The image of India as a family is being challenged, says author . The image of India as a family is being challenged, says author .
In today's India, there's a lot to be thankful for.For example, in Panchgani, Maharashtra, where I am typing this, massive throngs of holidaying visitors are removed and bagged in the following mornings early hours, ready to be used for proper disposal.The impressive development has been attributed to a large number of activists, workers, and peoples representatives in the Panchgani Municipality.However, such progress in public services has been followed by a dramatic decline in the perception of India's minorities.
If the dignity of certain tiers is regularly eroded, India cannot be regarded as a community.New attempts to lower the image of Indias Muslims, Christians, or both appear to be appearing every day.A recent report by the Gujarat government suggested that the Supreme Court tighten its provisions against forced or bribed conversion by requiring each convert to first obtain a government officer's certificate that their conversion is true.The overwhelming but unmistakable conclusion is that Christian and Muslim activists in India are luring or encouraging a significant number of Hindus to give up their faith and turn to Christianity or Islam.Is it true? The Supreme Court might want to inquire about the number of cases of forced or fraudulent conversion convicted by the state government in the last ten years, according to the Gujarat states' new request.And here is a summary of the number of such cases brought to the attention of the Gujarat government by citizens who have been under scrutiny for questionable conversions.For the moment, the alarmist talk of conversion is almost never followed by facts.How many Christians and Muslims are willing to convert in India's current situation of majoritarian turmoil by fraud or force? If no evidence is given of such attempts, the scream being raised would be seen as just another attempt to terrorize the minorities and demonize them in the eyes of the majority.Moreover, this new attempt to punish sexist stratagems for conversion poses a danger to any Indian, whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Christian, whatever.If today a person is forbidden from expressing a new religious conviction unless the government certifies its authenticity, the same obstacle will be encountered tomorrow for any new political conviction.It would be permissible to change your political preference or affiliation without a government officer certifying that it is sincere, according to the article. Apart from being anti-democratic, it is obstructive and offers a new avenue of corruption.In the ongoing Supreme Court debates on the matter, an honorable Justice seems to have said: If you agree that particular individuals should be helped, please help them, but it can't be for conversion.Allurement is incredibly risky.It is a very significant issue and is in violation of our constitution's basic system. There's nothing wrong with that.However, I have to respectfully disagree with the apparent conclusion that those who live in India will be expected to behave according to India's culture.Also because the term Indian culture does not refer to any Indian, our Constitution does not require that every Indian adhere to it.Article 51A, spelling out Basic Duties, requires people to value and preserve our rich heritage, which seems to be very different from soliciting behavior as per the Indian culture, and it is expected that the police in the United States or Canada will protect the alleged Hindu cleric or Muslim whose behavior is disobeyed by a mob demanding compliance with the supposed Christian culture of that country.We as a species must work together, including Mr. Modi, to make the Indian people into a family of mutual trust, mutual admiration, and mutual respect.