Christians in Mumbai seek review of anti-conversion Bill that ‘criminalises acts of kindness’, urge CM Fadnavis not to proceed with Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill to be tabled in legislative assembly

Mumbai: The Christian community has unitedly called upon chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to not proceed with the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill that will be tabled in the winter session of the legislative assembly. Given the ambiguity and loopholes in the existing format, it is feared that the proposed anti-conversion law will open the door to harassment of religious minorities under the guise of "attempted conversion".On Sunday, Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS) organised peaceful protests at 35 locations across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region where youths and senior citizens held placards that read ‘Our Faith Our Choice' and ‘Freedom of Religion, not Freedom to Discriminate'.Dolphy D'souza, BCS spokesman, said, "The Bill threatens to undermine the very foundations of compassion and service that define our society. It risks criminalising acts of kindness like offering food, shelter, education and medical care without discrimination. Every gesture of compassion could be falsely portrayed as an attempt at conversion. In other states, similar laws have been weaponised by hostile groups to harass minorities, leading to persecution and abandonment of vital social services. The ultimate victims are the poor. India has sufficient legal provisions to address coercion and fraud."Fr Nigel Barrett, spokesman for the archdiocese of Bombay, said, "The Catholic Church in Mumbai is not opposed to the legislation if its intent is to prevent forced conversions. Coercion or inducement has no place in conversion. But implementation must be fair, just and constitutionally sound. The process to ascertain whether a conversion is voluntary must be simplified, not burdensome or intrusive. The freedom to choose or change one's religion is a fundamental right guaranteed under Articles 21 and 25 of the Constitution."Fr Nigel said "conversion by inducement" should be defined to avoid misuse. "The burden of proof must lie with the complainant, not the accused. Complaints should only be accepted from the affected individual, or parents in case of a minor. Third-party complaints have led to malicious prosecutions — some have been quashed by Supreme Court for lacking evidence. We urge that making false or malicious complaints should attract stringent penalties."Auxiliary bishop Savio Fernandes pointed to the infamous case in Durg, Chhattisgarh, where two nuns were wrongly victimised for alleged conversion. "The name Freedom of Religion law itself is a misnomer. Instead of safeguarding the right to convert by choice, the laws place restrictions on conversion. They presume guilt. The burden of proof rests not on the complainant but the arrested accused, who must prove his innocence," he added.