Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Act of faith: On Karnataka anti-conversion law

Act of faith: On Karnataka anti-conversion law

Karnataka should not pursue (अनुकरण करना, शामिल होना, आचरण करना) regressive legislation (विधान, कानून) in the name of (के नाम पर, के स्थान पर) curbing (नियंत्रित करना, प्रतिबंधित करना) conversion

It is unfortunate that Karnataka has joined the band (group) of States that want to enact (make law, pass, approve, ratify) regressive (प्रतिगामी) laws aimed at policing the private lives and beliefs of citizens in the name of preventing unlawful conversions. After getting the approval of the Assembly, the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 has not been tabled (प्रस्तुत करना, पेश करना) in the Legislative (विधि संबंधी, वैधानिक) Council, presumably (शायद, सभी संभावना में) in anticipation (आशा करते हुए, प्रत्याशा करते हुए) of the ruling party’s strength in the Upper House turning favourable later. While several States have laws that criminalise (अपराधी मानना, गैरकानूनी घोषित करना) conversion on the basis of force, fraud or inducement (प्रलोभन, उकसाना, प्रेरणा)/allurement, the trend has been to include ‘marriage’ as an illegal means of conversion. Karnataka has now made ‘a promise (declaration or assurance) of marriage’ a means (साधन, उपाय, तरीका) of unlawful conversion. It is needless to say (of course, as might be expected, it goes without saying, obviously, naturally, clearly) that the idea of presuming (assume, suppose, believe) that a conversion has or is about to take place (happen, occur, transpire) alongside an inter-faith (आस्था, धर्म, धार्मिक विश्वास) marriage is patently (obviously, clearly, apparently, without doubt) unconstitutional (undemocratic, autocratic, dictatorial, totalitarian) as it interferes with (get in the way of, stand in the way of, hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct) the right to privacy (a fundamental right protected under Part III of the Constitution of India) , marital (matrimonial; relating to marriage/wedding) freedom and freedom of belief. What makes the Karnataka anti-conversion law quite sinister is that its introduction (formal presentation) in the legislature (law-making body or governing body; parliament, congress, assembly) is running in parallel (happening at the same time and having some relation) with a series of targeted attacks on churches, Christian prayers and Christmas celebrations. Belligerent (hostile, aggressive, threatening, antagonistic, pugnacious, bellicose, confrontational, argumentative, quarrelsome, contentious, combative) right-wing groups are out in the field with what appears to be an agenda to create an impression (feeling, notion, idea, thought, opinion) that religious conversion is rampant (widespread, present everywhere/pervasive, unrestrained/out of control) and that urgent legislative action is necessary to stop the trend. Anti-conversion laws have been upheld by the courts in the past on the ground (reason, cause, basis, factor) that conversion by allurement (attraction, persuasion, enticement, temptation), force or fraud poses a threat to public order and should be curbed. However, the only threat to public order seems to arise from rampaging (rush madly/wildly, riot, run riot, go on the rampage, run amok, go berserk, storm, charge) groups out to create social discord.

