Author: Lokpal Sethi in Jaipur
Publication: Organiser
Date: June 4, 2006
URL: http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=133&page=2
Introduction: Raje was of the firm view that
illegal activities of these missionary organisations could be checked only
by enacting an anti-conversion legislation, which several others states have
already enforced.
Last year, about 500 children between the
age group of 10 and 15 years, landed at Kota railway station from different
parts of the country. Accompanied by some Christian missionaries, they were
being taken to a church at Kaithun Road, just on the outskirts of the city.
The local activists of the Bajrang Dal got
the tip that the children have been brought to convert to Christianity by
Emmanuel Mission International (EMI), a mission founded by Dr. A.M Thomas,
and currently headed by his son Samuel Thomas.
The Bajrang Dal activists lodged a complaint
with the police and also gheraoed the railway station and rescued many children
with the help of the police. Later, during inquiries by the police, some of
the rescued boys told that they were brought there with the promise that they
would be given gifts if they would attend a camp at the church. The police
registered a case and an inquiry was ordered.
The Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa
Hindu Parishad and some other nationalist organisations had been apprising
the successive governments that EMI, which is running several educational
institutions and some other missionaries are indulging in religious conversions
of innocent Hindu vanvasis by offering them bribes and allurements. But no
action was taken against the EMI and other missionaries involved in such activities
during all those years.
But soon after the Kota incident, the nationalist
originations approached the Vasundhara Raje government, which immediately
agreed to deal with the situation. Smt Raje was of the firm view that illegal
activities of these missionary organisations could be checked only by enacting
an anti-conversion legislation, which several other states have already enforced.
Smt Raje took no time and asked the Law Department
of the State to prepare a draft for a legislation, so that it could be made
a law at the earliest.
Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, Home Minister, and
Shri Ghanshyam Tiwari, Education Minister, Rajasthan government, were asked
to monitor the progress.
The Law Department along with the two ministers
studied the similar laws enacted by the governments of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh. The department was particularly
asked to study whether enacting such a law was within the jurisdiction of
the state government.
After a detailed study, the draft of the Bill
was approved by the Cabinet. The Freedom of Religion Bill 2006 was introduced
in the Assembly in the budget session in March. Under the provisions of the
Bill, if any one is found guilty of carrying out religious conversion by bribe
or allurement, he would attract a punishment up to five years.
When the Bill was introduced, the nationalist
organisations were not fully satisfied with all of its provisions. They were
of the view that due to certain flaws in the Bill many vanvasis, who had recently
been converted to Christianity, would not be able to return to their original
faith. So before passing the Bill, the Rajasthan government moved an amendment
under which it was said that those, who want to return to the faith of their
ancestors, would not come under the preview of conversion. Since the Bill
was introduced and passed after a thorough home work, the Vasundhara Raje
government was certain that the Governor Smt Pratibha Patil would not take
much time to give consent to it. But the state government was shocked, when
on May 15, the Governor returned the Bill to the government without giving
her assent. While rejecting the Bill Ms. Patil said she was unable to give
her assent to the Bill as the subject of the Bill was not within the jurisdiction
of the state government and it was a Central subject. She also advised that
the Rajasthan government should send the Bill to the President of India for
his assent.
It is widely believed that rejection of the
Bill by the Governor was more due to political reasons than the legal one.
It is also believed that Smt Patil refused to give her assent to the Bill,
as she wanted to please her boss, the Congress party president Sonia Gandhi.
It has been said that during the last week
of April, a delegation of some Christian organisations had met the Governor
and urged her not to give her assent to the Bill. The alleged pretext was
that it would give a tool to the police to harass the Christian missionaries,
who are engaged in education and service. They also alleged that subject of
the Bill was out of the purview State Government.
While returning the Bill to the state government,
Smt Patil had attached all the memorandums given to her by various Christian
organisations. The Law Department of the State is of the considered opinion
that the subject of the Bill was within the jurisdiction of the State and
Cabinet should again send the Bill to the Governor for her assent, as provided
in the Constitution, in such a situation. The Department said the Governors
of Orissa, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh had given assent to anti-conversion
laws, when there was Congress governments in those states. The reality is
that with the enforcement of this anti-conversion act, many missionaries in
the state would be forced to close their conversion shops, as they are indulging
only in conversion activities. Of late, Rajasthan had become a major centre
of Christian activities. They have been distributing literature, criticising
the Hindu religion and gods in a big way.
In Rajasthan, the Christian population, which
was less then one lakh till 2001, has become more than double. Interestingly,
there is an increase in number of Christians in Vanvasi-populated districts
of Dungarpur, Banswara and Udaipur. Many Christian organisations had selected
these areas as they found them the most easy hunting ground to spread Christianity
among the vanvasis.
According to an intelligence report, after
doing conversion work in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand the Christian
organisations have made Rajasthan their next target.
Till now there were only two diocese (kind
of provinces) in Rajasthan. About six months back a third diocese was formed
and Oswal Lewis was made its bishop. This was aimed at giving boost to the
missionary activities in the state.
