The Hindu : Rajagopal calls for anti-conversion law

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Rajagopal calls for anti-conversion law

By Our Staff Reporter

KANHANGAD JAN. 20. The Union Minister of State for Urban Development, O. Rajagopal, has said that it is high time the Kerala Government enacted a law preventing forced conversion in the State.

Inaugurating a two-day executive committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Vyapara Bhavan Auditorium here this morning, the BJP leader said the party should put pressure on the Government to enact such a law. ``Why not Kerala has such a law if the AIDMK-ruled Tamil Nadu and the Congress-ruled Madya Pradesh and Orissa have such laws,'' he asked.

Despite the fact that a person on tourist visa should not address public meetings, the missionary from the U.S. (Joseph Cooper) had delivered provocative speeches, tarnishing the image of Hindu Gods like Lord Krishna and Lord Ayyappa. However, the State police did not act against him. ``No one is opposing propagation of any religion, but insulting others' Gods will not be tolerated on any account,'' he asserted.

The state too is hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community. While rampant subsidies are allowed for pilgrims of other religions, the KSRTC charges extra fare from Sabarimala pilgrims. This is unjustifiable and deplorable. People would be forced to react to such incidents and this was what happened at Kilimanoor the other day. It is the duty of the Government to ensure social justice to all, he said.

Thanks to the deviation from the conventional path of development, the Global Investor Meet (GIM) could bring in promising returns. Leave alone the fate of the Memorandums of Understanding signed at GIM, the progressive change in the mindset of the people and the Government is a welcome change indeed. The Vajpayee Government, which never mixes politics with development, has been giving wholehearted support to the development needs of the State.

Presiding over the inaugural function, the BJP State president, C.K. Padmanabhan, said the State should not forget its basic responsibility of ensuring social security even in the context of GIM. The State should not shy away from including on its agenda the dual concept of social security and purchasing capacity of the common man even as it is engaged in exploring the possibilities for economic progress. The working class should not be thrown out to the street, he cautioned.

Civilizations across the world had emerged from the banks of rivers. And every river has its traditional and fundamental values and Periyar is no exception. The sale of rive water is not a question of the quantum of water sold but amounts to hurting people's sentiments, he said.

It is the responsibility of the respective State Governments to contain forced conversion. But unfortunately, the State Government has failed to take any action against Joseph Cooper. There are very many `Coopers' in the State encashing on the poverty and ignorance of the downtrodden. The Kilimanoor incident is only a pointer against organised conversions being widespread in the State, he said.

The BJP leader in charge of Kerala, Padmanabha Acharya, was also present.

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