Gods don146;t vote

By amending the state law on religious conversions the Madhya Pradesh government replicates the folly of many governments in modern times which have sought to mediate the relationship between religion and choice. The amendment to the MP Freedom of Religion Act, 1968, passed by the assembly on Tuesday, makes it mandatory for the intended convert and the priest converting him to inform the state government, one month in advance, of the details of the 8220;ceremony8221;. This paper holds no brief for armies of proselytisers but firmly believes that choosing one8217;s religion is a bilateral compact, even if the convert is being plainly duped. The state has no role to play in this intimate, usually sensitive issue; it should have enough on its plate without delving into the private lives of its citizens.

What makes the MP legislation particularly edgy 8212; and leaves it open to charges of bias, with Christian groups active in the state already claiming they are being targeted 8212; is the fact that it sanctions a stiffer punishment for those doing the conversions. Priests were not included in the original Act, passed in 1968; now, they face a year in jail if found guilty. In any case history has shown that there is little profit in the state interfering in this fashion; politics was not the sole reason why Tamil Nadu repealed its anti-conversion law two years ago.

The other aspect is what such laws tell us about the political maturity of BJP leaders. The Madhya Pradesh law comes on the heels of a similar piece of legislation in Rajasthan, another BJP-ruled state; the bill now awaits the governor8217;s assent. Gujarat enacted such a law in 2003, Chhattisgarh has one in the works. It is evident that BJP-ruled states are doing quite well 8212; Gujarat being the exemplar 8212; in some significant economic sectors. That should be the BJP CMs8217; obsession. There are few votes and plenty of hostile press in obsessing over conversion. And gods don8217;t vote.