BJP manifesto seeks to tackle 'conversion'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday promised in its manifesto to deal with the issue of religious conversions if it comes back to power.

To counter the controversial conversion issue, the saffron party suggested an interfaith conclave to harmonise religious faiths.

"The BJP will facilitate, under the auspices of noted religious leaders, the setting up of a permanent inter-faith consultative mechanism to promote harmony among and trust between communities," it said in its 2009 Lok Sabha Election manifesto.

It added that "the mechanism will also be used for a sustained and sincere Inter-Faith Dialogue between leaders of the Hindu and Christian communities on all aspects of life, including the issue of religious conversions."

It hopes that the "dialogue will be held in the spirit of unanimous report of the Inter-Faith Dialogue on Conversions, which was organised at the Vatican in May 2006 by the Pontifical Council for Inter-Faith Dialogue and the World Council of Churches, Geneva."

Till today, most of the attacks on Christians and peace-rendering churches by the Hindu extremists have been on the issue of 'forceful conversions'.

Violence also erupted in Orissa and Karnataka on similar lines after Christians were accused of converting people through "fraud, force and inducement".

Top Christian bodies and representatives of the Christian community however have denied this. They point that even after 2000 years Christianity arrived India, the population is still 2.5% and moreover "not a single case of conviction against Christians on forceful conversions stands in the court of India."

During a pre-election consultation, yesterday, the president of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) said the saffron parties are vying at the majority vote bank by dividing the minorities and instilling hatred and violence among youths.

"Christian missionaries have been the pioneers of health, education and social upliftment in the country. Irrespective of caste and creed, we have been serving on the basis of 'human values' and not 'conversion intentions'," he told Christian Today.

In their minority manifesto, the NCCI appealed to the churches and electorate in India to vote for a party or candidate that can stand for "secularism and communal harmony, security for minorities and social justice."

India does not have an official state religion; it enshrines the right to practice, preach, and propagate any religion. Right to freedom of religion is a fundamental right according to the Indian Constitution.