Anti-Conversion Laws

Central India. The image of India as a free-thinking, tolerant society is understandable. In the land of a million gods, surely every faith is welcome. One looks at the Western interest in such Hindu ideas as reincarnation, karma, and nirvana, ideas which have gained a prominent place the the New Age movement, and the religious tradition of India seems to be one of tolerance, peace, harmony and balance. But this is not so.

Apart from the generations-old conflict between Hindus and Muslims, most notable in the disputes over Kashmir, violence on the part of Hindus toward Indian Christians has been on the rise in recent years. This upsurge of animosity is often triggered by the conversion of a Hindu to Christianity, resulting in the targeted attack, humiliation, rape, and (at times) murder of Christians at the hands of an incensed mob of Hindu fanatics. In some regions, local laws and customs seek to limit the spread of Christianity. In the two large, central states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, anti-conversion laws have been implemented to this very purpose.

Such laws do not encouage "harmony and balance". It may be argued that in a land as enormously populous and diverse as India, such increased government control is necessary to maintain peace and order. I maintain otherwise. These anti-conversion laws only serve to justify acts of violence and hatred among the Indian people. Though Christianity in India certainly does not pre-date Hinduism, nevertheless, it has existed in that land for well over a millenium. Indian Christians have every right to live in peace among their Hindu neighbors. The political leaders of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and elsewhere refuse to protect that right to their shame. It is a blot, not only upon their office, but upon their character.