India has six major religions – Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Sikhism, where Hindus form 80% of the population and others are minorities. There are also States in India with majority populations of other religions like in J&K, where we have a Muslim majority, Punjab with a Sikh majority, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya with a Christian majority, and so on.
The preamble of the Indian Constitution declares India as a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, and Democratic Republic. It treats all religions equally and Religion is basically a matter of personal choice, faith or sets of beliefs. It has been stated in the Constitution of India that one of the fundamental rights of the people of India is the freedom of religion and every citizen of the country has a fundamental right to practice his or her religion peacefully.
However, we have been hearing a number of incidents of religious intolerance that have led to riots and violence in our country for a very long time. Everyone has a right to follow his religion as per his birth or as per his wish. It’s the constitutional right to choose or her own religion, but making people forcibly change their religion or luring people to change their religion should be considered illegal and a violation of the Law.
What is religious conversion?
Religious conversion means adopting a new religion, a religion that is different from his previous religion or religion by birth. There are various reasons for which people convert to different religions: Conversion by free will or free choice, Conversion due to a change of beliefs, Conversion for convenience, Conversion due to marriage, and alleged Conversion by force.
In ancient history literature, we have come across conversions. For instance, when Brahmanism was propagated in India, there were many others, like Ashoka the Great and Mahavira, who promoted Buddhism and Jainism. Emperor Ashoka sent ambassadors to various parts of the country and foreign kingdoms and he himself undertook religious journeys to inspire others to take up Buddhism. After the advent of the Mughal emperors, Islam was propagated. During the 15th century, Sikhism also came into existence. Christianity in India traces back to the coming of St Thomas, the Apostle of Jesus, around 50 AD. Conversion was common in India since ancient times, some out of their own will and some out of obligation. In this modern age of science and technology, this has continued even today.
After independence, in 1954 the Indian Conversion (Regulation and Registration) Bill was passed and in 1960 the Backward Communities (Religious Protection) Bill was passed but both these Bills had to be scrapped. In Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, citizens of the country have the right or freedom to practice, profess and propagate their faith in a manner that does not disturb the public, the law, and order and does not affect anyone’s health and morality adversely. Article 25 of the Indian Constitution is a basic human rights guarantee.
Any incidents of violence and vandalism against religious places or people deserve to be condemned wholeheartedly. At the same time, we must take a closer look at people who convert from one faith to another. To start with, let it be clear that these days there are no forced conversions anywhere in the world. India is no exception.
–Bishop Lalachan Abraham