Is religious conversion a criminal issue? https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/is-religious-conversion-a-criminal-issue/article37838813.ece/amp/ Vikram Vincent
05 DECEMBER 2021
In a letter to the Karnataka Chief Minister, Dr.Peter Machado, the Archbishop of Bangalore, says, “Thousands of schools, colleges and hospitals are run and managed by Christian community across the State. When lakhs of students are graduating from these institutions year after year and thousands of patients irrespective of caste, creed or colour receive the best medical attention from our hospitals and care centres, let the government prove that even one of them has ever been influenced, compelled or coerced to change his or her religion.”
If there are cases of incentivised conversions, the solution lies in addressing the root issues: ending discrimination, providing high quality and free education to the poor and disenfranchised, improving access and quality of free health facilities and medicines, improving nourishment and providing adequate employment opportunities to all. This would automatically address the issue of violent extremism prevalent in some parts of the country. Violence, in thought, word or deed, cannot be solved with more violence. Though the proposed anti-conversion Bill is considered oppressive and Christians are being physically attacked by fringe elements, the Christian community is firmly resolved in its service to society through love and shall continue to pray for the political leadership
Comment: It may be the fringe elements which are doing the attacking/violence. But it is the mainstream and the establishment which, by their by-standance, is culpable.