Proposed anti-conversion law triggers panic in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Reports over the proposed anti-conversion law, as suggested by the State Law Commission in Uttar Pradesh, have triggered panic among some communities and human rights activists.

“The Constitution guarantees right to freedom of religion, and the proposed law is against the basic principles of the same. The proposed law is an instrument to silence Dalits, the marginalized and religious minorities,” said Lenin Raghuvanshi, a human rights activist and director of People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), a Varanasi-based NGO that helps marginalized sections of society.

Jesuit Father Lourduraj Ignasimuthu, a priest, said: “Minorities should be wary of this and be cautious about their activities concerning religion. The BJP is just playing to Hindutva ideology.”

He said the proposed anti-conversion bill in Uttar Pradesh focuses on minorities, especially Christians, Catholics, and Muslims. This bill is to appease hardliners in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),” he said.

In Uttar Pradesh, Christians are about .18 per cent of the population whereas they are 2.3 per cent of the country’s population. (IANS)

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