Uttar Pradesh tightens anti-conversion law, Christians worried
In India's most populous state, which is ruled by Hindu nationalists, the stricter law now includes life in prison. Minorities are often targeted by such legislation. The law “violates the provisions of the Indian Constitution,” warns the National Council of Churches of India. “Presently 28 Christians, mostly pastors are languishing in UP jails because of their faith,” Fr Mathew told AsiaNews.
Lucknow (AsiaNews) – Uttar Pradesh (UP), India's most populous state – led by Hindu monk Yogi Adityanath (pictured), one of the leading members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – has further tightened its anti-conversion law.
The new measure deeply worries local Christian communities, due to the many incidents of intolerance and intimidation by the most extremist fringes of the Hindutva movement that typically accompany this type of legislation.
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, provides for harsher penalties, including life imprisonment, for fraudulent or forced conversions. The state assembly approved it on 30 July.
The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) has come out against the new law in a statement signed by its general secretary, Rev Asir Ebenezer.
The new law “raises the maximum penalty from 10 years to life imprisonment, allows any individual to file a complaint, and complicates the bail process,” reads the NCCI press release.
“We object to this law in so far as it violates the provisions of the Indian Constitution. Conversion itself is not an offence unless induced by undue influence, misrepresentation, or coercion, which only the victim can claim.”
The NCCI also notes how this law grants “extensive authority to officials and any third parties which could be misused to target specific individuals or communities based on religious prejudice.” It also increases the “risk of heightened harassment and criminalization of peaceful religious practices, including baptism in Christianity.”
In general, by creating “an environment of mistrust and division, the law threatens to aggravate communal tensions and undermine India’s diverse religious harmony.”
Given such concerns, the “NCCI calls on the Uttar Pradesh Government to rethink this law and promptly abandon its effort to enact it. It is imperative that we uphold the values of freedom, equality, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their religious affiliations.”
Fr Anand Mathew, a Catholic priest and human rights activist based in Varanasi, spoke to AsiaNews about the new law.
“This is very disturbing. In the previous bill only the victim or his/her relatives could file a police complaint. Now anyone can file a false complaint and get any Christian put behind bars, for life,” he laments. “Presently more than 28 Christians, mostly evangelical pastors are languishing in UP jails because of their faith.”
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