Dear All, The webinar organised by the National Solidarity Forum against the proposed Anti-Conversion Law in Karnataka on 9th evening went very well. The responses were good. It was decided that the presentations would be published one by one. It would be good if somebody can take the responsibility of translating and publicising them in regional languages, especially in Kannada. It would also be good if such an action is done before the bill is tabled. The introductory presentation of Dr. Ram Puniyani is given below. Other presentations will follow shortly. https://countercurrents.org/2021/12/choosing-my-religion-proposed-karnataka-freedom-of-religion-bill/
On Mon, Dec 6, 2021 at 3:21 AM KP Sasi <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > *INVITATION: **NATIONAL WEBINAR 'THREAT TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION – A > CASE OF KARNATAKA' * > > *on 9th Dec at 5 – 7 PM* > > *Organised by: National Solidarity Forum* > > > > Dear Friend, > > > > The Karnataka Government has pthat the Anti-Conversion Bill in Karnataka > will be ready by December 5, to be tabled in the next session of the > Legislative > Assembly beginning from December 13. There is no sufficient time given > for any public on such a crucial Bill. In this context, the National > Solidarity Forum is organizing a National Webinar on `Freedom of Religion – > A Case Study on Karnataka’. > > > > The National Solidarity Forum consists of over 50 organizations and 30 > individuals at a national level. It has people from all religions and also > those who are not part of any religion. Initially, the forum started in > 2009 as a response to the Kandhamal genocide in Odisha. From that time > onwards, many significant activities of national and state-level activities > were initiated by the National Solidarity Forum, upholding secular values > enshrined in the Indian Constitution. The proposed Webinar on the Anti- > Conversion Bill is a continuation of such a process. > > The Anti-Conversion Bill is primarily targeted against minorities. The > first Anti-Conversion Law was passed in Orissa in 1967. The attacks on the > Christians began from the 70s onwards, culminating in the Kandhamal > genocide in 2007 and 2008. The law gave a justification for the attacks on > the Christians. After Odisha, the Anti-Conversion Law was passed in 8 other > states in India. In all these states, this law was used to persecute not > only the Christians but also the Muslims. Today, there is enough > documentation to show that persecution of Christians is taking place in > every state and every union territory in India. The proposed law will only > make the situation worse. > > > > The Bill is meant to strengthen the propaganda by the Hindutva forces that > Christians are converting by force and lure. Since the Indian Constitution > has taken a very clear stand on this issue, there is no additional need for > another Bill. The Bill does not recognize that faith is a personal affair > that cannot easily be forced upon anybody. It also violates the basic > tenets of religious freedom in the Indian Constitution. > > > > Even International Forums have taken note of the increase of persecution > of Christians in India. In 2020, the US Commission on International > Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to `Countries of Particular Concern) in their > report. The US State Department ranked India’s persecution as severe along > with Iraq and Afghanistan. During the past seven years, India has fallen > from No 31 to 10 in persecution. The report says: `The Christians are > persecuted in all areas of public and private life, and anti-conversion > laws (currently in nine states, with more considering adoption) are abused > to harass and intimidate Christians. Few people are actually convicted > under these laws, but cases can drag on for years. > > These international observations are also a matter of high concern for the > status of Secular India. It is in this context that the National Solidarity > Forum is announcing a zoom meeting on ‘*Threat to Freedom of Religion – A > Case of Karnataka’ *on 9th December at 5 PM. > > The details of the speakers are: > > · *Moderator: * > > Dr. Ram Puniyani, Convenor, National Solidarity Forum > > · *Inaugural Speech: * > > Adv. Colin Gonsalves, Designate Senior Advocate, Supreme Court > > · *Panellists:* > > 1) Bishop Dr. Peter Machado, Archbishop, Archdiocese of Bangalore > > 2) Ms.Tehmina Arora, Lawyer practicing in the area of constitutional > law and human rights with a special emphasis on minority rights and > religious freedom > > 3) Adv. BT Venkatesh Bubberjung, Former State Public Prosecutor, > Senior Lawyer, Karnataka High Court > > 4) Mr.Javed Anand, Journalist, and civil rights activist who founded > the Mumbai-based Sabrang Communications > > 5) Ms.Vidya Dinkar, Bangalore based Eminent Social Activist > > 6) Fr. Ajaya Kumar Singh, Social Activist, Conferred with Minority > Rights Day Award by the National Commission for Minorities > > 7) Ms. Cyntia Stephen, Dalit Rights Activist, writer, social policy > researcher, and an independent journalist > > 8) Mr.Rajasekharan, Bureau Chief, Lankesh Patrika, and Director, > Vidya Liberation Through Cultural Action, Karnataka > > · *Valedictory Speech: * > > Dr.John Dayal, Senior Journalist, and Human Rights Activist > > The zoom meeting will begin from 5 pm to 7 pm on December 9, 2021. Please > find the Zoom link for the Webinar: > > Time: Dec 9, 2021, 05:00 PM Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi > > https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81839146668?pwd=WEFManZlRDRpV00waHNQeTl0S3BFQT09 > > Meeting ID: 818 3914 6668; Passcode: NSF123 > > We invite you to participate in it and we also request you to share this > invitation with friends who may be interested in attending it. > > Dr.Ram Puniyani, > > Convener, National Solidarity Forum > > K.P.Sasi, > > Co-Convenor, National Solidarity Forum > > Cell: 8593835669 > > Ajaya Kumar Singh, > > Co-Convenor, National Solidarity Forum > > Cell: 8917666294 > > -- > > > > > *Dhirendra Panda* > *Convener, Civil Society Forum on Human Rights (CSFHR),* > *Secretary, Centre for the Sustainable use of Natural and Social Resources > (CSNR)* > *L-179, Nandan Enclave, Nandan Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha, India* > *Cell: +91 9437385757* > *Email: [email protected] <[email protected]>* > *Skype: dhirendra_panda* > > 'I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death > your right to say it.' > Beatrice Evelyn Hall (for Voltaire) > __________ Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. 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