India ruling party chief urges law against conversions
69
NEW DELHI: India's ruling party chief on Saturday, called for a law to ban “forced religious conversions” amid increasing uproar over the right-wing government's perceived pro-Hindu tilt.
India's parliament has been paralysed by opposition lawmakers protesting mass conversions to Hinduism which is the country's majority religion.
They have demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power, make a statement on reports of impoverished Muslims being coerced into converting.
“The BJP is against forced conversions and that is why we want to bring in a law,” the party's leader Amit Shah was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying.
“So-called secular parties should support BJP's move,” Shah added.
“Forced conversion” is a phrase used in India to cover a wide range of methods of gaining religious converts from offers of free food and education to threats and violence.
The world's most-populous democracy, while 80 per cent Hindu according to census figures, is a secular country under the constitution and religious freedom is considered a fundamental right.
Shah, a key confidante of Modi, was credited for helping engineer the BJP's landslide victory in May elections but faces many criminal charges, including inciting religious tensions that he has denied.
A hard-line group linked to the BJP was accused of converting some 50 slum-dwelling Muslim families about a week ago in the Taj Mahal city of Agra.
One of the converts told AFP they were promised ration cards and other financial incentives if they converted.
A BJP lawmaker subsequently announced plans for an even bigger Hindu conversion event of Christians and Muslims on Christmas Day in the northern town of Aligarh. It was later called off by Hindu groups.
Critics say Hindu hard-line groups have become more emboldened since the BJP was elected, stoking religious tensions.
Modi, who spent his early years in a Hindu hard-line nationalist group, has made no public comment on religious issues since becoming premier. He was himself accused of failing to curb 2002 anti-Muslim riots that claimed at least 1,000 lives when he was chief minister of Gujarat state.
He has always rejected the accusations, and India's Supreme Court found no evidence to prosecute him.
Alongside the 80 per cent Hindu majority, Muslims make up 13.4 per cent of India's 1.2 billion population, with Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and other religions accounting for the rest.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (69) Closed
Dec 20, 2014 06:21pm
Well played BJP!! This is what is not covered in the article that RSS chief said. "We are trying to create a strong Hindu society. Those who have strayed, they have not gone on their own. They have been allured and have been forcibly taken away. When the thief is being caught and my property has been recovered, when I am taking back my own property, what is new in it?"
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 06:34pm
WE need to give a hard kick to the cunning convertors. Rigorous and massive campaign is required to bring back who were forced by sword or bread to convert to fake religions. Ugly Mullas talk of caste system but forget their system of gulams. Child abuser Priest have used every trick to meet their sales target in order to achieve 'sainthood'. With india progressing, we too need to reform and strengthen our Dharma.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 06:49pm
Why are the neighbors so quiet now?? This is also religious extremism.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 06:57pm
@Ashraf Banning forceful conversion is extremism? Since when? BJP is only exposing the hypocrisy of so called "secular" parties in India.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 07:00pm
@Ashraf So in your opinion, banning forced conversion is extremism? I thought forcefully converting someone is extremism.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 07:02pm
offering free food and education for conversion seems better option than beheading and looting property & certainly we need law against conversion.. there should be no one way trafic
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 07:22pm
Opposition parties holding back parliament for couple of days only for vote bank politics. Why dont come with straight agenda whether they are for or againts forced conversation. And debate for the bill.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 07:23pm
@Ashraf Even after watching gory image's of Peshwar you calling this silly uproar a religious extremism,back again on same broken record...what more will make you wake up.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 07:25pm
@Ashraf what is extremism here? BJP saying pass a bill for anti forced conversion.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 07:27pm
Not a good idea....it goes against the grain of a free and a liberal society.
That said, there are what is called "milk powder conversions" where converts are gained by proselytizing groups who offer inducements in form of food or other gifts.
Religion is a business like any ( and Pakistanis know it very well!!!) and it can cause very bad feelings and sourness if not handled with tact and sensitivity.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 07:28pm
Ashraf - how is it religious extremism? BJP is bringing a law to stop such forced conversions. Agreed that although they have taken example of Muslims being converted to Hindus, the motive is to stop Hindu conversion. But it's still not extremism.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 07:32pm
@Ashraf ... So? The country and its people know what is best for thier them. We know how to deal with the repurcussions of our actions. No one else need to sweat over this.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 07:46pm
@Ashraf If you check Indian news, parliament did not work for few days and most of the country is against the conversions. Hence this statement from the so called Hindu party. Can you imagine this happening in our Pakistan ? We had 22 % Hindus in 1947. May be you and I were Hindu in 1947..
