Church to study laws restricting religious conversion

A church consultation next week will delve into the question of laws restricting religious conversion in the country.

Organised by the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), the consultation will bring together leaders cutting across religious lines to study the outcome of anti-conversion laws that have been implemented in at least six states.

The Dec. 13-14 meet will build opinion of different religions on freedom of religion and anti-conversion laws, said Anjna Masih, secretary of the Commission on Policy, Governance and Public Witness (COP), NCCI.

"The Constitution of India under Article 25 has granted freedom to confess, practice and propagate religion of one's choice to its citizens. Thus voluntary conversion to any religion is a fundamental right," she said.

However, she rues that there is now "blind secularism in the country" and "anyone speaking about one particular religion is branded as a 'fundamentalist'."

"Interfaith Dialogue is must for broader perception on religious freedom," she said.

"The younger generation is interested in religion pluralism and we as a civil society need to come forward to enforce religion pluralism in India."

The consultation will be on the theme "Anti Conversion Law - A threat to Secularism".

Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan are states that currently have anti-conversion laws in force. Saffron groups are now pushing for a similar law in the state of Jharkhand.