Constitution does not sanction conversion

Astonishing ignorance laces the arguments proffered by the Leftliberal commentariat and lsquosecularrsquo politicians in defence of religious conversions through deceit allurement and coercion A lot of this has been heard in recent days both inside and outside ParliamentAmid the raucous din in Parliament and television studios a point that is heard over and over again is how converting Hindus to another faith is integral to lsquosecularismrsquo sanctioned by the Constitution and must never be objected to as that would hurt Indiarsquos pluralism The Idea of India it would seem is hinged on the idea of allowing foreignfunded evangelists a free runldquoThe Constitution guarantees Christian missionaries the right to convert people to Christianityrdquo we are told ldquoIn a secular country the Constitution reigns supremerdquo we are reminded ldquoViolation of rights enshrined in the Constitution will destroy democracyrdquo we are warnedBut what does the Constitution say Ask the Constitutionthumping saviours of secularism pluralism and democracy this simple question and they will be stumped The lsquoConstitution of the Socialist Secular Republic of Indiarsquo is likely the most mentioned and least read book in the world Everybody loves to flaunt it very few have actually bothered to read itThis is what Article 251 of the Constitution says ldquoSubject to public order morality and health and to other provisions of this part all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess practice and propagate religionrdquo Read it out to those who pretend great outrage every time therersquos a hint of protest against conversions and they will pounce upon you ldquoSee the Constitution gives Christian missionaries the right to propagate their religionrdquoThousands gathered outside the Delhi Police Headquarters a day after St Sebastianrsquos Church was gutted in a fire on December 1 Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto said the incident was an ldquoattempt to polarise the people in Delhi staterdquo PicPTIWrong The right to lsquopropagatersquo does not mean the right to lsquoconvertrsquo And it is this inability to distinguish between the two that highlights the appalling ignorance of those who see nothing wrong with offensive evangelismThat the constitutional right to lsquopropagatersquo does not mean the right to lsquoconvertrsquo was clarified by the Supreme Court while upholding the validity of anticonversion laws the Freedom of Religion Act 1967 and the Dharma Swatantraya Adhiniyam 1968 in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh Chief Justice AN Ray in his ruling left little scope for confusion between propagation and conversion The two he said were differentldquoWhat Article 251 grants is not the right to convert another person to onersquos own religion by exposition of its tenetsrdquo Chief Justice Ray ruled The Supreme Court in that judgment also ruled that States bearing in mind their responsibility to maintain public order have the right to adopt laws ldquoprohibiting conversion from one religion to another in a manner reprehensible to the conscience of the communityrdquoSome years ago Christian organisations including the Catholic church raised a huge hue and cry over violence against evangelists in Rajasthan Then as now the BJP was in power and Vasundhara Raje was the Chief Minister That was enough of a reason it would seem for the onslaught that came from the church and the Minorities CommissionThe furore was centred over a Hindi book Haqeeqat which was being freely distributed in Rajasthanrsquos tribaldominated areas by lsquoArchbishoprsquo MA Thomas and his son lsquoReverendrsquo Samuel Thomas of the Emmanuel Mission International Here are some examples mdash the more lurid and explicit bits do not merit reproduction mdashof what the book had to say about Hindus and Hinduism ldquoHindu gods and goddesses are fictitious and were invented to persecute DalitsrdquoldquoWith the progression of time people all over the world were freed of their ignorance and they began to disown wicked and cruel gods and goddesses But in India because people are enveloped in the darkness of ignorance imaginary gods and goddesses are still worshippedrdquoldquoSita was abandoned in the forest as per Ramrsquos wishes Ram later asked Lakshman to kill Sita In the end Ram frustrated with life drowned himself in Saryu Such are the teachings of halfnaked rishisrdquoThe Government of Rajasthan following street protests decided to ban it to prevent the eruption of violence Cases were registered against the fatherson duo of lsquoArchbishoprsquo Thomas and lsquoReverendrsquo Thomas Immediately thereafter the campaign of calumny beganItrsquos not for nothing that Mrs Indira Gandhi incandescent with rage after the mass conversion of Hindus to Islam at Meenakshipuram in February 1981 favoured the idea of States adopting anticonversion laws and had the Home Ministry prepare a draft Act for circulation among State GovernmentsWhy the draft never became law is another story best kept for another day