It is true that the Supreme Court has held that the right to propagate (spread, disseminate, communicate, publicize, preach) religion does not include a right to convert, and that the state can frame laws to prevent conversion through fraud, force or inducement. However, in a pushback (resistance, opposition, force back, repulse drive) against using this legal position to enact laws to preclude inter-faith marriages (sometimes called a “mixed marriage”, is a marriage between spouses having/professing/affirming faith in different religions. (spouse means a husband or wife)) and render (make, cause to be, cause to become) the parties vulnerable (endangered, unsafe, unprotected, unguarded, ill-protected; easily affected by, prone to, at risk of) to prosecution (legal action, legal proceeding, legal case), the Gujarat High Court has stayed (stop, delay, postpone, prevent, suspend something, particularly judicial proceedings) provisions (clause, (legal) term, stipulation, requirement, condition) of a State law that made conversion ‘by marriage’ an offence (crime, illegal/unlawful act, misdeed, wrongdoing), pointing out (identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to) that it placed in jeopardy (danger, peril, risk) all marriages of those between two different faiths. Regarding the prior notice requirement in the Karnataka Bill (A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament in the forms of Bills) for individuals intending to convert, it must be noted that the Himachal Pradesh High Court struck down a similar provision in 2012, holding (rule; decide) that asking someone to disclose (reveal, make known, tell, communicate, pass on) plans to change one’s faith violates the right to keep one’s religious beliefs private and secret. Anti-conversion laws should target only forcible (forceful, cogent, convincing, compelling) or fraudulent (dishonest, unlawful, unethical, unprincipled) conversion and not be open to (at risk of, vulnerable, subject, susceptible, liable, an easy target for, exposed, at the mercy of) grave misuse; there is no place for provisions that allow family members and associates to complain to the police (control, keep in order, keep under control, regulate; keep guard over, keep watch on, watch over, guard, protect, defend) to interdict (prohibit, forbid, ban, bar, disallow, debar, stop, block, suppress) lawful marriages. Such laws will plunge (thrust, push, shove, force, sink; fall steeply, plummet, drop rapidly) society into regressive medievalism (The state of being medieval; A custom or belief from the Middle Ages).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.act (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्य, कानून, अधिनियम
English Meaning - law, decree, statute, bill, Act of Parliament, fiat, dictum, resolution, ruling, rule, ordinance, stipulation.

2.faith (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आस्था, धर्म, धार्मिक विश्वास
English Meaning - religion, religious belief, belief/ideology.

3.pursue (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अनुकरण करना, शामिल होना, आचरण करना
English Meaning - engage in, conduct, take part in, take up (an activity).

4.regressive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिगामी
English Meaning - retrograde, retrogressive, unprogressive/negative.

5.legislation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधान, कानून
English Meaning - body of laws, acts, rules, regulations, statutes.

6.in the name of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के नाम पर, के स्थान पर
English Meaning - in place of, for the sake of, at the behest of; on behalf of.

7.curb (verb)

Hindi Meaning - नियंत्रित करना, प्रतिबंधित करना
English Meaning - control, restrict, suppress, stifle.

8.table (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्तुत करना, पेश करना
English Meaning - submit, put forward, present, propose, introduce.

9.legislative (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विधि संबंधी, वैधानिक
English Meaning - relating to a legislature; law-making, policymaking.

10.the Legislative Council (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधान परिषद
English Meaning - The State Legislative Council, or Vidhan Parishad, is the upper house in those states of India that have a bicameral state legislature; the lower house being the State Legislative Assembly or Vidhan Sabha. Its establishment is defined in Article 169 of the Constitution of India.

11.presumably (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - शायद, सभी संभावना में
English Meaning - probably, in all likelihood, undoubtedly, seemingly.

12.in anticipation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आशा करते हुए, प्रत्याशा करते हुए
English Meaning - with the expectation of something occurring.

13.criminalise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अपराधी मानना, गैरकानूनी घोषित करना
English Meaning - make something (an activity) illegal.

14.inducement (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रलोभन, उकसाना, प्रेरणा
English Meaning - temptation, incitement, provocation.

15.means (noun)

Hindi Meaning - साधन, उपाय, तरीका
English Meaning - way, method, mode.

16.act of god (phrase)

English Meaning - disaster, catastrophe, calamity, tragedy, devastation, crisis, ruin, upheaval, blow, shock, trouble.

17.Anti-conversion laws or Freedom of Religion Acts (noun)

English Meaning - state-level statutes that have been enacted to regulate religious conversions.

18.band (noun)

English Meaning - group.

19.enact (verb)

English Meaning - make law, pass, approve, ratify.

20.police (verb)

English Meaning - control, keep in order, keep under control, regulate; keep guard over, keep watch on, watch over, guard, protect, defend.

21.Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 (noun)

English Meaning - This Bill envisages stringent provisions for forced or induced conversions. The Bill proposes a maximum punishment of 10 years of imprisonment for forcible conversion of persons from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe communities, minors and women to another religion. The Bill prohibits conversion by misrepresentation, force, fraud, allurement of marriage, coercion and undue influence.

22.allurement (noun)

English Meaning - attraction, persuasion, enticement, temptation.

23.promise (noun)

English Meaning - declaration or assurance.

24.needless to say (phrase)

English Meaning - of course, as might be expected, it goes without saying, obviously, naturally, clearly.

