In December 1978, a member of Parliament Om Prakash Tyagi introduced a private members bill in the upper house titled Freedom of Religion bill to save the lower class people, especially Dalits. The Bill specifically said – “to provide for prohibition on conversion from one religion to another by use of force, or inducement or by fraudulent means and for matters incidental thereto”.
The draft of the Bill specifically mentioned various objectives that were not against the wilful conversion. It specifically meant that conversions happened with free consent and will, and cannot be called upon for question because the Constitution of India provides for the Freedom to profess, practice and propagate the religion of one’s choice as a Fundamental Right. But, at the same time, State protection is required if it is done by force. The Bill also provided for aggravated punishment if the person converted wrongfully is an SC/ST or a woman. Now, the conversion would be said to be illegal if it is done by force or inducement or by deceit or by fraudulent means. Abetment of such a conversion was held to be punishable in this Bill.
Efforts against the Bill
Mother Teresa wrote to the then Prime Minister of India, Late Morarji Desai, against the Bill, saying that it would create a problem for our people (missionaries). To which Morarji wrote back – “If Charity and Philanthropy are not connected with any ulterior motive, they are beneficial. But Charity and Conversion cannot go together. Religion prospers only when Charity and Philanthropy are undertaken without any motive”.
After that, at least 35 different delegations met the Prime Minister to lobby against the Bill. Agitations started against the Bill at various locations.
But, many people actually stood in favour of the Bill also. Two retired High Court judges came in support of the Bill. N. Krishnaswamy said – This is a timely bill, and Christians are exposing themselves by opposing this Bill. Shiv Nath Katju also praised the Bill. Various other organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad and RSS issued statements in support. Even the Pratinidhi Sabha of the RSS (the organisation’s highest decision-making body) issued a statement supporting this Bill. The statement said, “That the Bill is entirely in tune with the right of professing and propagating one’s religion and the freedom of conscience guaranteed in our Constitution is evidenced by the decision of the Supreme Court upholding similar Acts of Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. The Sabha urges the Central Government and all members of the Parliament to whole-heartedly support and expedite the passage of the Bill.” Various other organisations are appalled to the religious and social organisations, along with the organisations of Jains, Sikhs, Dalits, etc., to support this Bill. Now the same problem is being faced in Punjab. Mazhabi Sikhs and Valmiki Hindus are being converted at a massive level. But, ultimately, because Morarji Desai lost the government, this Bill was never discussed in the Parliament.
Notably, 74 per cent of the total Christians in India are of lower caste, i.e. SC/ST. If we look at the percentage of Christians in the total Indian population, it is around 2.3 per cent since the Independence, but this is not true. Most of the converted Hindus, being of the SC/ST community, think that if identified as Christians on the record, then this might abstain them from taking benefits of a Hindu SC/ST. So, in reality, many people who have actually converted still identify themselves as Hindus on record.
We can also see how the Indian political, social and legal system failed to stop illegal conversions.
Recently, an MP of the BJP representing in Lok Sabha raised this issue in Parliament. According to him, all Hindus converting to Christianity or any other religion should not benefit from the schemes meant for SC/ST. Still, no action has been taken by the government in this regard.
Thankfully organisations like Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram are taking on missionaries single-handedly in tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand. It is because of the pseudo-secularistic policies of the then governments that we lost Nagaland to the missionaries.
“It is high time for hindus to dismiss the dogma of Christianity with the contempt it deserves, and pay attention to the Christian missionary apparatus planted in their midst the sole ain of this apparatus is to ruin Hindu society and culture and take over the Hindu home land”, very rightly quoted by Late Sita Ram Goel Ji in his book – Pseudo Secularism: Christian Missions and Hindu resistance.
We urgently need to focus on this issue to avoid further illegal conversions. Legislative should be pressurised to bring a strict and stringent law in this regard at the pan-India level.
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