Ban on religious conversions in Rajasthan

Jaipur, Rajasthan – The Rajasthan state assembly on Friday approved the controversial bill that prohibits "forced or fraudulent" religious conversions, which Christian groups fear Hindu elements will be used against people who legitimately decide to follow Christ. This bill has brought renewed focus on an issue that has triggered communal violence and is been used as a political tool.

In other states in India, government officials and Hindu groups have used such legislation to curb voluntary, legal conversions. The Rajasthan Dharma Swatantrik Vidheyak (Rajasthan Religious Freedom Bill) was approved in principle on March 24 but was not yet adopted as a law.

For decades, India's Hindu revivalists have accused Christian missionaries of bribing poor tribespeople to change their faith, but Christians deny mass conversions and say those who do convert do so to escape the rigid Hindu caste hierarchy. Authorities in Rajasthan state, ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said it was banning religious conversions because they were weakening communal harmony.

Rajasthan's state home minister, Gulab Chand Kataria told that the bill is almost identical to the existing "freedom of religion" acts in other states. "Some religious institutions, bodies and individuals are involved in unlawful conversion by allurement or by fraudulent means or forcibly. In order to curb such illegal activities and to maintain harmony, we have enacted a special law," he said.

"It is not an anti–conversion bill, as it seeks to help people of all religious communities to practise their freedom of religion, which fraudulent conversions restrict," he said.

Kataria said the bill would impose a two–to–five year prison sentence and a fine of up to 50,000 rupees (US$1,120) for anyone found guilty of forced or fraudulent conversions. Under the terms of the bill, a person's original religion would be determined by the religion of his or her ancestors.

According to Compass Direct, Kataria when asked if the bill would restrict "re–conversion" or "homecoming" ceremonies held by Hindu extremists to convert Christians to Hinduism, replied, the Supreme Court had ruled that a “return” to Hinduism does not constitute conversion. Kataria could not, however, give reference details for the Supreme Court decision.

The act was passed by the state lawmakers, but still needs to be ratified by the governor to take effect. The move has attracted stinging criticism from other political parties and religious groups, who accuse the Hindu right wing of whipping up fear for political ends.

“Such an act defies logic, since conversion activities had rarely been reported in the state”, said Salim Engineer, state general secretary of Jamait–e–Islami Hind, describing the move as an “act of fascism”.

Christians in Rajasthan are extremely concerned about the bill, particularly in the wake of recent state–sponsored harassment of local mission group Emmanuel Mission International (EMI).

The Rajasthan government, ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), first announced plans to adopt anti–conversion legislation on February 23 last year, after Hindu extremists violently attacked EMI Bible students.

In a press release, the All India Christian Council (AICC) said the Rajasthan bill would be “a stick used to harass minorities in a state where they already feel insecure.” Dr. Abraham Mathai of the AICC said, “These laws seem to target Dalits and tribal people who convert to Buddhism, Christianity, Islam or another religion.”

Dr. John Dayal, secretary general of the AICC and member of the National Integration Council, said the government must not forget that India, as a member of the United Nations, has publicly acknowledged freedom of religion as a fundamental human right.

Rajendra Singh Rathore, Rajasthan’s parliamentary affairs minister, told Reuters that the bill was prompted by the discovery of an increasing number of forced conversions. “Such conversions always remain a threat to the law and order situation in the state,” he said.

Anti–conversion laws are already in force in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Orrisa and Arunachal Pradesh.

Hindu groups say they are worried by the growing Christian influence in remote tribal–dominated pockets in the country's east, west and centre.

This, they say, can only be checked by "reconverting" the tribal Christians to Hinduism and they often organise re–conversion ceremonies. Hindu extremist groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh often conduct these ceremonies, ignoring the fact that most of the tribal Christians involved were originally animist rather than Hindu.

Hindus account for about 80 percent of India's 1.1 billion people and Christians under three percent. Muslims make up around 14 percent but conversions between Hindus and Muslims are extremely rare.