Infomercial in India challenges conversions
NEW DELHI — A public service infomercial questioning religious conversions has begun showing in Vadodara, India, a city of 1.4 million people in the state of Gujarat, Compass Direct news service has reported. Gujarat, on India’s border with Pakistan, has a long history of religious strife by Hindu extremists targeting Christians and Muslims.
The president of the Indian Association of Producers, Artists and Technicians of Short Films and Television Programs, Devendra Khandelwal, said the public service-type short film was made to “educate” cinema audiences about Gujarat’s Freedom of Religion Act of 2003, Compass reported.
As described by Compass, the act stipulates that would-be converts must obtain permission from district officials before they convert. Priests or religious officials also must contact district authorities before a conversion takes place. Failure to comply with these requirements can lead to imprisonment for up to four years and a maximum fine of 100,000 rupees ($2,294).
On June 30, Compass reported, the Gujarat High Court rejected a petition lodged in 2003 by the All India Christian Council and a Buddhist organization, the Buddha Gaya Mahabodhi Vihar, which challenged the anti-conversion law’s constitutionality. The court ruled that the petition was premature since the law had not yet been implemented.
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