Karnataka Govt’s plans to bring Anti-Conversion law has missionaries worried

The Christian missionaries in Kerala have been constantly raising concerns about the ‘Grooming Jihad’, but missionaries in Karnataka are unhappy where the Government is contemplating bringing an ‘Anti-Conversion Law’ that can effectively curb the devil of ‘Grooming Jihad’.

This alleged doublespeak of the missionaries became evident on 22nd September when a delegation of Catholic Bishops of Karnataka met Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

The delegation headed by Archbishop Peter Machado raised their concerns on the proposed law to make forcible religious conversions in Karnataka a punishable offence. Machado had earlier opposed the Citizen Amendment Act enacted by the Modi Government. The Bishop gave a memorandum stating that the proposed law was unwarranted, claiming that it will lead to unnecessary communal issues and unrest in Karnataka.

BJP MLA from Hosadurga constituency reveals his mother converted to Christianity

The Home Minister of the BJP-ruled Karnataka had recently stated during the Assembly debate that the Government is considering passing a law to regulate religious conversion. He was replying to a question raised by the BJP MLA from Hosadurga constituency Goolihatti Shekhar during the ‘Zero Hour’. The MLA left everybody shocked when he revealed that his own mother fell prey to inducement and converted to Christianity. The MLA had expressed concern that conversion has gone rampant in Karnataka adding that around 15,000 to 20,000 persons of his constituency got converted to Christianity.

The MLA said that his mother has been told not to put ‘kumkum’ on her forehead. She had changed the ringtone of her cell phone to Christian prayers and she threatens to commit suicide if anybody tries to stop her. The MLA added that Christian missionaries had called his mother for prayers and misled her that she will feel better and trapped her in this way. He said that his mother now doesn’t like even pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

As the Karnataka Government has taken a serious note of conversion and has officially announced that an anti-conversion law is under consideration, it has left missionaries worried.

The BJP Government headed by Raghubar Das in Jharkhand had brought the law ‘Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2017.’