Himachal Assembly passes law against forced mass conversion | India News
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SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Saturday passed the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill2022, amid protests by some opposition lawmakers.
The law forbids “mass conversion” and enhances the maximum punishment to 10 years imprisonment against any change of religion through force or allurement. Offenders will also be fined up to Rs 2 lakh.
Now mass conversion by force or any kind of greed will come under the category of a crime. After the passage of the bill, now if two or more people convert to a religion, then it will be considered as a mass conversion. The opposition had demanded that the Bill be send to the Select Committeebut the House passed it with voice vote.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakurin response to the discussion on this bill, said that in the circumstances of religious conversion which have been created in the state today, there is a need for a very strict law. He said that till now the incidents of conversion were limited to Kinnaur, Rampur and remote areas but now cases of conversion of poor people on a large scale have also come to light in Harvest and Banjar area of Kullu district. He expressed concern over large-scale religious conversion in the state and said that if it is not stopped in time, it will be a big threat to everyone in the coming times.
Congress MLA Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had suggested sending the bill to select committee as right law should be enacted. He said that act talks about debarring the rights of a scheduled caste in case religion is changed. Congress MLA Jagat Singh Negi said that instead of stopping the religious conversion through such laws there is need to change the mindset. He said that till the time mindset is not changed, religious conversion will not stop.
Negi said that people change religion due to poverty or greed. He said that 10 years imprisonment and making it a non bailable offence is not justified. He said that instead, the government should have brought law against untouchability.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said that bill against religious conversion was first brought in 2005 by then chief minister Virbhadra Singh and according to his sentiments now amendments are being made. He said that no one is stopping the religious conversion if one does it at his own will.
Punishment of not less than five years has been made against those found guilty of mass conversion and this sentence can be extended up to ten years. Apart from this, a provision has been made for a fine of at least Rs 1.5 lakh that can be increased to two lakh rupees.
In this act, affidavit has to be given before the magistrate one month before converting to a religion. Provision has been made in the bill that if someone wants to return to his original religion, then he will not have to give any prior notice.
The law forbids “mass conversion” and enhances the maximum punishment to 10 years imprisonment against any change of religion through force or allurement. Offenders will also be fined up to Rs 2 lakh.
Now mass conversion by force or any kind of greed will come under the category of a crime. After the passage of the bill, now if two or more people convert to a religion, then it will be considered as a mass conversion. The opposition had demanded that the Bill be send to the Select Committeebut the House passed it with voice vote.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakurin response to the discussion on this bill, said that in the circumstances of religious conversion which have been created in the state today, there is a need for a very strict law. He said that till now the incidents of conversion were limited to Kinnaur, Rampur and remote areas but now cases of conversion of poor people on a large scale have also come to light in Harvest and Banjar area of Kullu district. He expressed concern over large-scale religious conversion in the state and said that if it is not stopped in time, it will be a big threat to everyone in the coming times.
Congress MLA Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had suggested sending the bill to select committee as right law should be enacted. He said that act talks about debarring the rights of a scheduled caste in case religion is changed. Congress MLA Jagat Singh Negi said that instead of stopping the religious conversion through such laws there is need to change the mindset. He said that till the time mindset is not changed, religious conversion will not stop.
Negi said that people change religion due to poverty or greed. He said that 10 years imprisonment and making it a non bailable offence is not justified. He said that instead, the government should have brought law against untouchability.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said that bill against religious conversion was first brought in 2005 by then chief minister Virbhadra Singh and according to his sentiments now amendments are being made. He said that no one is stopping the religious conversion if one does it at his own will.
Punishment of not less than five years has been made against those found guilty of mass conversion and this sentence can be extended up to ten years. Apart from this, a provision has been made for a fine of at least Rs 1.5 lakh that can be increased to two lakh rupees.
In this act, affidavit has to be given before the magistrate one month before converting to a religion. Provision has been made in the bill that if someone wants to return to his original religion, then he will not have to give any prior notice.
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