Rajasthan revives anti-conversion Bill

After much controversy and debate, the Vasundhara Raje Government has reintroduced the Freedom of Religion Bill...

After much controversy and debate, the Vasundhara Raje Government has reintroduced the Freedom of Religion Bill in the Assembly, which is likely to come up for discussion on Friday. The new Bill gives the Government the power to cancel registration of societies and trusts, where it is found that the 8220;funds of the body have been used, or are being used or are contemplated to be used for conversion; or the body is involved in securing conversion.8221;

The Raje Government had first introduced the Rajasthan Dharm Swatantrya Bill in 2006, which was returned unsigned by the then Governor of Rajasthan, Pratibha Patil, as she found it affecting the Fundamental Rights of a person. The Cabinet again sent the Bill to the Governor without making any amendments. The Governor, after holding it back for almost a year, forwarded it to President APJ Abdul Kalam in June 2007.

The 2006 Bill was introduced in the Assembly after Hindu groups began opposing a Christian organisation 8212; Emmanuel Mission 8212; in Kota. The Raje Government had then claimed that the Bill had been introduced to stop religious conversion by means of force, allurement or pressure.

Even as the fate of the 2006 Bill remains undecided, the Raje Government has now introduced the 8216;Rajasthan Dharm Swatantrya Bill 20088217; with minor amendments. The most noticeable change in the new Bill is that it is mandatory for a person intending to convert to give a 30-day notice to District Magistrate.

As per the new Bill, the respective District Magistrate will hold the necessary enquiry to ensure that the person is not converting under any pressure. On the other hand, a person converting back to his original religion does not require to give a notice.

Like the 2006 Bill, the minimum punishment will be two years simple imprisonment and the maximum punishment could be five years and a fine, which could extend upto Rs 25,000. Besides, the new Bill has a provision to punish even minors, which would be a minimum of one year and a maximum of three. Moreover, it has a provision to cancel the registration of societies and trusts who are found involved in conversion activities.

Meanwhile, given the fact that the earlier Bill is still pending with the President, the Government8217;s move to introduce it in another form is being heavily criticised. While the Opposition Congress is opposing the move, claiming that two Bills having the same name cannot be introduced in the Assembly, social activists too have raised objections. The People8217;s Union for Civil Liberties has also objected to the Bill. 8220;This Bill specifically targets the Christian organisations in the state. Now all of them will be suspect and the local authorities will have the power to seize whatever material they want to show they are involved in conversion activities,8221;says Kavita Srivastav, General Secretary, PUCL.

What the Bill proposes

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8226;It is mandatory for a person intending to convert to give a 30-day notice to District Magistrate.

8226;The DM will then hold an enquiry to ensure that the person is not converting under any pressure.

8226;However, a person reverting to his original religion does not require to give a notice

8226; The registration of societies and trusts found to be involved in conversion will be cancelled.