Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Catholic rally draws Tamil Nadu speaker's 'life begins at conception'
Once a year, many people who follow the Catholic religion come together to talk about babies who are not yet born.
They believe a baby's life begins the very moment it starts growing inside its mother and that it should be protected from that moment.
The Speaker of Tamil Nadu's law-making assembly, Mr. JCD Prabhakar, went to this big meeting in Chennai and said he agrees.
More than five thousand people came to the event, which was held at a college called Stella Maris College.
Mr. Prabhakar even told a personal story about his own wife and a pregnancy he once asked to end.
But other people think women should get to decide what happens during pregnancy, and some people in his own political party disagreed with him.
Mr. Prabhakar said women should never be blamed for difficult choices and should get support instead.
He asked the government to help mothers with medical care, money, and education so they don't feel forced to end a pregnancy.
This shows that people have very different ideas about when life begins.
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar addressed the fifth National March for Life in Chennai, declaring that 'life begins at conception.'
The Catholic anti-abortion gathering at Stella Maris College was organised by CHARIS India under the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and drew more than 5,000 people, according to organisers.
The march was deliberately held around August 10, the date on which India's Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act was enacted in 1971 and significantly liberalised by amendments in 2021.
Prabhakar urged that women who undergo abortions should not be shamed or blamed, calling for economic security, medical care and protection of women's education.
A senior Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam minister expressed disagreement with Prabhakar's remarks, although Prabhakar did not present his comments as an official government position.
Prabhakar cited a 2018 Lancet Global Health study estimating 15.6 million abortions occurred in India in 2015, only about 22 percent of them in health facilities.
- Who
- JCD Prabhakar, Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA from Thousand Lights
- What
- Joined the fifth National March for Life, a Catholic anti-abortion rally, and declared that 'life begins at conception'
- When
- Sunday, with the gathering deliberately held around August 10, the date of India's Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act enactment in 1971
- Where
- Stella Maris College, Chennai
- Why
- To endorse the Catholic belief that life deserves protection from conception and to call for support for pregnant women rather than abortion
Reproductive autonomy and public health
Pro-life Catholic doctrine
When life begins
Reproductive autonomy and public health
Pregnancy is an experience occurring within a woman's body and circumstances; India's Supreme Court in its 2022 judgment rooted the decision to continue or terminate a pregnancy in the woman's bodily autonomy.
Pro-life Catholic doctrine
Life begins at conception and must receive absolute protection from that moment, as Catholic doctrine teaches.
How to view women who have abortions
Reproductive autonomy and public health
Women should not be judged; unwanted pregnancies carried to term can affect education, careers and mental well-being, so support and legal access matter.
Pro-life Catholic doctrine
Abortion ultimately stems from the thought 'Why should we have a child at all?', so women should receive material and emotional support and not be shamed, rather than being pushed toward termination.
Abortion access and safety
Reproductive autonomy and public health
Nearly three-quarters of India's millions of abortions occur outside health facilities, illustrating the importance of access to safe reproductive healthcare.
Pro-life Catholic doctrine
The value of a child's life should not be counted only from birth; governments, religious institutions and voluntary organisations should create conditions in which women don't feel compelled to terminate pregnancies.
- Speaker
- JCD Prabhakar, 73, TVK MLA from Thousand Lights
- Event
- Fifth National March for Life, organised by CHARIS India under the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
- Attendance
- More than 5,000 people, according to organisers
- Abortions in India
- 15.6 million estimated in 2015, per a 2018 Lancet Global Health study
- Where abortions occurred
- Only about 22% in health facilities; nearly three-quarters were medication abortions outside facilities
- MTP Act
- Enacted August 10, 1971; significantly liberalised by 2021 amendments
- Venue
- Stella Maris College, Chennai