A law to curb religious conversions done by force and fraudulent means was passed amid protests on February 24 in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2020, will replace an ordinance passed last November. The bill has a provision of imprisonment for up to 10 years and a maximum fine of 50,000 rupees (US$690) for violators.
“There was no need for a new bill as the state already had a bill to check religious conversion, but it is a matter of concern because it can be misused by majority groups in the name of forcible religious conversions, especially against minority groups,” Bishop Gerald John Mathias of Lucknow told UCA News.
“The Catholic Church in the country does not promote or propagate religious conversion, nor believe in forced conversion, and there is no record of any religious conversion where the Church is involved in my state.
“We as a church are engaged in much charitable work and our main concern is anything can be considered as allurement. Any charitable work we do can be construed as allurement to conversion.”
Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has been an ardent proponent of bringing in a law to check conversions for marriage.