The recent push to introduce a stringent anti-conversion law in Goa is a concerning development. Goa has long stood as a beacon of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence among diverse faiths, but replacing this trust with a culture of state surveillance and inter-community suspicion risks causing irreparable damage to our social cohesion. Proponents of the bill have failed to provide verifiable data or official records demonstrating any systemic pattern of forced or fraudulent conversions in Goa, suggesting this legislation is politically motivated to polarize communities rather than address a public grievance. Furthermore, such measures directly undermine Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion.
This legislative push also ignores the contributions of Christian institutions. The Church’s record is one of selfless service rather than proselytization. When citizens must proactively prove their innocence just to exercise their fundamental right to worship, it signals a dangerous breakdown in civil liberties. Goa’s strength lies in its shared traditions and historical unity, and we urge lawmakers to refrain from introducing divisive measures that serve short-term political ends at the expense of long-term social harmony.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
