[Reader-list] THE GUJARAT ANTI-CONVERSION BILL

Sat Oct 14 10:57:07 IST 2006

Why do we need a 'BAN' to stop forcible conversions ?
Cant the current legal and Security apparatus prevent it when the
underprivileged,dalits, tribals etc are being force fed ?

If Im hungry and homeless, religion would be last thing on my mind ....
anyone who could provide me with them (with whatever ulterior motives) is
more than a god !

Anyone who can argue logically on this ?

If the state cant help people for their basic needs they shouldnt start
worrying about the afterlife and salvation

j

On 10/14/06, Vedavati Jogi <vrjogi at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> i appreciate gujrat govt. for showing this courage......
> when muslims outnumber hindus, this country is partitioned, in 1947 we
> have
> experienced this.
> kashmir problem is also an eyeopener for all hindus
> (excluding mentally bankrupt pseudo secularists)
>
> vedavati
>
>
> >From: "arshad amanullah" <arshad.mcrc at gmail.com>
> >To: reader-list at sarai.net
> >Subject: [Reader-list] THE GUJARAT ANTI-CONVERSION BILL
> >Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2006 10:26:08 +0530
> >
> >                             THE GUJARAT   ANTI-CONVERSION  BILL
> >
> >
> >by: Arshad Amanullah
> >
> >
> >The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2006, popularly known
> >as the Anti-Conversion Act Amendment Bill, has been passed by the
> >Gujarat Assembly on Sep 19, 2006. With this, Rajasthan has joined the
> >league of the BJP-run states (Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya
> >Pradesh and Orissa) which already have Anti-Conversion Act. This bill
> >has once again highlighted the gravity of concerns which had already
> >been expressed by almost all major secular players of the country.
> >
> >
> >
> >Passed in 2003, the earlier version of the Act, , did not come into
> >effect as it did not have clarity on what 'forced conversion' means
> >and to whom should it apply. According to the amended bill, forcible
> >religious conversion is a cognizable offence punishable by law.
> >Punishment for those found guilty can be upto 3 years or Rs 50,000.
> >Moreover, in case a minor, SC or ST is converted, the period is upto 4
> >years and fine is Rs 1 lakh. It makes prior permission of District
> >Magistrate mandatory in case a conversion is planned. The bill places
> >Jains and Buddhas under the category of the Hindus; Shias and Sunnis
> >under the Muslim category and Protestants and Catholics under the
> >Christian category.
> >Under the Bill, a person need not seek permission in case he/she is
> >converting from one sect to another of the same religion.
> >
> >
> >
> >Though a Right-wing bi-monthly is all praise of the 'logical
> >coherence' observed in redefining the religious categories of the
> >country in the Bill, the same in its essence, violates the
> >Constitution and contravenes the Supreme Court orders. Articles 25 to
> >30 of the Constitution clearly state that Hinduism, Jainism and
> >Buddhism are three different religions. Buddhism is a separate
> >religion according to the National Commission for Minorities Act,
> >1992.Similarly, the Jains enjoy the same separate status as a division
> >of the Supreme Court has decried in 2004.Underlining this fallacy of
> >the Bill, Mr. Hamid Ansari, Chairman, National Commission for
> >Minorities, said: "Legislators can not, and should not, decide the
> >religious identity of a community this way. This decision has to be
> >taken by the community itself in a democratic manner".
> >
> >
> >
> >All minority groups have bitterly criticized the Bill as they, apart
> >from being its unconstitutional, are apprehensive of the intentions of
> >the Gujarat government which has earned notoriety of being
> >anti-minority. Father Cedric Prakash termed it "draconian" while Udit
> >Raj, chairman of the All-India Confederation of SCs/STs organisations
> >sees Hindutva designs behind the Bill. Mr. Chakresh Jain, President,
> >Delhi Jain Samaj, has threatened to stage nation-wide protests against
> >the Bill because they "are not Hindus at all" as the Bill stipulates.
> >
> >
> >
> >The issue of conversion always comes handy to the Hindu Right wing
> >politicians to whip up the anti-minority sentiments in the majority
> >community. As the Assembly election in Gujarat is round the corner,
> >the Modi government has embarked upon the preparation for the same
> >with the promulgation of the Bill. It aims at polarizing the
> >electorate of the state along the communal lines, instilling a
> >fear-psychosis among the majority community. The argument, though
> >repeated ad nauseum by the Sangh Parivar,  that if a check has not
> >been put on the conversion from Hinduism to other religions, the
> >Hindus will be reduced to minority till 2060, is still convincing to a
> >large number of people. The silliness of this argument is evident from
> >the fact that Christians and Jains constitute respectively 0.5 percent
> >and 1percent of the total population of the state. Likewise, there are
> >only 18000 Buddhists are part of the Gujarat populace.
> >
> >
> >
> >It's true that number of Dalits and SCs/STs embracing Buddhism, is
> >increasing in Gujarat. No other than the vicious relationship between
> >caste-power-poverty, so arduously perpetuated through the
> >Varna-hierarchy, an intrinsic part of the Hindutva ideology, is
> >responsible for this. Thus, conversion to other religions is an
> >attempt to liberate themselves from this circle of oppressions on the
> >part of these wretched souls.
> >
> >
> >
> >The Bill intends to sink the issues of poverty, education, employment
> >and survival of the Dalits and SCs/STs into the debate of fictitious
> >Hindu Brotherhood, with the help of dirty politics of identity. It has
> >made it threateningly clear to them that in case they convert to
> >non-Hindu religions, they will be deprived of the privileges bestowed
> >on them by the Constitution of India. Thus, the Bill, holding an axe
> >on heads of those SCs/STs, who may convert to other egalitarian
> >religions in search of a better social status, will be instrumental in
> >mobilizing the Vote bank of the BJP. Against this backdrop it is not
> >difficult to understand why the Modi government is eager to
> >incorporate Jainism and Buddhism into the Hindu 'mainstream'.
> >
> >
> >
> >The danger of this Bill goes beyond the politics of ballots and
> >identity. It strikes at the very roots of the humanity. It brings all
> >sorts of social work for the poor and needy citizens into the pale of
> >suspicion. It puts a question mark on the sincerity of all activities
> >by all non-Hindutva charity trusts.
> >
> >
> >arshad amanullah
> >34,masihgarh,
> >jamia nagar
> >new delhi-25.
> >_________________________________________
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