The Hindu : Bill motivated

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 07, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Bill motivated

Sir, — As rightly pointed out in your Editorial, "Attack on personal freedom" (Nov. 4), the manner in which the Jayalalithaa Government pushed through the Bill banning `forcible' conversions ``reflects a total lack of sensitivity to the fundamental Constitution-ordained rights of the religious minorities.''

It is astonishing that such a law was enacted without verifying the `reports' of the so-called forcible conversions. The Government's failure to cite even a single instance of forcible conversion lends credence to the accusation that the Bill was passed to appease the Hindutva brigade.

A careful reading of the TN ordinance (of Oct. 5), which has since become an Act, will reveal that the real intention of the Government is to curb propagation (a fundamental right) rather than `forcible' conversion. The ordinance defines the term `force' as "a show of force or a threat of injury of any kind including threat of divine displeasure or social ex-communication."

No instance of missionaries resorting to physical threats has been reported from anywhere in the country. And one fails to understand how people belonging to a certain faith can socially excommunicate persons outside their fold for their refusal to convert.

But what sounds really ominous is the phrase ``threat of divine displeasure.'' What this means is, if a Christian or a Muslim clergyman preaches to the people of other faiths that wrongful acts are a sin, he can be charged with using `force' and imprisoned. Divine displeasure is an inherent part of the teachings of all religions, including Hinduism, and it is impossible to propagate a religion without warning people against it to discourage them for committing sinful acts.

A. Faizur Rahman,

Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The personal freedom to change one's religion voluntarily has not been taken away by the law against forcible conversions. It only seeks to check unethical means, if any, employed in bringing about a change of heart.

Dalits who want to really switch over to any new faith of their choice are not in anyway affected by this law.

A. Kalyanaraman,

Chennai

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