What is news?
- Recently Uttar Pradesh Government passed a bill related to the Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion through marriage, deceit, coercion, or enticement.
What does the Indian Constitution say about freedom of religion and religious conversion?
Our constitution provides us the Right to freedom of religion from Article 25 to 28):
Article 25: Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion.
- Freedom of conscience means Inner freedom to manage the relation with God or others.
- Free Profession means: Right to choose and declare own belief and religion openly.
- Right to practice means: Right to perform religious activities.
- Propagation of religion: Transmission of religious belief, but it does not include religious conversion.
Opposing Views of UP's Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act. 2021:
- Individual Dignity gets compromised and Individual has not assured the equality of status and right to choose their own religion.
Supporting Views of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act. 2021 :
- It is an act to protect the public interest and maintain public order.
- Community interest will always prevail over individual interests.
- The right to practice, profess and propagate religion does not include the right to convert.
- 8 states in India already enacted the anti-conversion act.
- Myanmar, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan has anti-conversion law.
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