“A woman or her family can now fearlessly go to the police”
The report on unlawful religious conversions was prepared after researching pre and postindependence laws in India and the neighbouring countries, says UP Law Commission chairman
LUCKNOW: The draft ordinance against unlawful religious conversions that the Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved on Tuesday is largely based on the UP Law
Commission’s report and draft legislation on the matter. Pankaj Jaiswal speaks to Justice Aditya Nath Mittal, the chairperson of the commission and former judge of Allahabad high court, the day after the cabinet cleared the draft ordinance, called the Uttar Pradesh Vidhi Viruddh Dharm Samparivartan Pratishedh Adhyadesh 2020 (UP Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance-2020).
Now that the draft ordinance has been passed by the UP cabinet, how effective do you think it will be in checking unlawful conversions?
It will be very effective in checking such conversions and harassment of women. It has stringent provisions. A victim woman or her family can now fearlessly go to the police.
What prompted you to work on the report and draft legislation?
Media reports prompted me.
At that time, there were a lot of reports and incidents of such religious conversions, by deception, force, coercion, allurements, and marriage, were surfacing. So, I decided to take it up.
How long did you take to make the report and draft legislation and what all did you study?
It took three months of work. We studied a lot. The 268-page report, including the draft legislation, was prepared after researching pre and post-independence laws in India and the neighbouring countries. Various rulings of the Supreme Court and high courts against conversions were cited. Studied existing laws in 10 other states — Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand. On November 21, 2019, we submitted the report to the chief minister.
What happened after the submission of the report? Were you involved later?
The report then went to the UP home departmen. The commission was consulted whenever required.
What about the term love jihad?
There’s no such term in the report and draft legislation.
Since you became the chairperson of the UP law commission, how many reports did you submit to the government?
I took over in August 2017. Since then, we submitted a total of 12 reports. Some of them are on the recovery of damages to the public and property, transgender rights in agricultural property, unlawful religious conversion, and the UP cow and its progeny bill.