Monday’s announcement in the Legislative Assembly by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that several “Love Jihad” cases have come to light in Goa and that the State is contemplating an anti-conversion law comes as a surprise because the issue involves a complex interplay of security concerns, communal harmony, and civil liberties.
The Uttar Pradesh police, last Saturday, claimed to have busted a large-scale religious conversion racket, arresting 10 people from six states, including one from Goa. Police disclosed that two sisters who were reported missing from Agra in March were coerced into religious conversions and were undergoing radicalisation. The police also disclosed that the sisters were targeted by a gang involved in “Love Jihad”.
The term “Love Jihad” may not be familiar in Goa’s context; however, Sawant’s assertions that cases have been detected in the State while justifying the need for a law against forced conversions is worrisome because of the potential repercussions of such legislation.
The Chief Minister’s mention of the “Ayesha case” involving alleged coercive conversion linked to an international network highlights the government’s focus on security threats. The arrest of Ayesha, who reportedly operated within a transnational web, has been portrayed as a warning sign of covert extremist infiltration. The emphasis on “Love Jihad” cases and international funding amplifies fears of clandestine operations aimed at targeting communal harmony.
However, these concerns, while not unfounded given the global climate of religious extremism, must be approached with caution in Goa, especially when there is a simmering unease within minorities. We have seen in the past government machinery trying to target preachers and pastors belonging to various Catholic denominations through arbitrary restrictions, intimidation and punitive measures, including initiating the process of externment. Actions, which were labelled as “black magic” and forced conversions, subsequently failed to stand the scrutiny of the High Court, and the narrative of forced conversion fell flat.
The proposed anti-conversion law, if enacted without deliberation and forethought, risks becoming a tool for political or communal vendettas rather than a genuine safeguard against coercion. Critics across the nation argue that these laws are often misused to target religious minorities, particularly Christians and Muslims, under the pretext of preventing “forceful conversions.”
In states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, anti-conversion laws have been criticised for curbing religious freedom and leading to false accusations, harassment, and even violence against minorities. Goa has always been a diverse and pluralistic society, with communal harmony as a notable highlight. We cannot afford to follow a narrative that does not suit us, and any legislation that infringes upon the constitutional rights or becomes a means of communal profiling cannot be welcomed.
Sawant’s concern about “Love Jihad” spreading in Goa needs to be examined closely because, in the background, there are political and communal overtones playing; besides, it runs the risk of stigmatising interfaith marriages, which are common in the State. While vigilance may be necessary, it should not come at the expense of religious liberty. The danger is compounded in conflating religious conversion with extremism, thereby justifying draconian measures that threaten to disrupt communal harmony.
We are not a State where Hindus, Catholics and Muslims are at war with each other, and hence any legislation that appears to target specific communities risks fracturing the social fabric. The government’s priority should be safeguarding our inclusive ethos, ensuring that laws enacted serve justice and harmony rather than division and fear.
