Conversion law proves that Hinduism is weak

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Uttarakhand, India has become the seventh state to put into force a Freedom of Religion Law, referred to by many as an anti-conversion law. Christians across the state now fear that Hindu radicals will use the new law to harass the community’s Christian leaders.

According to the law, signed on April 18 by Governor Krishna Kant Paul, forced conversions will be punishable by a jail term between one and five years. If the victim is a minor, woman, or person belonging to either a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe, the minimum jail term is two years. 

The law also makes it mandatory for individuals to obtain permission from the state government prior to their religious conversion. An affidavit must be submitted to the District Magistrate one month prior to the conversion. If not, the conversion will be invalidated and considered illegal. Clergy are also required to give one-month notice prior to performing the conversion ceremony. This notice initiates an inquiry by police into the proposed conversion.

Christians in Uttarakhand fear that Hindu radicals will abuse this new law to harass their community. “Almost on a daily basis, we hear about Christians being threatened and abused by Hindu radicals,” Bishop Vinod Tyagi from Roorkie told ICC. “Having the anti-conversion bill passed will be much worse for Christians. I have been threatened a number of times and told to close down my church. They even told me they will kill me if I continue my ministry.”

“We did protest against the law, saying it directly targeted the rights of minority communities and organized a rally in the state capital Dehradun,” Bishop Tyagi continued. “Over 500 Christians came, but we doubt such a micro-minority voice can be heard by the government.”

The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has held power for only one year in Uttarakhand. The passing and signing of the anti-conversion law took less than six months. The bill was drafted on March 12 and introduced and passed by the State Legislative Assembly, where the BJP enjoys a three-fourths majority, on March 22. The law was then sent to the governor for approval on April 17 and received that approval on April 18. 

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply disappointed to see another state in India pass an anti-conversion law. These laws are widely abused by Hindu radicals due to the legal ambiguity within the laws themselves. Often, these laws provide an easy justification for radicals to attack Christian leaders with impunity. One simply needs to claim that a pastor was forcefully converting people following an assault. As a result, instead of the pastor’s assailants being arrested, it’s the assailed pastor who is arrested by police following an attack. With attacks on Christians skyrocketing, the adoption of a law that would only incite more violence seems to be another step away from religious freedom for all in India.” 

For interviews with William Stark, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org 

Source:  International Christian Concern (ICC) - www.persecution.org.