July 2nd 2024.
The Allahabad High Court has made a thought-provoking observation regarding the current trend of conversions during religious gatherings in Prayagraj. According to the court, if this practice is allowed to continue, the majority population of our country may one day find themselves in the minority. This alarming situation should be addressed immediately, as stated by Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal on behalf of the bench.
The court firmly believes that any religious congregation where conversions are taking place and citizens' religions are being changed should be stopped without delay. Such conversions are not in line with the Constitutional mandate of Article 25, which guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to practice and promote one's religion. The court emphasized that this article does not provide for religious conversion from one faith to another.
The word "Propagation" in Article 25 is often misunderstood to mean conversion. However, the court clarified that it simply means promoting one's religion and does not give anyone the right to convert someone from their religion. This is a crucial point that needs to be understood by all.
The court also noted with concern that there has been a rampant increase in unlawful conversions of people from marginalized communities such as SC/ST and the economically disadvantaged to Christianity in the state of Uttar Pradesh. These conversions, which go against the law, have been happening at an alarming pace. This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed immediately.
These observations were made by the court while rejecting the bail plea of a man named Kailash, who was accused of converting people from his village to Christianity. The police had booked him under Section 365 IPC and Section 3/5 of the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. The allegations against him were that he took people from his village to a social gathering where he convinced them to convert to Christianity.
The court was informed that the applicant had promised the informant that her mentally-ill brother would be treated and brought back to the village within a week. However, instead of fulfilling his promise, he converted her brother to Christianity. The FIR lodged against him also stated that he had converted many others to Christianity as well.
In conclusion, the Allahabad High Court has taken a strong stance against the alarming trend of forced conversions and has urged for immediate action to be taken to stop them. The court's observations serve as a reminder for all of us to respect each other's religious beliefs and uphold the values of our Constitution.
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