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The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2006 passed by the Gujarat assembly recently, has come in for criticism from people of various faiths.
The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2006 allows intra-religious conversion - Shia to Sunni, Protestant to Catholic- but requires government permission for inter-religious conversions. It also makes Buddhism and Jainism sub-sects of Hinduism, so allows free conversions between the three.
According to Abraham Mathai, general secretary of All India Christian Council: “The Bill goes against the spirit of the free and secular Constitution of our country which guarantees every individual the right to practise and propagate his faith. Asghar Ali Engineer, said, “The anti-conversion law and its amendment are unnecessary and absurd in a democratic country. It’s nothing, but total ignorance on the part of the Gujarat government to club Jains and Buddhists with the Hindus.
Muni Mitranand Sagarji has said that Jainism is an independent religion and is not a sect of Hinduism. Ratnachandra Sagar Maharaj has said that Jainism is a separate religion and it cannot be clubbed under some other religion.
Fr. Prakash who represents Christian views described it as manipulative and divisive. He has demanded immediate withdrawal of the amendment. He said that the Gujarat government continued to misuse religion, by trying to manipulate people through religion for narrow political gains.
Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of B.R Ambedkar opines that clubbing Buddhism and Jainism with the Hindu religion is against the basic tenets of all three religions. An Act like this will only further the religious divide in society.
Nikhil Wagle, editor, Mahanagar said that: “It is nothing but an RSS agenda to raise communal passions, and Narendra Modi’s tactic to try and win the next assembly elections.
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