Conversion is a fundamental right the Constitution of India guarantees. Every citizen is free ‘to profess, practise and propagate’ the religion of his/ her choice. Everyone loves this right. It is only communal fascists who want to deprive Indian citizens of this important right. That is why some states like Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh have anti-conversion laws, whereby those who convert to the religion of their choice are harassed and punished; some other states are mulling this unjust law. Such a case of harassment for conversion once again came to light last week when a case was registered against one Manju Devara, a resident of Semaliya village in Talala taluka, under Section 5 of Gujarat Dharma Swatantrata Adhiniyam.
This is not the first case in Gujarat, which may well be called ‘the laboratory of Hindutva’, under this unconstitutional, draconian law. On October 13, 2013, the Gujarat government ordered an inquiry into the mass conversion of Dalits to Buddhism at Dungarpur village in Junagadh district despite the claim of the event organisers that they had ‘secured prior permission’ required under this law. And, in December 2013, Gujarat High Court quashed a criminal complaint accusing a Muslim youth, his three friends and the ‘qazi’ of allegedly converting a Hindu girl to Islam and thereby solemnising their nikah.
Such state-level anti-conversion laws have earned wide condemnation from the various quarters. Various national and international human rights forums have termed anti-conversion bills as ‘draconian laws that violate fundamental and constitutional rights of fellow citizens’. At a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in 2012, several UN member countries questioned India on the delay in repealing anti-conversion laws. In June 2012, the All India Christian Council (AICC) also strongly condemned the recommendation by Indigenous People Forum to introduce the oppressive anti-conversion law in Manipur. The AICC believes that the ‘hidden tactic’ of Hindutva forces could be behind the ideology of Indigenous People’s Forum attempting to bring the anti-conversion law in the State.
Besides being unconstitutional and draconian, the anti-conversion move targets religious minorities, violates the right to freedom of religion and belief, and can destroy communal peace and harmony in the vicinity. Thus it is high time we made concerted efforts to exert pressure on the authorities concerned to get anti-conversion laws repealed with immediate effect. Time minority, voluntary and human rights organisations impressed upon the non-communal political parties to include repealing of anti-conversion laws in their respective manifestos for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.