English Article

Act of Faith

Karnataka should not pursue regressive legislation in the name of curbing conversion.

It is unfortunate that Karnataka has joined the band of States that want to enact regressive laws aimed at policing the private lives and beliefs of citizens in the name of preventing unlawful conversions. After getting the approval of the Assembly, the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 has not been tabled in the Legislative Council, presumably in anticipation of the ruling party’s strength in the Upper House turning favourable later. While several States have laws that criminalise conversion on the basis of force, fraud or inducement/allurement, the trend has been to include ‘marriage’ as an illegal means of conversion. Karnataka has now made ‘a promise of marriage’ a means of unlawful conversion. It is needless to say that the idea of presuming that a conversion has or is about to take place alongside an inter-faith marriage is patently unconstitutional as it interferes with the right to privacy, marital freedom and freedom of belief. What makes the Karnataka anti-conversion law quite sinister is that its introduction in the legislature is running in parallel with a series of targeted attacks on churches, Christian prayers and Christmas celebrations. Belligerent right-wing groups are out in the field with what appears to be an agenda to create an impression that religious conversion is rampant and that urgent legislative action is necessary to stop the trend. Anti-conversion laws have been upheld by the courts in the past on the ground that conversion by allurement, force or fraud poses a threat to public order and should be curbed. However, the only threat to public order seems to arise from rampaging groups out to create social discord.