Legislators swear by the Constitutions of the Nation but do a great injustice to the sacredness of the Constitution not only by not knowing what it contains but also by shoving aside indiscreetly.
Conversion is not our construction of a more effective life for ourselves. It is not an intermission in an otherwise predictable drama of our own script and form. It is an interruption and intrusion on our plans, always gracious, for sure, but unsettling, nonetheless” (David B.Couturier). The ruling political clout of the State of Karnataka, having run out of the “poisonous fodder” which it has been consuming in their incumbent domain, has nothing left and are badly hungry for more poison that to legislate Anti-Conversion Bill in order to be the ‘good boys’ of the Prime Minister of our country and his enslaved altar servers is their only foremost agenda. Instead of the conversion that is required for the “construction of a more effective life” for themselves and their fellow citizens, the well-fed and extravagantly palace-resident-politicians have hastened to pass an Anti-Citizen Bill. The great fear is “intrusion” on the plans of these perverted and demonic leaders. Conversion in their own personal lives is “unsettling” and they know that it produces no monetary affluence; instead, it deranges and destroys their egoic strategies. Conversion, therefore, is a dreadful medicine. Hence passing an Anti-Conversion Bill against religions other than the one these profess would keep their stony hearts and unbending wills firm and harder.
The ruling government of Karnataka seems to have lost it all. It is going through a kind of pandemic, begun even before the Covid-19. Not being steady on its feet, fearing the onslaught of losing the elections, by changing the guard at the helm of affairs and fixing a dummy in his place, the only tactic would be diverting the mind of the people from the burning, existential issues, such as socio-economic and human development, and create sensation among the zealots of a dominant religion in the country. The topic of conversion to other religions is not at all an issue for a migrant or a beggar or a sick and suffering woman or a street vendor or a construction worker or a religious devotee. However, for the ruling legislative members in Karnataka it is an urgent need for their own vain glory. A State which proclaims by carving in huge letters “Government’s work is God’s work” on its sacred house of legislature, shamelessly desecrates God’s work and defeats Government’s work by rushing with a Bill erasing harmony and peace from it which stood out in history for integrity and honour brought about by the great luminaries.
Legislators swear by the Constitutions of the Nation but do a great injustice to the sacredness of the Constitution not only by not knowing what it contains but also by shoving aside indiscreetly. Most sensible Constitution such as ours would never hurt the feelings of the people of any religion. The freedom it offers to anyone to embrace the religion of his or her choice is beyond any dispute. Forced conversion to any religion is absolutely condemnable. It is presumptuous to hold that because in the pages of history there were forced conversions religions are perpetuating the same old practice today in an enlightened world of openness to reality. Vigilantes prying into peoples’ religious practices and branding innocent devotees as converters, is absolutely unacceptable in a decent society which cares and protects all humans. Disrupting honest people who ‘pay to God what is God’s and to Caesar what is Caesar’s’ in the best way and according to what is most suitable to their conscience, only shows deep seated violence within certain humans who, sadly have lost direction in their life or are misled by religious or political leaders for their gain. Destruction of worship houses is a clear sign of maligning the Creator God and a disquieting conclusive statement about those who indulge in these atrocities. If any indulge in forced conversion from one to another religion, the rule of law must bear the responsibility and not any individual at his or her behest throwing one’s fist or sword.
Anti-Conversion Bill in Karnataka does not honour the State; instead it denigrates itself in the commune of States. Those who at all cost wish to pass it may please their benefactors in the political family. However, the Divine who has no religion will certainly condemn such a move, creating a kind of unease at all times within their conscience. Passing of Bills to suppress a religion or religions does not behove of leaders who are the conscience of their citizens. It only generates hate and a flame of fire burning not only physical properties but also the most sacred of nature, the human being. Anti-Conversion Bill is a dot on the dignity of humanity and the sheer murder of a good God who loves whom He creates and transcends religion.
Anti-conversion Bill is a strategy employed to exclude religions that do not align with the ruling political party which places religion before the welfare of the human persons only to perpetuate hate feelings and terror in a society. Communalism easily springs up in such an environment and in the name of God, community of people play divisive politics, siding with those who promote their selfish desires such as acquiring prominent power positions in the public domain. Those who give in to the tactics of leaders are taught the ways of brandishing other religions to accuse them of unfounded facts and eventually treat them as terrorists and incarcerate them unlawfully. The political trajectory of recent times has widely experienced this phenomenon, so much so, aggravation of inimical and aggressive feelings and reactions, accordingly, have emerged in people who practice that particular religion, leading to endless conflicts, bitter animosity and human misery.
Religion is a way of binding oneself to a Transcendent Reality who is the same for all humanity which believes in Its existence. From times immemorial humans have connected intrinsically with the Transcendent One having acknowledged a sense of deep interior poverty and dependence. Flesh and blood human beings, who practice a religion that is most meaning-giving, often are unpredictable about their emotions and sentiments, actions and reactions, moods and feelings when others disturb their normal journey. The consequence of these elements is manifested in violent physical destruction, defamation, disharmony and de-stabilization. Peace has been disturbed often and societies have borne the brunt of it. However, religions in themselves, standing for the Transcendental values, can never be stigmatized, branded or brushed aside, as it has been happening in India, the home of several sacred ancient religions. Anti-conversion Bill is a clear sign of hate towards human beings who believe in the One who enables their existence.
Religions “contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society” (Fratelli Tutti, 271). Hate feelings of any kind or violence have no place other than in the distorted ideas about other religions. Sometimes political leaders together with the religious leaders, whose desire is only to usurp economic advantages, unleash their rashness in verbal statements stigmatizing other religions deliberately, forgetting that they are primarily meant for building peace by extinguishing hatred and “opening paths of dialogue and not by constructing new walls” (FT 284). Anti-Conversion Bill will primarily destroy peace and enervate hate among those who live for others as servants of the society.
Anti-conversion Bill is a defence against other religions. This reveals the credibility of the nation’s leaders. When leaders who should be in the frontline of a nation’s ethical, social and economic welfare fall degradingly in the valley of shame and ignominy, they are responsible for the nation’s honour and dignity. When religions are stigmatized, the nation’s people as a whole are stigmatized. Can our leaders afford this?
The arrogance of leaders, to suit their agenda in bringing about Anti-conversion Bill, is deliberately including religions and their practices into the political milieu causing uncertainty, in-decisiveness and a war like situation in the minds of people, leaving the ordinary citizens in despair. Particularly the so called religious political parties and their wings in India, have poisoned ordinary believers with hate feelings towards other religions. Anti-conversion Bill is an easy strategy employed by certain political parties in order to perpetuate a centralized majoritarian rule and to proclaim a fabricated dharma without a foundation in what is truly “religion.”
In all said and done, Anti-conversion Bill is nothing but playing politics over religion. It’s a clear “divide and rule policy” as some of our journalists name it.
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