NEW DELHI — India’s National Commission for Minorities has asked several Indian states that have adopted controversial anti–conversion laws to provide data about how many people have been convicted under the new laws.
The commission is trying to assess the reasons for, and the impact of, the anti-conversion laws passed in various Indian states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh. Religious conversion has become a volatile social and political issue in India, where pro-Hindu political parties in some states are cracking down on Christian missionaries and social workers.
The laws, passed Feb. 18, stipulate that a person intending to convert from one religion to another must give at least 30 days’ notice to the district magistrate, who then "shall get the matter inquired into by such agency as he may deem fit."
Failure to give notice is punishable by a fine. No notice is required if a person reverts to his original religion. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party holds sway in several northern and western states — the same areas where cases of discriminatory action against minority communities have been reported.
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