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It is very surprising to note that Jayalalitha has passed such a law which goes against our rights of freedom. Jayalalitha was educated in a Christian school. Was she or her mates forced to convert to Christianity ? Obviously not. Has she forgotten her past ? Conversion cannot be forced upon anybody. If Christian missionaries are threatening people with force or physical harm if they don't convert to Christianity, then that is a crime. However, most, if not all Christian converts have abandoned Hinduism because they weren't even treated as human beings by their fellow Hindus. The Evil caste system present in the Hindu society is one of the primary reasons why many low caste Hindus like the Dalits choose to follow Christianity. However, the foreign missionaries don't distinguish human beings based on their caste. Yes, foreign missionaries do provide the poor with monetary aid and other comforts, but not as a prerequiste for conversion. If missionaries provide comforts to the poor as a prerequisite for conversion (which as a Christian, I do not approve of) and if the poor convert, then it's their choice and it only exposes a weakness in the Hindu Society. If the wealthy, upper-caste Hindus shed their caste differences and help the Dalits and other poor low-caste Hindus, then there will not be any conversions due to reasons of monetary aid and provision of other comforts. Graham Staines hugged lepers and provided them with comforts. And, he had every right to preach his religion. He did not force anybody to convert to Christianity. Yet, he and his 2 little kids were burned alive by pro-Hindutva maniacs.This only shows the fundamentalist attitude of the Saffron Brigade and in this respect, they ain't much different from the Taliban. This inappropriate Anti-Conversion law can now be heavily misused to even prevent a Christian priest from preaching Christianity to people in a public gathering. And this is prevention of our rights to frredom. Who is preventing Hindus from preaching their religion ? Why can't they do so ? If they don't want to preach about their religion, they have no right to prevent others from preaching their religions.
Gavin Satur Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 11:17:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: They lose, not us
As an Indian Citizen each and every person had the right to practise their own religion, but the law or the constitution does not allow a person to enforce their religious beliefs to other communities by giving blind and wrong information regarding their religion. Some communities are giving these wrong informations and converting the hindus to their caste. We welcome this law and if the Christians had thought of closing their insistutions by protesting aganist this law, we people are not the losers, but they are. BY Krishna Moorthy
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 19:27:36 +0200 Subject: It's different
People who are coercing for conversions should be worried about this law. But for this, it has no implications. It does not affect the right to practice religion. Everybody knows that their aim is to conversion. Conversion is different from freedom to practice religion. Christian missionaries have exclusive cadres for converting people and bringing into their religion. Similarly Muslim religious top people have. Hindu religious top people are fit for nothing. They do not direct the people nor have any influence on the masses. Because the polity is not based on religion. Hence the government should do something. For each law, there is opposition from Muslims and Christians. Let this be one among them. No consequences. If they are really interested in upliftment of poor by education, let them continue the service. This law is not going to affect them. If they are going to continue to use this facility to lure to their religion, then they will find this a difficult one. Nobody is attracted to a religion just like that. It is the future preosperity that makes them to change religion. Only few well accomplished people at the age of 50s think about religion seriously. Others are talking about religion out of political necessity. If CM wants to support BJP she can just do by issuing a letter. Just that would do. She need not do anything else. This law by TN has been enacted without having any idea on votebank politics. She is the only CM who can take such a step. She has some thinking and the courage to work on it. Congratulations! Srinivasan
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 22:26:04 +0530 Subject: Forget secular
My point is that doesn't the constitution of india guarantee religious freedom. If you are not allowed to convert, that means if you want to practice any religion then you have to practice the religion which your parents practiced. I think this is against the framework of the constitution and before such a law can be passed the constitution needs to be amended, and more over india should no longer call itself secular. Jaimin Patel
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 18:54:38 +0200 Subject: Timing clue
I believe that jayalalitha has enacted this law to garner support to fight against karnataka govt. in the view of kaveri crisis. All she wants is to have a favorable decision from central govt. Just look at the timing of introduction. She is a third rate politician. Vasi Havanur
Date: Tue, 08 Oct 2002 12:46:11 -0400 Subject: Now for the population
This has been the a very bold step by the TN to stop this menace of illegal conversions. Why is this being dubbed as a pro-Hindutva.. - Doesnt this apply to all religions in India. - Law says conversions shouldnt take place thru coersion, force, money etc which I believe in the current matured society is the right thing. What is wrong in this. If anybody is attracted to a religion let them do so on their own. That hasn't been stopped. Freedom of practising any religion is still present. Nobody is denying that. So the Christain schools are to be boycotted..So who are the fundamentalists now? They do not care for the general community. All they care are the Christian numbers. This time the Muslims are right. They are not panicked. They do not allure/use force. As usual the pseudo-secular parties like Congress are not supportive of this law. Waiting for another stricter law on population control ? Dunno who has the guts to do that ? Until then there is no hope for India. Bhagvan
Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 04:01:51 +0530 Subject: Why the worry?
If some communities are not alluring people to abandon some faith and fall into their trap, why are they reacting so much to the law? Ritu Subject: It's a threat
It is absolutely and undoubtedly a wonderful decision. In fact, the same decision should be taken by the Govt. of India. Conversions are a severe threat to India in near future. All states should realize this and act on it. Venkata Ravindra M V
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 23:07:29 +0530 Subject: First step
This law should be implemented all over India which is the first step to unite us a Indians and make peace. This rule will safeguard india's history and pride. Krishnakumar Ramakrishnan
Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 19:35:28 -0700 Subject: Here they come!
