U’khand tables bill to make anti-conversion law more stringent

DEHRADUN: The winter session of the Uttarakhand assembly began on Tuesday with the government tabling a bill that defines the religious conversion of two or more people as “mass coversion”, and makes forced conversion a cognisable and non-bailable offence with a provision for imprisonment up to 10 years.

The changes proposed in the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2022, were cleared by the state cabinet led by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, on November 16.

The bill, which gives more teeth to the anti-conversion law, on the lines of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh — also ruled by the BJP — came into being on the suggestion of the Uttarakhand police after the government sought an opinion on the matter from the DGP, a senior government official said.

“...the amendment in Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018, is necessary to remove certain difficulties in the Act,” state minister for religious affairs Satpal Maharaj said.

According to a new clause inserted in section 2 of the Act, a “mass conversion” refers to a case where the “religion of two or more persons is converted” and “unlawful conversion” means “any conversion not in accordance with the law of the land”. The clause provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to ₹50,000 on the accused.

The amendments also provide for jail term of up to 10 years for those convicted of converting a woman, minor or members of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. It also proposes to impose a fine of up to ₹25,000 for offences.

Congress state spokesperson Garima Dasauni said the party is against forced conversion, but slammed the BJP on implementation. “The BJP government should first say how many people have been booked under this Act after it was brought in 2018,” he added.

ACCORDING TO A NEW CLAUSE, ‘MASS CONVERSION’ WILL REFER TO A CASE WHERE TWO OR MORE PEOPLE ARE CONVERTED