25.presume (verb)

English Meaning - assume, suppose, believe.

26.take place (phrase)

English Meaning - happen, occur, transpire.

27.inter- (prefix)

English Meaning - between.

28.inter-faith (adjective)

English Meaning - between different religions; relating to members of different religions.

29.inter-faith marriage (noun)

English Meaning - sometimes called a “mixed marriage”, is a marriage between spouses having/professing/affirming faith in different religions. (spouse means a husband or wife).

30.patently (adverb)

English Meaning - obviously, clearly, apparently, without doubt.

31.unconstitutional (adjective)

English Meaning - undemocratic, autocratic, dictatorial, totalitarian.

32.interfere with (verb)

English Meaning - get in the way of, stand in the way of, hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct.

33.right to privacy (noun phrase)

English Meaning - a fundamental right protected under Part III of the Constitution of India.

34.marital (adjective)

English Meaning - matrimonial; relating to marriage/wedding.

35.sinister (adjective)

English Meaning - disturbing, menacing, threatening, alarming.

36.introduction (noun)

English Meaning - formal presentation.

37.legislature (noun)

English Meaning - law-making body or governing body; parliament, congress, assembly.

38.run (verb)

English Meaning - cause to function.

39.in parallel (phrase)

English Meaning - happening at the same time and having some relation.

40.belligerent (adjective)

English Meaning - hostile, aggressive, threatening, antagonistic, pugnacious, bellicose, confrontational, argumentative, quarrelsome, contentious, combative.

41.in the field (phrase)

English Meaning - on campaign.

42.impression (noun)

English Meaning - feeling, notion, idea, thought, opinion.

43.rampant (adjective)

English Meaning - widespread, present everywhere/pervasive, unrestrained/out of control.

44.uphold (verb)

English Meaning - confirm, endorse/approve, vindicate/validate; maintain, preserve, protect.

45.ground (noun)

English Meaning - reason, cause, basis, factor.

46.public order (noun)

English Meaning - it is essentially the absence of disorder - the quiet and orderly behaviour of people in public space. It involves people behaving sensibly and rationally, and respecting others.

47.rampage (verb)

English Meaning - rush madly/wildly, riot, run riot, go on the rampage, run amok, go berserk, storm, charge.

48.rampaging (adjective)

English Meaning - rushing madly, rioting, running amok, going berserk.

49.discord (noun)

English Meaning - strife, conflict, friction, hostility, disagreement, lack of agreement, lack of harmony.

50.hold (verb)

English Meaning - rule; decide.

51.propagate (verb)

English Meaning - spread, disseminate, communicate, publicize, preach.

52.the state (noun)

English Meaning - the government.

53.pushback (noun)

English Meaning - resistance, opposition, force back, repulse drive.

54.preclude (verb)

English Meaning - prevent, prohibit, block/exclude.

55.render (verb)

English Meaning - make, cause to be, cause to become.

56.vulnerable (adjective)

English Meaning - endangered, unsafe, unprotected, unguarded, ill-protected; easily affected by, prone to, at risk of.

57.prosecution (noun)

English Meaning - legal action, legal proceeding, legal case.

58.stay (verb)

English Meaning - stop, delay, postpone, prevent, suspend something, particularly judicial proceedings.

59.provision (noun)

English Meaning - clause, (legal) term, stipulation, requirement, condition.

60.offence (noun)

English Meaning - crime, illegal/unlawful act, misdeed, wrongdoing.

61.point out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to.

62.jeopardy (noun)

English Meaning - danger, peril, risk.

63.Bill (noun)

English Meaning - A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament in the forms of Bills.

64.strike down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - abolish, annul, nullify (a law or regulation).

65.disclose (verb)

English Meaning - reveal, make known, tell, communicate, pass on.

66.forcible (adjective)

English Meaning - forceful, cogent, convincing, compelling.

67.fraudulent (adjective)

English Meaning - dishonest, unlawful, unethical, unprincipled.

68.open to (adjective)

English Meaning - at risk of, vulnerable, subject, susceptible, liable, an easy target for, exposed, at the mercy of.

69.grave (adjective)

English Meaning - crucial/critical, important/significant, serious.