In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a repressive anti-conversion ordinance
has human-rights lawyers up in arms.
Members of the All-India Lawyers' Union, Indian Lawyers Association, Lawyers
for Human Rights, and Students for Secularism met Oct. 29 at a seminar in
Madurai, to express their opposition to the law.
Indian Lawyers' Association secretary K. Swamithurai pointed out that the term
used in the law, "allurement," is so broad as to cover even such acts
of charity as those once practiced by Mother Teresa, according to SAR News.
Lawyers for Human Rights secretary T. Lajapathy Roy cited Article 25 of the
Indian Constitution: "The freedom of worship enshrined in Article 25
protects minorities. When some members sought to introduce subclauses to the
article banning conversion of minors or by fraud, the late C. Rajagopalachari
pointed out that forcible conversion was punishable under the Indian Penal
Code, and that there was no need to add such clauses."
According to Students for Secularism secretary R. Gandhi, the law's provision
against "forcible conversion" is vague and can restrict even
voluntary conversions. Freedom of religion, as a fundamental right, should not
be curtailed, Gandhi said.
Indian Lawyers' Association president P. Dharmaraj called on members of the
majority community and especially all secular forces to accept responsibility
to maintain the basic secular concept of the Constitution, and to oppose all
laws which would threaten freedom of religion.
The so-called black law, introduced by the state government in an apparent
attempt to placate Hindu fundamentalists, puts a special burden on the Dalits,
for whom freedom of religion has been the only possible route to social parity
-- a way that is barred now, as K. Sultan Alaudheen, executive president of the
All-India Lawyers Union, noted.