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 08:03pm
@Ashraf ......well I think that this is not the correct remedy....but this is just one incident and also very much highlighted because these people have converted to Hinduism ........I totally condemn this incident because faith is one's own choice. ...but please the Pakistan people should not worry and instead they should look at their own home......I must tell you that I am a Hindu living in jammy and kashmir and I study in a college where 40% students are Muslims and there are also Buddhists, Sikhs and jain students and we are very friendly with each other .....In fact last year we all had a mass bunk in the college a day before eid because there was just one holiday on eid and our Muslim friends wanted to go home ....similarly another mass bunk was there on a day before diwali and our Muslim and Buddhist friends fully cooperated in that......do I need to tell more examples of religious harmony in India. .....and if you want to talk about religious conversions then let me tell you that in my entire life I have not seen a single conversion to Hinduism around me even though I live in a Hindu majority city.....Infact I have seen the poor ragpicker people converting to Christianity because they were promised free food on Sundays. .......but that was not even discussed because those people converted from HINDUISM TO CHRISTANITY. .....
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 08:04pm
BJP won the election by polarizing the votes. Religious extremism wherever it is must be eliminated. let every human is respected.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 08:10pm
LAW ON FORCED CONVERSION?????? A remedy worse than the disease itself
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 08:16pm
Isn't there a decidedly and unabashedly pro-Muslim tilt in Pakistan? So why wouldn't "secular" India try to learn from its
neighbour to cater to its majority? Majoritarianism is democratic, no?
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 08:25pm
@ashraf err....as you read, something is being done about it.we will make sure
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 08:29pm
Why each and every news about BJP manage to find a place in Afghanistan
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 08:54pm
It is a good step. Religious conversion to be stopped
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 08:55pm
@Ashraf
Of course, all forced and coercive conversions are bad. We need a law and the law must be uniformly applied to all religions. Historically, Hinduism was the one religion that did not engage in conversion drives, while everyone else did. This changed now with the Hindu right wing taking a page from Evangelicals. We need to come up with a uniform solution.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:01pm
@Ashraf: No, putting a ban on forced conversion is not religious extremism in India.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:04pm
He is totally unbiased, for he is calling for BAN ON FORCED CONVERSIONS, be it Hindu to Muslim or Muslim to Hindu or any other religion for that matter. There can not be any better statement than this in a secular democracy. Kudos to him.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:06pm
Excellent idea to bring a law against forced conversion. This will impact the Christian and Islamic missionaries the most and stop forced conversions in tribal areas.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:18pm
That would make muslims 160 million in India but minus kashmiri Muslims, as they are under UN resolution, yet to be decided, 27 million, which leaves 137 million. Pakistan population is 190 million.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:20pm
@Ashraf dude- read the details- forced or incentivized conversion is being talked abt
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:21pm
it is sad that BJP showing their true face, cause 50% of them are illiterate . on one side they condemn for peshawar attack and other side conversion , these are things that provoke our muslim bro in india to join ISIS. But dont worry next time indian would not for BJP cause this party is real threat to india.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:25pm
yes therevshould b a law to prevent forced conversion .......and that applies to all religion and severe punishment must be implemented ...........
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:32pm
@Ashraf
Extremism??? I am not sure if you understand this conversion episode in India. When people are converting to Islam or Christianity then it is considered to be a basic human right but when it happens the other way around, opposition parties crying foul. Now that is called double standards. BJP has put the opposition in dock here. If they think a bill for forced conversion is not right then they must keep a mum on people leaving Islam or Christianity. Its a two way street.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:47pm
i am a hindu and indian and this is against our religion to force anybody to convert. i do not support such acts and people who call themselves hindus are not hindus if they are party to such acts.
it is written in our scriptures during the time of ravan in lanka he would not allow anybody who worshipped lord vishnu and destroyed many vishnu temples he woudl only allow shiv temples since he believed and prayed to lord shiva.
it was then the lord vishnu had commneted "any kingdom that does not respect another religion and does not allow people to freely pursue their own religions would never flourish and will always have troubles".
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 09:54pm
Good move
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:00pm
@Ashraf Cause people know that Indian and the world needs this law and you know why.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:03pm
Hindu religion is the glory of india.Bjp is right on their way.Hindu Dharma ki jai.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:11pm
@Ashraf who told you that we are quite on this issue. On every indian channel this news is being telecast. Our parliament is not functioning because of this conversion issue.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:19pm
@Ashraf Cause it's the right thing to do all sane people agree.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:26pm
Well the headline is something else and main content is something else. The fact is that major forced conversion is happening to Christianity and islam in India and that is why BJP is demanding anti-conversion law..the fact is muslim and christians popu in India rises at an explosive rate much much higher rate than hindus..infact muslims population in India has increased from 4%-6% of population at partition to alomst 15% now..we knw what has happend to minority population share in Pakistan..if so called secular opposition parties agree that forced conversion is bad then they shuld agree fr anti-conversion law which they wuld never support bcoz of vote bank politics...i knw this wuld b difficult to understand fr pakistani readers that a hindu majority country ruled by a hindu nationalist party is begging fr anti-conversion law.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:26pm
@Ashraf : What exactly is your question?
