Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Faith and freedom: On combating forcible religious conversion

Faith and freedom: On combating forcible religious conversion

Freedom of religion (धर्म की स्वतंत्रता) is protected only when state (राज्य, शासन) keeps away from matters of faith (विश्वास, विचारधारा), marriage

Protracted (दीर्घ, लंबा) litigation (मुकदमा, अभियोग) in the name of combating forcible religious conversion (परिवर्तन) is taking up valuable time of courts. The Supreme Court is hearing a purported (तथाकथित, दावा किया) Public Interest Litigation (PIL) (जनहित याचिका) seeking (माँगना, कोशिश करो) action to curb (control, contain, reduce, lessen) deceitful religious conversion in the country. Not wanting to be left behind, the Gujarat government is seeking the removal of a stay on a provision (प्रावधान, खंड) in its anti-conversion law that requires prior permission from the District Magistrate (the judicial officers or civil officers of a state who handle minor legal cases in a specific area like town, district etc) for any conversion done “directly or indirectly”. The Gujarat High Court had correctly stayed Section 5 of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 (amended in 2021 to include ‘conversion by marriage’), while also staying (it is defined as the act of temporarily stopping or postponing any judicial proceeding through the court or legal authorities in India, in order to secure the rights of a citizen) the operation of other provisions that sought to cover inter-faith marriages (अंतर-धार्मिक विवाह) as instances (उदाहरण) of illegal conversion. The High Court had noted that the prior permission requirement would force someone to disclose one’s religious belief or any change of faith, contrary to (के विपरीत, विरोध करनेवाला) Supreme Court rulings (judgement, adjudication, verdict) that say marriage and faith involve an individual’s choice. In a strange (अनोखा, अजीब, विलक्षण) claim (दावा, विवाद, प्रतिज्ञा), Gujarat argues that the stay on Section 5 is affecting even genuine inter-faith (between different religions; relating to members of different religions) marriages that involve no fraud or coercion, as those who usually solemnise (perform, celebrate, formalize, ceremonialize (a ceremony, especially that of marriage)) such marriages are unable to do so. This is based on a claim that the prior permission requirement obviates the need to question the genuine nature of the conversion, if any (if anything; used to indicate the very minimum occurrence of something), consequent (resulting, subsequent, sequential, accompanying, related, connected) upon an inter-religious marriage.

No one would buy (accept the truth of) the claim that the provision enables (authorize, allow, permit, facilitate) voluntary conversion. Freedom of religion is protected only when no questions are raised and no suspicion (mistrust, distrust, doubt, misgivings) entertained (consider, give consideration to, take into consideration; agree to, approve of, support to) based on the mere fact that an inter-faith marriage has taken place. Common sense would suggest that forcing someone to disclose (expose, reveal, show, display, exhibit) an intent (intention, purpose, scope) to change one’s faith violates freedom of conscience (a sense of right and wrong, moral sense, inner voice; morals, standards, values, principles, ethics, beliefs) and the right to privacy (a fundamental right protected under Part III of the Constitution of India). Also, when a separate appeal (plea, petition, urgent/earnest request, entreaty) against the High Court’s interim orders staying the provisions is pending before the Supreme Court, there was no need for the State government’s petition seeking to (ask for, request, appeal for) revive (restore, renew, bring back) the prior permission requirement as part of the ongoing hearing on the PIL against religious conversions. On the larger issue, the observations (opinion, thought, statement, pronouncement) of a Supreme Court Bench (a court of law with a number of judges) headed by Justice M.R. Shah to the effect that religious conversion through “allurement (attraction, persuasion, enticement, temptation)” or charity work is a serious problem indicate an eagerness to goad (induce, prompt, incite, urge, pressurize) the Government into coming up with anti-conversion measures (action, step, procedure) on a national scale (degree, extent, level). It is questionable whether courts should entertain exaggerated (overstated, overemphasized, amplified, excessive) allegations (claim, accusation, charge, indictment) of rampant fraudulent conversions across the country, instead of leaving it to States to identify the extent of the problem, if any, and adopt (embrace, take on, acquire, espouse) steps to protect religious freedom and communal harmony (unity, solidarity, cooperation, agreement/concord).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.faith (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विश्वास, विचारधारा
English Meaning - religion, religious belief, belief/ideology.

2.freedom of religion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धर्म की स्वतंत्रता
English Meaning - religious liberty; a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.

3.state (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राज्य, शासन
English Meaning - government, regime.

4.protracted (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - दीर्घ, लंबा
English Meaning - lengthy, extended, continuing, unending, unrelenting, long-drawn-out, prolonged, persisting, lingering.

5.litigation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुकदमा, अभियोग
English Meaning - court case, lawsuit, hearing, inquiry, judicial/legal proceedings.

6.conversion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिवर्तन
English Meaning - new belief; a method of convincing/inducing a person to change his/her religious faith.

7.purported (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तथाकथित, दावा किया
English Meaning - claimed, professed, apparent.

8.public interest litigation (PIL) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जनहित याचिका
English Meaning - legal action initiated in a court of law for the enforcement or protection of public interest.

