Anti-Conversion Bill brings back memories of Church attacks

By Nandana K | NT

Managaluru: The memories of Church bells ringing instantaneously are still fresh in the minds of now 72-year old Cyril Noronha on the fateful day of September 14, 2008. “Never in my life have I heard the ‘Emergency bell’ set-off by the Church. These bells were signs calling for people to assemble at its premises for help,” he said. The bells tolled when Bajrang Dal and Sri Rama Sene members vandalised St Joseph Vaz Worship Centre near Deralakatte in Mangaluru. The attackers had told the police that it was a retaliation to the forced conversion of Hindus by the minority community. 

In the backdrop of Karnataka Cabinet’s May 12 decision to pass the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill 2021, popularly known as AntiConversion Bill, by promulgating an Ordinance, leaders of the Christian community have expressed fear that right-wing groups may misuse it to persecute their community.

“The Governor must not sign the ordinance to protect the unity and diversity of the country. The Ordinance would create animosity among people based on their religious beliefs and it only promotes the political interests of the governing party,” Rev. John Baptist Saldanha, Public Relations Officer of Dioceses of Mangalore said. The highly-debated Bill prohibits the conversion from one religion to another religion by misrepresentation, forces, undue influence, coercion allurement or marriage. 

It proposes an imprisonment of three to four years with a fine of Rs. 25,000 for forced conversion. Converting a minor or a woman will attract a jail term of three to 10 years and a fine of Rs. 50,000. It proposes that organisers of mass conversion will attract three to 10 years’ jail with a fine of up to Rs. 1 lakh . The government is pushing the Bill in the backdrop of several attacks against Christians. Human rights organisation, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), listed a total of 39 violent incidents in the 11-month period between January and November in 2021.

 These attacks have been carried out by Hindutva organisations, such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hindu Jagrana Vedike, Bajrang Dal and Banjara Nigama. The means of violence included physical assaults, sexual assaults against women and church vandalism. 20 Church attacks in 2008 In 2008, right-wing Hindutva groups had targeted over 20 places of worship of Christian community in the communally sensitive coastal region. This included a Chapel of Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St Clare and prayer halls in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikkamangaluru districts.

 Justice B. K. Somashekara Commission, which was appointed by the BJP government led by Yediyurappa to inquire about the attacks, merely mentioned the attackers as nonCatholic fundamentalist groups. The judicial enquiry was eventually rejected in 2014 by the news state government led by Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and preferred the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report. 

‘State-sponsored terrorism’ The local chapter of the PUCL, in its factfinding report, mentioned that the local police and media had collaborated with Hindutva activists and termed it as ‘State-sponsored terrorism’.

The fact-finding team had visited 413 locations, examined 673 witnesses and 2,114 victims. “The terms like ‘force’, influence, and coercion are very vague, they can be easily manipulated by vested interests to suit their political narrative,” Erica Soans, a resident of Mangaluru said.

Reacting to the Ordinance, Karnataka Law Minister JC Madhuswamy said, “We have decided to go in with the Ordinance for the anti-conversion law. However, we will not call it the Anti-conversion Law but Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill.”

Commenting on the ordinance, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had earlier said that the bill will not target any one religion. “Article 25 of the Constitution says there shouldn’t be forced conversion. But it doesn’t spell out the action that needs to be taken. We are only framing rules.” Jnanendra said.