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:26pm
its comment made by Amit Shah. He has asked to bring the law against forced conversion. None of the converted people came forward to say that they were forced . they might be given assurance of some financial help but Ration card BJP can not be give in UP. There is a SP govt in UP which is definitely pro Muslims .
@Ashraf can you tell where is 20% hindus of Pakistan.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:32pm
Welcome move.. Pakistan can learn lot from it..
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:38pm
My strongest belief based on some first hand experience and on the ground sights from past 20 yrs- this conversion "photo-op" was set up!
This is the 5th article on this same subject so I have shortened it due to Fatigue..! Hence instead of giving a detailed background I will just come to point..
Conversions by Proselytizing religions are very very common in India... Lower cast Hindus and tribals are the target! How is it done--- well.... mostly by using allure !
Nothing could be done since this is a secular nation and also democratic... so it would be looked down by the world..
To introduce a bill against forced conversions was due in any way.... But if the majority says that this must be stopped... there is a good probability that this will never come to light let alone discussed at the highest level in the nation.
Hence this dirty conversion drama with full cameras... If conversion was the real aim then everyone knows it has to be done clandestinely...Also these guys are mentioning their conversion target - both in numbers and by when.
I dont know if you are able to notice.... but it you have lived here and travelled for many years across the length and breadth of the nation for years then one would understand..
So please look at this in a different angle.. Take a basic math- even if 10 lakh people are converted- no change will happen to majority ...This conversion game is aimed against bringing about a law against conversion.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:52pm
Pakistani comments please ???
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 10:55pm
Law means nobody will be forced to convert. In past we have seen many cases where all different communities tried to do so. This is step is for stop that kind of things. So nobody will be able to disrupt peace and harmony among people.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 11:01pm
No doubt “forced religious conversions” should be banned...more so...should be banned both ways e.g. RSS (subsidiary of Amit Shah's BJP) should also be outlawed because as evident through its recent actions Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is aggressively perusing an agenda of promoting and propagating conversions of minorities such as Christians, Sikhs, Muslims etc. to Hinduism...as seen recently in one news out of many...where RSS affiliates organised a “Purkhon ki ghar vapsi” (homecoming for ancestors) and “converts,” mostly hailing from Bihar and West Bengal, were promised BPL (below poverty line) and Aadhaar cards, besides free housing plots....Hypocrisy of the level never seen before...Keeping in view it is quite probable that BJP/RSS “Hinduvata” government may abuse this so called law in question in order to discredit and disenfranchise even "lawful and willful" conversions...or as they say reversions...
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 11:34pm
@Ashraf: Insisting on law against forced conversion is not extremism. On the other hand abducting minor girls, forcibly converting and marrying then and then presenting them before their parents after consummating the "marriage" (rape) is. But then you are familiar with that!
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 11:41pm
@Ashraf Converting people by offering inducements is not religious extremism - it is religious opportunism. The hypocrisy is that Congress protests these conversions, but won't pass a law against it. The BJP is doing conversions to provoke Congress to agree to the law.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 11:44pm
Organized religions should not be given a free hand to convert people with force, money and inducement, period! Indians should not allow itself to be a field of conversions, which might lead citizens to become a minority in their own country. Nobody needs to be that liberal when neighbors have no respect for any other religion than their own. The days of secularism is finished and Indians do not need be a lone country to show that unnecessary greatness.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 11:45pm
Ashraf bhai.. Conversion from Hindu to Muslim or from Muslim to Hindu or Christian or something else should not be a problem and happens everywhere in the world.. Atleast in India its not a taboo.. Big film makers like Mahesh Bhatt and music director A. R. Rahman also converted to Islam.. Yesteryears bollywood star Dharmendra also converted to Islam to marry Hema Malini.. Salman, Shahrukh and Amir Khan's families is a mix of Hindus and Muslims..
Problem lies with forceful conversion whoever does it.. Which I also believe very bad.. BJP have always demanded to bring law against forceful conversion.. Why do you think there is any bad thing about it? Its just because Congress party has nothing to say and do they are saying this.. If they have good instincts they should support law against forceful conversion in parliament..
Cheers!!
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 11:48pm
The law will curb all the religious groups who try to convert people by offering monetary benefits or by coercion. However it will also prevent conversions by free will cause people will not want to get involved in paperwork. The thing is who cares whether there are how many Hindus or Muslims till the state is secular. The population in India is so huge that that conversions whether by free will or force are trivial in terms of demographics.
