The Uttar Pradesh Law Commission, on Thursday, has recommended a new law in the state to prevent forcible religious conversion. In the report submitted to the UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the panel has recommended several measures to terminate the forcible religious conversion.
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The chief of the commission, Justice Aditya Nath Mittal said that “some agencies” use the Indian Constitution granted freedom to exercise religion to convert religion of several people. “Indian Constitution has given freedom to exercise religion, but some agencies are misusing this freedom. They lure people into converting religion in the pretext of marriage, better jobs and lifestyle,” said Justice Aditya Nath Mittal to news agency ANI.
Justice Aditya Nath Mittal, UP State Law Commission Chief: Indian Constitution has given freedom to exercise religion, but some agencies are misusing this freedom. They lure people into converting religion in the pretext of marriage, better jobs & lifestyle. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/o7w0J5P50y
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 21, 2019
Justice Aditya Nath Mittal, UP State Law Commission Chief: We don't have any existing provisions to stop such conversions. That's why we have recommended new legislation to stop religious conversions, submitted the report to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. (2/2) https://t.co/no4XsYdVHz
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 21, 2019
As per the law recommended by the UP Law Commission, a person convicted for forcibly converting anyone’s religion will be sentenced to 3 years imprisonment. The jail term will double if the convertee is found to be less than 18 year of age or belonging to a backward class. The provision laid down in the report also mandates the convertee to formally notify the District Magistrate (DM) about his/her decision to convert to another religion. Such notification must reach the DM atleast a month prior, Justice Mittal said.
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The priest processing the religious conversion of any person will also be required to notify the DM regarding such conversion. Additionally, the convertee will also be obligated, as per the proposed provisions, to notify the DM about his/her past and present religion after the religious conversion.
These details were shared by Justice Mittal with news agency ANI. He also said that his commission studied the laws on religious conversion in the states like Arunachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand. The proposed law by Justice Mittal led law commission is inspired by these laws in different states.
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The Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh government is taking necessary measures to reduce any conflict between different religions over conversion. The law on forcible conversion of religion will act as a deterrent for those accused of such crimes.
