Christian missionaries warn Karnataka CM of communal unrest in state while they raise concern against proposed anti-conversion law
Christian missionaries have always denied allegations of conversion. But if a state government ever brought or announced a law to restrain conversion Christian missionaries oppose this.
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A delegation headed by Archbishop of Banglore Peter Machado met CM Basavaraj Bommai and raised their concerns on the proposed law to make forcible religious conversions in Karnataka a punishable offence. The Bishop handed over the memorandum to the chief minister stating that the proposed anti-conversion law was unwarranted, claiming that it will lead to unnecessary communal issues and unrest in Karnataka.
This is after the home minister of the BJP ruled Karnataka Araga Jnanendra had recently stated during the assembly debate that the government is considering passing a law to regulate religious conversion. The state home minister was replying to a question raised by the BJP MLA from Hosadurga constituency Goolihatti Shekhar during the ‘Zero Hour’. The MLA left everybody shocked when he revealed that his own mother fell prey to inducement and converted to Christianity. The MLA had expressed concern that conversion has gone rampant in Karnataka adding that around 15,000 to 20,000 persons of his constituency got converted to Christianity.
The MLA said that his mother has been told not to put ‘kumkum’ (vermillion) on her forehead. She had changed the ringtone of her cell phone to Christian prayers and she threatens to commit suicide if anybody tries to stop her. The MLA had further said that Christian Missionaries had called his mother for prayers and misled her that she will feel better after prayer and trapped her in this way. He said that his mother now doesn’t like even a picture of Hindu God and Goddess.
The minister in his reply had said that the issue of religious conversions has come to the notice of the government and there is a wide network across the country working for religious conversions. As the Karnataka government has taken a serious note of conversion and has officially announced that an anti-conversion law is under consideration, it has left missionaries worried.
Christian missionaries have always denied allegations of conversion. But if a state government ever brought or announced a law to restrain conversion Christian missionaries oppose this. The instance of Jharkhand can be taken where the BJP government headed by Raghubar Das had brought the law ‘Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2017.’
Archbishop of Bangalore Peter Machado also contradicted allegations and said someone was trying to malign them and missionaries don’t force anyone for conversion. The delegation also demanded representatives of Christian management should be included in committees formed to implement the new National Education Policy (NEP).
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