MARGAO
Welcoming the Goa Government’s decision not to table the Goa Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2026 during the ongoing monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly, the Catholic Association of Goa (CAG) has expressed concern that the move could be a temporary pause rather than a decision to drop the Bill.
CAG president Cyril Fernandes said the decision, reportedly taken after opposition from legislators, including BJP MLAs and independent members, was a temporary reprieve and reflected the sentiments of Goans across communities who had opposed the Bill from the outset.
He said governments had, in the past, deferred controversial legislation to allow public opposition to subside before reintroducing it when attention had shifted.
“The CAG cannot and will not trust this government to refrain from raising the issue again unless it makes a clear, categorical and public commitment,” Fernandes said.
He demanded that the government make a statement on the floor of the House that it would not revisit the Bill in any future session or forum.
“The government must make it clear that the decision not to table the Bill was not a strategic move to buy time, but a genuine acceptance of the sentiments of Goans across communities. The Bill must be withdrawn and not reintroduced in any form, either in its present version or a modified version,” he said.
Fernandes said that without such an assurance, the CAG would remain vigilant and be prepared to mobilise public opinion, legal resources and civil society action against any future attempt to introduce legislation that, he said, threatened Goa’s communal harmony, constitutional freedoms and the right to freedom of conscience.
He said the CAG reiterated that Goa did not need a “bureaucracy of conscience”, but renewed confidence in constitutional liberty, the maturity of its citizens and its tradition of peaceful coexistence.
“The government’s decision not to table the Bill is a step in the right direction, but it is only the first step. The final step must be a clear, public and irreversible commitment that this issue is closed forever,” he said.
The CAG has also called upon Goans, faith communities, civil society organisations and political parties to remain alert and united in defending Goa’s social fabric.
“Any future attempt to introduce divisive legislation will be met with even stronger resistance than what has been witnessed in recent days,” Fernandes said.
