Wanted: Anti-conversion Law

Posted March 20, 2005
Sentinel Assam
Wedesday, 16 Feb 2005
Editorial

The findings by the expert committee headed by Prof Ashish Bose of the National Commission for Minorities about certain intriguing facts of the growth of Christian population in the North-east, have busted the myth propagated by Christian leaders that there have been absolutely no inducements or coercion for conversion of the downtrodden people among the Hindus to Christianity. But more than this, the findings have also revealed that illegal Muslim migrants from Bangladesh too have been increasingly reporting as Christians "guided by survival strategy and adverse economic conditions." Obviously, the Christian leaders are using militancy to intimidate the illegal migrants, particularly in the Christian-dominated hilly regions, to convert them to Christianity. They too, like the Hindus, are being lured with all kinds of economic benefits to get converted. In fact, the expert committee has said this in so many words about the scenario in Assam, "The possibility of some forced conversion to Christianity by militant groups cannot be ruled out." The findings need to be viewed with the deep concern that they deserve by all the State governments of the North-east particularly those where the Christians are still not the dominant population, because they reveal clearly that it is primarily the North-east where the Christian leaders have been resorting to conversion without any let or hindrance. According to the findings, however, the overall proportion of Christians in the country was static during the last two decades. However, against the national growth rate of 22.6 per cent, Nagaland reported as high as 69.2 per cent growth, followed intriguingly enough, by Gujarat with 56.3 per cent growth of Christian population, by Orissa 34.8 per cent, Meghalaya 42.1 per cent, Chhattisgarh 32.5 per cent, West Bengal 34.3 per cent, Punjab 30 per cent and Mizoram 30.7 per cent. However, Kerala which accounted for the largest share of Christians in the country, registered only 7.8 per cent growth while Andhra Pradesh reported minus growth (-2.8), the findings said.

The expert panel itself is intrigued over the above findings, when it said, "Our analysis data on religion in the North-east leads to some intriguing questions about the role of illegal migration and also the role of conversion to Christianity. In Tripura for example, during 1991-2001, the Hindu population grew by 15 per cent while the Christian population grew by 121 per cent. There is no evidence that there is large-scale migration of Christians from Bangladesh. This will make conversion a dominant factor explaining the high growth rate figures of Christians." In fact, conversion is taking place on a mass-scale in large parts of the North-east where poor, backward tribals fall easy prey to the lure of money and other inducements to embrace Christianity. But if they don't, the job is taken over by the militant groups, most of which are operating in the region only to convert people to Christianity under the guise of insurgent outfits. There are a couple of such outfits operating in the two hill districts of Karbi Anglong and NC Hills in Assam, where they are converting the local, poverty-stricken population to Christianity. Reports about other organizations in those areas condemning these militant groups operating by proxy of Church leaders, suggest that there is resistance to such conversions but about which the victims can do precious little in the face of the bayonet. This is beside the fact that they are being lured with all kinds of sops.

The demographic situation as it is emerging today in Assam and the other States of the North-east will leave behind very marginal population of the Hindus and followers of religions like Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, etc., and where the Muslims and Christians would be the dominant religions in the next couple of decades. While nobody should have any objection to such a development in a secular country, what every secularist must object to is the fact that, while the Muslim population is rising alarmingly due to illegal influx from Bangladesh, the Christian population is rising due to conversion, both forced and induced, of mostly the gullible Hindus who do not have any means to defend themselves. It is high time the States like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura passed anti-conversion laws with stringent penal provisions to at least partially check this demographic slide without any further delay.