2000 has been registered in the Anantnag police station and investigation of the case is going on.”