9.seek (verb)

Hindi Meaning - माँगना, कोशिश करो
English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

10.provision (noun)

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

11.inter-faith marriage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर-धार्मिक विवाह
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).

12.instance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उदाहरण
English Meaning - example.

13.contrary to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के विपरीत, विरोध करनेवाला
English Meaning - conflicting with, opposed to.

14.strange (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनोखा, अजीब, विलक्षण
English Meaning - weird, eccentric, odd, peculiar, funny, bizarre, unusual, abnormal.

15.claim (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दावा, विवाद, प्रतिज्ञा
English Meaning - assertion, contention, affirmation, avowal.

16.combat (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, confront, stand/face up to, contend with.

17.keep away from (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - steer clear of, avoid, shun, evade.

18.in the name of (phrase)

English Meaning - for the sake of.

19.take up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - consume, use, use up, occupy, waste.

20.curb (verb)

English Meaning - control, contain, reduce, lessen.

21.deceitful (adjective)

English Meaning - dishonest, false, untrustworthy, double-dealing.

22.left behind past participle of leave behind (verb)

English Meaning - to cause a bad situation exists.

23.stay (order) (noun)

English Meaning - it is defined as the act of temporarily stopping or postponing any judicial proceeding through the court or legal authorities in India, in order to secure the rights of a citizen.

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

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

25.prior (adjective)

English Meaning - earlier, advance.

26.magistrate (noun)

English Meaning - the judicial officers or civil officers of a state who handle minor legal cases in a specific area like town, district etc.

27.stay (verb)

English Meaning - stop, delay, or prevent something temporarily (a judicial proceeding/trial through the order of a court).

28.Section 5 of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 (noun)

English Meaning - it deals with “Prior permission to be taken from District Magistrate with respect to conversion”.

29.Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021 (noun)

English Meaning - This latest Act has amended the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 to bring in new sections that penalise forcible or fraudulent religious conversion through marriage. It has provisions like maximum punishment of up to 10 years imprisonment and fine up to Rs.5 lakh, burden of proof on the accused and investigation by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.

30.inter- (prefix)

English Meaning - between.

31.inter-faith (adjective)

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

32.disclose (verb)

English Meaning - expose, reveal, show, display, exhibit.

33.ruling (noun)

English Meaning - judgement, adjudication, verdict.

34.coercion (noun)

English Meaning - it means compelling an individual to act against his/her will by the use of psychological pressure or physical force causing bodily injury; force/pressure, compulsion, enforcement, demand, constraint, oppression, harassment, intimidation.

35.solemnise (verb)

English Meaning - perform, celebrate, formalize, ceremonialize (a ceremony, especially that of marriage).

36.obviate (verb)

English Meaning - avoid, prevent, remove (a problem/the need of something or make it unnecessary).

37.if any (phrase)

English Meaning - if anything; used to indicate the very minimum occurrence of something.

38.consequent (adjective)

English Meaning - resulting, subsequent, sequential, accompanying, related, connected.

39.buy (verb)

English Meaning - accept the truth of.

40.enable (verb)

English Meaning - authorize, allow, permit, facilitate.

41.voluntary (adjective)

English Meaning - optional, discretionary, non-compulsory, non-mandatory.

42.suspicion (noun)

English Meaning - mistrust, distrust, doubt, misgivings.

43.entertain (verb)

English Meaning - consider, give consideration to, take into consideration; agree to, approve of, support to.

44.mere (adjective)

English Meaning - just, only, minimal.

45.take place (phrase)

English Meaning - happen, occur.

46.intent (noun)

English Meaning - intention, purpose, scope.

47.violate (verb)

English Meaning - contravene, breach, infringe, break, disobey, defy, flout.

48.conscience (noun)

English Meaning - a sense of right and wrong, moral sense, inner voice; morals, standards, values, principles, ethics, beliefs.

49.right to privacy (noun phrase)

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

50.appeal (noun)

English Meaning - plea, petition, urgent/earnest request, entreaty.

51.interim (adjective)

English Meaning - provisional, temporary, transitional.

52.seek to (verb)

English Meaning - ask for, request, appeal for.

53.revive (verb)

English Meaning - restore, renew, bring back.

54.ongoing (adjective)

English Meaning - current, existing.

55.observation (noun)

English Meaning - opinion, thought, statement, pronouncement.

56.bench (noun)

English Meaning - a court of law with a number of judges.

57.to the effect that (phrase)

English Meaning - referring to the general meaning of something (spoken/written).

58.allurement (noun)

English Meaning - attraction, persuasion, enticement, temptation.

59.goad (verb)

English Meaning - induce, prompt, incite, urge, pressurize.

60.come up with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - produce, propose, present, put forward.

61.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, procedure.

62.scale (noun)

English Meaning - degree, extent, level.

63.exaggerated (adjective)

English Meaning - overstated, overemphasized, amplified, excessive.

64.allegation (noun)

English Meaning - claim, accusation, charge, indictment.

65.rampant (adjective)

English Meaning - uncontrolled, unchecked, unrestrained.

66.adopt (verb)

English Meaning - embrace, take on, acquire, espouse.

67.harmony (noun)

English Meaning - unity, solidarity, cooperation, agreement/concord.