Benglauru, Dec 23: The Karnataka Assembly passed the anti-conversion bill or the Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 amid protests from the Opposition.
Tool to harass Christians?
The Karnataka government has decided to follow in the footsteps of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, which have enacted laws with clear communal undertones, to push ahead with the Bill keeping its eyes focused on the 2023 assembly polls. While the laws introduced in the other states signalled a victory for the Sangh parivar‘s “love jihad” campaign, in the case of Karnataka, the Bill under consideration is being seen as a tool to harass Christians.
Talking about conversion, the Bill claims that “allurement” includes any offer of any temptation in the form of:
1. Any gift, gratification, easy money or material benefit either in cash or kind;
2. Employment, free education in school or college run by any religious body;
3. Promise to marry;
4. A better lifestyle, divine displeasure or otherwise;
5. Portraying practice, rituals and ceremonies or any integral part of a religion in a detrimental way vis-a-vis another religion; or
6. Glorifying one religion against another religion.
Peter Machado, the Archbishop of Bengaluru, said, “I’ve said from the beginning that this anti-conversion Bill is anti-Christian. This does target the Christians specifically. Will you be as strict and stringent if there are Catholics, who want to convert to Hinduism?”
He said some of the provisions in the Bill are insensitive. “It will be a crime tomorrow to do some charity. So, giving free education will also be a big problem. If I have to help a Dalit child, who can’t afford to pay the fees, I’ll have to fill a number of forms. I will have to explain why the child is being helped, and why I am offering free education. If we are going to explain why we are distributing gifts, tomorrow, Santa Claus will be a dangerous character too. I request the government to not go ahead with the Bill. I request with folded hands,” he said.
A recent fact-finding report compiled by the United Christian Forum, Association for Protection of Civil Rights and United Against Hate revealed that Karnataka stands third among states that have witnessed the highest number of attacks on Christian members and churches.
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