Recommend
0
Dec 20, 2014 11:49pm
fanatics!
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 01:25am
@Ashraf why are you quite now.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 02:01am
Hindi groups have become emboldened after BJP has come into power...that's true! They have to be stopped if we want a brighter future. Look what happened to Pakistan, a country that was based on a policy of Muslims only. Their ancestors decided to go for a religion based country when the whole world was moving towards having a secular one. We can all see the disastrous results of that policy in Pakistan now!
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 03:04am
@Shah Deeldar I recommended you that forced conversions are a bit wrong but Secularism is over ? No No ,... India needs secularism more than ever and as i said , no at the cost of erosion of hindu heritage .
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 03:08am
Well Pakistan should also pass a law against forced conversions to protect Hindu girls from the predators.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 03:40am
Puts us to shame
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 05:35am
BJP speaks from both sides of it's mouth. While Amit Shah talks about ban on conversions, Vyankatesh Abdeo is offering a choice of caste for the converts. The choice of caste is the carrot part, Modi has the stick.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 05:37am
Jay Hind(u).
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 06:04am
Amit Shah is currently out on bail. From murder charges.
From murdering Muslims, inciting anti Muslim riots.
And,..helping in the murder of Muslims. Rest assured,
just as they do in Pakistan,.... he will be acquitted.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 06:27am
the BJP leadership, just because they were elected with a huge mandate, believe that the people of India endorse their Hindutva agenda too! The people of India like any other place on earth want a decent and affordable livelihood! The last thing they want is religious unrest and debates on conversions and the like! If I am a poorman and satanists can offer me a lot and make my life comfortable, who can stop me from becoming a Satanist? Precisely that was what the VHP did in Agra, luring poor slum dwellers, offering ration Cards and converted them to Hinduism(I hope many have chosen to become Brahmin priests as later it was announced that they can choose their own caste!). Religion and faith is the choice of an individual! Making politics out of this is explosive!
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 07:17am
Although it worked in ancient times, the concept of forced conversion is absurd in the modern times. You can lure or coerce people into changing religions but if they do it out of compulsion they may not have the conviction to follow a religion spiritually. Unlike other newer religions, historically proslytization was not a major factor in Hinduism. The current move to bring people back into Hinduism is something new and is reactionary to conversions done by other religions. Hence, the issue is not spiritual but political, as it relates to demographics and the vote bank. Banning forced conversions across the board is the right thing to do not because of religious reasons but because it protects the weak section of the population from doing something against its will.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 07:33am
I am not able to tell if the gentleman on the right is laughing, squinting or squinting while laughing?
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 07:46am
India will never become a hindu nation and i want to add what for hindus are proud of!!.it was hari singh nalwa who defeated Timur.Timur was never defeated in any battle in his life except this one..It was sikhs who fought against muslim rulers and defeated them many times..Once it was said that aftr british the most organised and powerful army of the world was that of ranjit singh..so we have legacies and equal rights in our motherland.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 07:48am
India is a country where every body can enjoy religion of his choice.I think this is because of greatness and divinity of India's land. Every religion is great,and points to the same essence.One can switch from one religion to another there is no problem in it.But force conversion should not be there.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 07:51am
Shame on rich Muslim countries who can't help their poor brothers. Shame on western powers who can't help their poor Christian. If Hindu help them to have food, they can convert them.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 09:33am
BJP is not stopping anyone to convert but it is stopping people who lure or force to convert and this law will applicable to those who convert to Hinduism.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 10:15am
@picklu acharya Can you tell what Hindu Dharma is? As long as the Caste system prevails, It is not Dharma but Adharma!
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 03:12pm
Not only Hindu but No religious philosophy founded in the land of India inspires its followers to convert people from other faith. A common Hindu hates conversion. On the other hand converting a person from other faith to Christianity or Islam is a pious job for Christians and Muslims. The liberal constitution of India is used for random conversion of Hindus since the time of independence. RSS is creating this drama to force govt. to come up with a law which will prevent religious conversion especially by Christian missioners by paying money. However, there is no political party in India can afford to vote in favor of this law for the fear of losing minority vote share, especially Muslim vote.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 03:22pm
@Hyderabad wala I think Amit Shah is out on bail for the murder pf a business man not muslim.
Recommend
0
Dec 21, 2014 04:16pm
Over 85% Hindus in India in a country of over billion, is already a Hindu nation. I guess RRS wants 100% majority. I assume there are thousands of Budhists living in India, Budhism'roots are in India, will RSS try to convert them too ? Budhism is certainly not a an alien religion like Islam & Christianity.
Recommend
0
Dec 22, 2014 05:10pm
I wonder if the great Pakistani opposition can safeguard their minorities?
Recommend
0
