'Majority will become minority one day': HC on religious conversions

The Allahabad High Court also called for an immediate prohibition on religious gatherings where conversions occur

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday expressed concerns over the growing trend of religious conversions during gatherings, warning that if this continues, India’s majority population might eventually become a minority, reported Bar and Bench.

Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal made this observation while rejecting the bail plea of Kailash, accused of converting a group of Hindus from a village to Christianity.

“If this process is allowed to continue, the majority population of this country would one day become a minority. Such religious congregations where conversions are taking place must be immediately stopped to prevent changing the religion of Indian citizens,” the court said.

The Allahabad High Court has called for an immediate prohibition on religious gatherings where conversions occur, citing that such actions directly contravene the right to religious freedom guaranteed by Article 25 of the Constitution.

Article 25 ensures individuals the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate their religion, subject to certain restrictions. However, the court clarified that propagation means promoting one’s religion, not converting individuals from one religion to another. The court further highlighted instances where the impoverished were allegedly misled and converted to Christianity in various parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Given the gravity of the allegations, the court denied bail to Kailash, who is from Maudaha in Hamirpur district. The case was brought to light by Ramkali Prajapati, who filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Kailash. Prajapati alleged that Kailash took his mentally ill brother to Delhi for treatment, promising to return him to the village. However, Kailash did not return as promised.

According to the FIR, when Kailash eventually returned, he organised an event in Delhi where all the villagers, including Prajapati’s brother, were allegedly converted to Christianity.

It was also alleged in the FIR that Prajapati’s brother was offered money for his conversion.