Why do states want a separate law to stop conversion?

Why do states want a separate law to stop conversion: The Haryana government is considering bringing the law against forcible conversion and has also asked for information on the already applicable law in Himachal Pradesh.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij gave this information during the calling attention motion brought in connection with the Nikita Tomar massacre in the assembly.

Anil Vij told the news agency ANI, “I have also asked the SIT to investigate the Ballabhgarh case with Love Jihad Angle. Many cases of religious conversion are coming to light where the person is caught in the guise of love. The issue has to be taken seriously. “

In the month of October, Nikita Tomar, a college student in Ballabhgarh, Haryana, was shot in broad daylight and Tausif Ahmed was accused of shooting. Tausif comes from a political family, and the SIT has filed a charge sheet in this case.

Anil Vij, who is talking about bringing law against religious conversion, has also talked about the law of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Last year, the Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh passed the religious freedom law 2019, which was mentioned by Anil Vij.

But what does this law say?

Senior journalist Ashwini Sharma present in Shimla says that keeping in mind the news of conversion by Christian missionaries in the hill areas of Himachal Pradesh, in 2006, Virbhadra Singh’s government brought anti-conversion law.

However, after this, there were also reports that Christian organizations complained about this law to the Congress High Command and challenged it in the High Court as well. After 13 years, this law was amended and made more stringent.

Punishment extended from three to seven years

The BJP government in the state led by Jai Ram Thakur extended the punishment of those violating this law by three to seven years. Last year, this law was passed in the Legislative Assembly with the consensus of the parties.

According to Ashwini Sharma, eight new provisions have been added in the religious freedom law 2019, one of which – if the marriage is done for the purpose of conversion or conversion, then the marriage will be considered void.

The law says, “If a person changes before or after marriage to a person of another religion or gets another person converted before or after marriage, such a marriage shall be deemed void.”

This is said in section 5 of the law. On the other hand, Section 3 says that if a person does a religious conversion directly or indirectly, through coercion, bluff, seduction, treachery or marriage or through conspiracy or tries, then this law will be wrong.

It has also been said in this law that if a person converts a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or a woman, he can be sentenced to seven years in jail.

On such law, senior advocate Virag Gupta says that it is necessary to first check whether such conversion cases are happening or not? And how much are these? It is not that there are few cases, and its stigma is being increased.

Anti-conversion law

Advocate Virag Gupta says that such cases are now made cognizable and non-bailable, and these civil cases are being made criminal cases.

They say that there are different laws in India in many states like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand regarding anti-conversion law. 

There were also cases of conversion to Christianity in tribal areas from many of these states. At the same time, other allegations are related to the Hindu girl’s conversion to Islam through marriage. Now it is being given the name of ‘Love Jihad’, and now the narrative has changed.

Senior journalist Neerja Chaudhary also says that there is a law regarding conversion, but now this whole issue has been linked to ‘love jihad’, that too if there was a marriage between Hindu and Muslim then it is an attempt to raise their voice firmly against it. She says that it will become a political issue in view of the upcoming elections.

According to him, “Elections are to be held in West Bengal, Punjab and Assam next year. Elections are going to be held in Uttar Pradesh in 2022. Yogis have said that the name of Ram will be true if there are cases of forced conversions. 

They are saying that take the law in their hands. In this, situation oppression will only increase; personal freedom will be attacked. However, Hindu voters will be united by this, it is not so. 

The views of the youth and the elderly can be different on this issue. There will be fear among the elders that they will convert the daughter’s religion, while the youth will feel that not being able to marry at will is a violation of their fundamental rights. This will cause differences. “

At the same time, Virag Gupta also believes that there should be a uniform law on the conversion of religion so that there is no conflict of opinion between the states. 

Law is a matter of a country. Religion and marriages are counted beyond the boundaries of the states, so if there is no central law, then due to different laws of the states, a dangerous situation can be created.