Just like the rulers of Saudi Arabia who are afraid of any other religion lest their political power decreases, so it is in India with the extremist parties. They are no different than the Islamic militants that have ruined the world. Watch out, here cometh the Hindu extremists! Hindus are allowed to practice freely in the civilized world, you can build temples and practice your faith in the USA. What if the people in the USA turned out to be like the VHP? Maybe, I should bring this to the attention of the senators and the local congress people here. It is a shame that the moderates and the educated in India do not remove these freaks from power and do not recognize the inherent evil in these people. Hope people realize sooner than later and drive these people from power. Good luck! Thomas
Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:57:32 -0400 Subject: My congratulations
I congratulate the Tamil Nadu Government. Swami Siddhananda
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 07:19:59 -0400 Subject: Increase the fine
I welcome the new law prought in by the Tamilnadu government. It is time it is made a union law. Since the organizations involved in conversion get money from the U.S. and middle east, the fine amount is not an undue burden for them. Hence states passing similar laws must increase the fine amount as well as the jail term. Narayanan Subramanian
Date: Tue, 08 Oct 2002 23:59:00 +0530 Subject: The real reason
Mr. Arokiaswamy, mere education is not allurement, but certainly free education for converting to Christianity, or employment in the schools for converting is an allurement. If you are really not using force or allurement, then why are you worried? It seems to me to be a very just requirement that no force or allurement be used in conversions, almost a principle of natural justice being codified here. The real reason is that if Hindus awaken, their dream of "reaping a harvest" in India, as the pope said during his visit will not come true. Swaminathan Venkataraman
Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 01:25:55 EDT Subject: Follow His ways
It is sad that a secular state such as Tamil Nadu has introduced an ordinance that will destroy freedom of choice -- of religion and conscience. This is a very calculated move by religious fanatics to destroy the democratic values of India. And, the politicians are dangerously using religion to fulfil their goals, though only for a short time. The freedom of choice is a God-given gift to each individual. Unfortunately, this freedom does not exist in many countries, while India could boast of it for so many centuries. However, recent incidents instigated by religious fanatics is threatening to destroy our legacy. History shows that whenever a person or a system opposed God or made itself look like "god" by destroying freedom of choice to worship God or choose whichever form of worship, the end of that person or system was not very far! Humanly speaking, it could be a lifetime, but, in relation to God, it's only a matter of time. So, politicians and religious fanatics, watch out! You may take a few lives and cause a lot of human suffering, but you will never win against God. He will fight the battles for His people and protect them in a manner you've never imagined. Culture based on ignorance is no excuse to challenging God. Where there is no vision, people perish. However, a righteous nation always follows God's ways. James
Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 09:56:54 +0530 Subject: Let's talk
How can a law barring forcible conversions be critisised? Such coments by a Christian leader only seems to imply that they are indulging in forcible conversions. I think we have kept quiet over the issues of religious conversion for too long. This topic should be brought open for debate. Somnath Murthy
Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 00:53:41 +0000 Subject: Divine retribution
When politicians play the religious card to appease the powerful, they never realize the divine retaliations. When Prime Minister Morarji Desai initiated a similar bill as Chief Minister Jayalallitha did; it was the end of his political career. I fear that the political circus of Srimathi Jayalallitha may land her in a deep ditch this time due to the fact that she is taking such a dangerous political venture. She is a shrewd politician with all the tricks in the head but she is not familiar with history. She is trying to bring agony to the State of Tamil Nadu, and this anti-conversion law might be the forerunner of her exit from political life in the year 2002. AS Mathew
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 19:11:40 -0400 Subject: Bribing is an offence
I am not at all surprised by reports that Madurai Archbishop has come out against the ordinance. What else to expect from a religious leader who believes & teaches that "one will get salvation only if believes in Jesus Christ"? I doubt whether such persons have the common sense to realize that there is only one God, whether we call that Divine Entity "Ram, (Christian) God, Yahweh, Allah, etc." If all these Gods are different, then there could be several heavens and hells. May be each religion got separate regions allotted to them in the afterworld. As far as I could determine from various news reports, the law is against forcible conversions and inducements to conversion and not against conversion as such. So, for the Archbishop and others to come out against it, they may be practicing such forcible conversions. If I remember correctly, there was at least one such forcible conversion a few years back as reported in a well circulated Malayalam weekly newspaper in the USA: that of a bridegroom's side boasted that 'we forced (on the threat of non-marriage) the bride and her family to convert to Christianity' and so on. May be another case was where some Orissa youth got converted because they were sponsored for & received a visa to the US. If their religion is so great, what is the need to offer inducements to the people to convert to it, people would have been standing in a 'queue' to join it. Similarly no threat of death is needed to hold them within the religion. Hindus are against the induced conversion, whether it is through bribery or deceiving of the semiliterate and illiterate multitudes of the world. And bribery is a criminal offense. The threat to close the educational institutions means that they are a place for inducing students to convert to Christianity. About this I have personal experience. During my College years in a Christian College (Kerala Govt aided, subject of talk, in the weekly (twice?) class on moral education for the non-Christians were almost entirely on Bible characters. Never did a Non-Christian teacher come to the class. Usually it was a priest. Now for the Congress Leaders to come against it, one cannot expect civilized behaviour from them. Remember that one of their Chief Minister is openly flouting the orders of the Supreme Court of India. And the coterie around the Congress President (who herself is a practicing Christian) includes a disproportionate amount of Christians. I fee that if she ever becomes Prime Minister of India, she will surrender Bharat Mata to the Pope, which the British in three centuries did not do. (They were at least honorable in that.) CKN
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