Call for introducing anti-conversion law in Manipur condemned
| Source: VSK- CHENNAI Date: 9/24/2012 3:02:10 PM |
IMPHAL, 24 Sept 2012 : The All India Christian Council (aicc) has strongly condemned the recommendation by Indigenous People Forum to introduce the oppressive anti-conversion law in Manipur.
The 'Freedom of Religion' bill was recommended during a one day workshop on Lure and Proselytization and Constitutional Interpretation of Freedom of Religion organised by Indigenous People's Forum at Imphal on June 24.
Condemning the move, the All India Christian Council reminded that various national and international human rights forums have termed anti conversion bills “draconian laws that violate fundamental and constitutional rights of fellow citizens”.
"Manipur has suffered enough for six decades and the state cannot afford at any cost to have another draconian law. The All India Christian Council will oppose any attempt to turn Manipur into a state where Hindutva forces operate," aicc said in a statement.
Anti-conversion laws are in force in the states of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The laws, which prohibit conversions made by force, fraud or allurement, is often used to harass Christian workers by imprisoning them with false accusations.
The All India Christian Council believes that the "hidden tactic" of Hindutva forces could be behind the ideology of Indigenous People's Forum attempting to bring the anti-conversion law in Manipur.
The Council cautioned people to be alert at attempts to "destroy the peace and harmony of the community", like in Gujarat and Orissa. It maintained that freedom of religion is the fundamental and constitutional right of every citizen.
"Everybody has rights to choose and reject the religion he or she likes. The Christian Council condemns any individual or groups involved in lure, force, and fraudulent conversion."
At the recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, several UN member countries questioned India on the delay in repealing anti-conversion laws which soon might also be implemented in Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
"There were recurring concerns by many states on the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion and belief, anti-conversion laws and targeting of religious minorities," the Working Group on Human Rights in India and the UN (WGHR) had said.
“By employing a defensive and largely self-righteous position at the HRC, the Government of India has, at least in its initial response at the HRC, once again lost the opportunity to constructively engage with the UN human rights system and in accepting the enormous human rights challenges it is faced with,” Miloon Kothari, Convenor of WGHR said.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all 192 UN member states once every four years. India was represented by a nineteen member inter-ministerial delegation headed by Goolam E. Vahanvati, Attorney General of India.
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