Advani for conversion debate but against ban on conversions

Advani demands conversion debate

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

L.K. Advani arrives in Bhubaneswar after an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee Bhubaneswar, Sept. 24: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha L.K. Advani today called for a national debate on religious conversion, even as he rejected the idea of imposing a ban on conversion. “Time has come for a free and frank democratic debate on the issue of religious conversion with a view to build a national consensus against proselytization using methods of coercion or inducements or by vilifying any faith,” said the veteran leader while addressing a news conference here this afternoon. Advani said he has discussed the issue with religious leaders and bishops and all have supported the idea of a national debate and inter-religious dialogue. “However, a campaign against conversion cannot and must not become a campaign against any community,” he said. “In our country there can be no justification for violence or vandalism in the name of religion,” said the BJP stalwart. Responding to a query on the demand of Hindu religious leaders for a ban on conversions, Advani said he was against it. “It’s true that senior leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, were strongly opposed to the idea of religious conversion. But nobody suggested a legal ban. The matter was also discussed and debated in the Constituent Assembly, but no legal ban was imposed,” said Advani. Conversion is banned in Indonesia, while in some other countries it is treated as a crime with provision of capital punishment, he reminded all. In India, few Congress-ruled states in the past have also enacted laws prohibiting conversion by inducement, said the former Union minister. On the Centre threat to invoke Article 355 in Orissa and Karnataka, he said: “I will say that the two states have controlled the situation that was created. But, what happened in Nandigram?” The senior leader pointed out to similar ethnic and communal clashes in parts of Assam, where non-Assamese people were targeted and attacked and in Maharashtra, where a single party targeted non-Marathi-speaking people, as the government watched. ....> Read more