India's Majority Population Would Be In Minority One Day If Conversions In Religious Congregations Not Stopped: Allahabad HC

The Allahabad High Court today observed that if the current trend of conversions during religious congregations is permitted to continue, the majority population of the country could eventually find itself in the minority one day.

With this observation, a bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal stated that the religious congregations, where conversions are occurring and where the religions of the citizens of India are being changed, should be immediately stopped.

"If this process is allowed to be carried out, the majority population of this country would be in minority one day, and such religious congregation should be immediately stopped where the conversion is taking place and changing religion of citizen of India," the Court said.

The Court also added that such conversions are against the Constitutional mandate of Article 25 of the Constitution of India, "which does not provide for religious conversion" but provides "only freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion".

"Article 25 of the Constitution of India provides for Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion, but it does not provide for conversion from one faith to another faith...The word 'Propagation' means to promote, but it does not mean to convert any person from his religion to another religion," the Court said.

Importantly, the bench also noted that it has come to its attention in several cases that unlawful conversions of people from SC/ST castes and other economically disadvantaged groups to Christianity are occurring at a "rampant pace" throughout the State of Uttar Pradesh.

These observations were made by the Court while rejecting a bail plea moved by one Kailash, who has been booked by UP Police under Section 365 IPC & Section 3/5(1) of the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 on the allegations of taking people of his village to a social gathering in Delhi wherein he was instrumental in converting them to Christianity.

The applicant had allegedly assured the informant that her brother, who was suffering from a mental illness, would be treated and returned to his native village within a week. However, he was converted to Christianity instead. The FIR lodged against the applicant alleged that he had converted many people to Christianity.

Seeking bail in the case, the counsel representing the applicant argued that Ramphal, the informant's brother, was not converted to Christianity. It was submitted that he had attended a gathering focused on Christian faith and well-being, along with others.

The counsel further contended that statements from various individuals recorded during the investigation allegedly implicating the applicant should not be relied upon at this preliminary stage. It was also mentioned that Sonu Paster, who organized the gathering, had already been released on bail.

However, noting that the allegations against the accused are serious, the Court refused to grant him bail. While doing so, the Court took into account the Statements of the alleged victims/witnesses recorded by the IO, which revealed that the accused had been taking away people to attend the religious congregation held in New Delhi, where they are being converted to Christianity.

Case citation: 2024 LiveLaw (AB) 415