MARGAO
The government’s move to table the Anti-Conversion Bill in the upcoming Assembly Session has sparked outrage in Salcete, with political leaders raising concerns over its impact on Goa’s social fabric and communal harmony.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva said people of different faiths in Goa had traditionally lived together in peace, harmony and mutual respect. He cautioned that a loosely drafted or wrongly interpreted law could create suspicion, fear and hatred among communities.
“Any law dealing with an individual’s faith, conscience and personal choice must have very clear safeguards so that genuine cases of coercion or fraud are addressed, while innocent people are not targeted or harassed,” Silva said.
He said the government must first establish the extent of the problem in Goa and explain why existing laws were insufficient to deal with fraud, coercion or exploitation.
“Our priority should be to protect Goa’s harmony, not introduce anything that can become a source of hatred and division,” Silva said.
Former Minister Mickky Pacheco termed the Cabinet’s approval of the bill “deeply shocking and disturbing”, alleging that it could be used to target minority communities. He said heavy fines and severe imprisonment terms would create a “weaponised legal framework” and instil fear among minorities.
Pacheco claimed radical elements could misuse the law to target churches and clergy through false allegations of conversion. He also criticised Catholic MLAs and ministers in the BJP-led government, accusing them of political hypocrisy for opposing the bill after remaining silent on issues such as land conversion.
“Goa’s identity is built on mutual respect and shared culture, and I strongly condemn this divisive law that seeks to tear apart our peaceful coexistence,” he said.
Meanwhile, Madganvcho Awaaz and youth leader Prabhav Naik said Goa needed a law against the conversion of land into a destination for crime, drugs, murder, rape, prostitution and casinos, rather than one against religious conversion.
Naik said Assembly replies showed only four religious conversion cases were registered between 2012 and 2025, all of which were subsequently quashed by the High Court. He urged the government to focus on women’s safety, family security and the drug menace.
Madganvcho Awaaz demanded a comprehensive law and stronger enforcement to prevent Goa from becoming a hub for criminal and exploitative activities.
NGO warns Goa needs protection from
land conversion, not religious conversion
MARGAO: Citizens for Democracy Goa, through convenor Elvis Gomes, has opposed the proposed Goa Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill and called for an immediate end to aggressive land conversions under Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act.
In an open letter to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat and MLA Vijai Sardesai, the organisation said the Anti-Conversion Bill must not be viewed in isolation.
Gomes said the bill, alongside “predatory” real estate policies, threatened Goa’s demographic structure, social harmony and environmental heritage. He said there was no empirical data or law-enforcement record of coercive religious conversions in Goa and that existing provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were sufficient to tackle fraud or intimidation.
“The State must not create a system where an individual’s deeply personal decision about faith becomes subject to routine governmental scrutiny,” Gomes said, warning that vague terms such as “allurement” could be misused against legitimate social, medical and educational institutions.
He said the bill threatened Goa’s “Goenkarponn” by creating fear and suspicion, and urged Kamat and Sardesai to oppose the legislation.
