(UCAN): The government of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh state proposed sweeping changes to its anti-conversion laws on July 29, including tightening bail conditions and increasing the maximum jail term from 10 years to life imprisonment.
State chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu monk-turned-politician, claimed the law, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion, needs to be amended to address the problem of religious conversions.
The proposed amendment states that a person who violates the provisions of the law can be imprisoned for 20 years or his or her entire life. The law criminalises conversion by force, inducements, or fraudulent methods, which allows any Christian missionary activity to be construed as force or inducement for conversion.
The current law allows a person to file a complaint against illegal conversion only if the complainant is a victim. Blood relatives of such victims can also file complaints.
However, the proposed amendment widens the scope of complaints, saying, “Any information related to violation of the provisions of the Act can be given by any person” to police or authorities. In cases related to mass religious conversions, proposed jail terms have been increased to 7-14 years from 3-10, and fines to 100,000 rupees [US$1,250] from 50,000 rupees.
In case of a fight or disagreement, anyone can put a Christian behind bars as the government has given everyone the freedom to file a complaint
Father Vineet Vincent Pereira, who faced two cases under the existing anti-conversion law in the state, termed the proposed amendment as an “open invitation to anybody” to target Christians.
He said on July 30 that “a Christian is not safe anywhere, including his/her home, public places, schools, or church, as anyone can file a false complaint under the proposed new law.”
The Varanasi diocesan priest added, “In case of a fight or disagreement, anyone can put a Christian behind bars as the government has given everyone the freedom to file a complaint.”
A.C. Michael, a Catholic leader based in New Delhi, said, “The proposed amendments are not legally tenable and will not stand the scrutiny of the constitutional courts.”
Michael, a former member of the Delhi minority commission, pointed out that the Supreme Court had already expressed reservations about the constitutional validity of such laws existing in 11 states.
Cases filed by Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore and others are pending the Supreme Court which complained of a link between anti-conversion law and the increasing attacks against Christians in India who make up less than one per cent of more than 200 million people in Uttar Pradesh
During the general elections, whose results were declared on June 4, Adityanath’s pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a setback. Out of 80 sets in Uttar Pradesh, it was reduced to 37 and many senior party leaders have questioned Adityanath’s leadership.
Since the polls, the Adityanath government has been consolidating its position by polariszing people on religious lines, reports say.
