A proposed anti-conversion law in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has triggered alarm bells among church and human rights activists who say it goes against the country’s Constitution. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reportedly received the proposal to curb “forcible religious conversions” in a draft document submitted by the State Law Commission on November 21.
According to commission chief, Justice Aditya Nath Mittal, “existing legal provisions are not enough to check religious conversion and on this serious matter, a new law is needed.” Similar laws exist in several other Indian states, despite the constitution guaranteeing freedom of religion.
Any person is free to profess, practice and propagate a religion of one’s choice as a fundamental right, according to the charter. However, the reality is far different, activists and church groups say. “The anti-conversion bill [in Uttar Pradesh] just focuses on minorities especially Christians, Catholics, and Muslims. This bill is to appease hardliners in the right-wing Hindu ultra-nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) family,” said Jesuit Father Lourduraj Ignasimuthu, a media critic.
“Minorities should be wary of this and be cautious about their activities concerning religion. The BJP’s chief minister in Uttar Pradesh is just playing to his Hindutva [pro-Hindu ideology],” the priest said.
Under the proposed new state law, if a person wants to change religion, they need the prior permission of a government official. The proposed law also prohibits religious conversion by force, allurement or deceit. Penalties for breaching the laws would range from jail terms of one to three years or fines from 5,000 rupees (US$70) to 50,000 rupees. A child convert belonging to a socially and economically backward community — namely a low caste or tribal group — could face a stiffer punishment of being jailed for seven years.
“Conversion is linked with the right to freedom of faith. This is a law against the basic principle of the Indian Constitution,” said Lenin Raghuvanshi, a human rights activist.
According to human rights activist John Dayal: “Chief Minister Adityanath is closely following a script written by his mentor Modi.” There is no doubt that while the pretense is to contain the Muslim population, the real target is to stop Christianity in its tracks, Dayal said. “Love jihad” or Muslim boys marrying Hindu girls is not so much an issue as the voluntary conversion of Dalits and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to Christianity, said Dayal, who is also a Catholic lay leader.
However hard-won constitutional rights must be upheld against those asserting themselves over weaker minorities so “we will go to the Supreme Court,” he added. UCS News
