Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04CHENNAI1315
2004-11-02 08:35:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Chennai
Cable title:  

"NON-FUNCTIONAL" TAMIL NADU ANTI-CONVERSION ACT NOW

Tags:  PHUM PREL SOCI IN 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS CHENNAI 001315 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL SOCI IN
SUBJECT: "NON-FUNCTIONAL" TAMIL NADU ANTI-CONVERSION ACT NOW
"DEAD"

REF: 03 Chennai 675

UNCLAS CHENNAI 001315

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL SOCI IN
SUBJECT: "NON-FUNCTIONAL" TAMIL NADU ANTI-CONVERSION ACT NOW
"DEAD"

REF: 03 Chennai 675


1. (U) SUMMARY: After defeat at the polls in May, Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa quickly reversed a number
of initiatives that she had undertaken during the previous
three years. Among the reversals was the controversial
Tamil Nadu Anti-Conversion Law banning forcible religious
conversions. The Anti-Conversion Law, which the government
never enforced, is now history. END SUMMARY.

--------------
The Anti-Conversion Law & Its Repeal
--------------


2. (U) In October 2002, the Government of Tamil Nadu (GoTN)
proposed an ordinance banning religious conversions that are
carried out by "force, allurement, or fraudulent means"
(REFTEL). The GoTN framed rules to implement the Anti-
Conversion Law and passed it by ordinance in March 2003.
Passage by ordinance does not require approval by the state
legislature. Following her defeat in the May, 2004
parliamentary elections, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
Jayalalithaa announced the repeal of the Anti-Conversion Law
along with a variety of other policy course changes ranging
from reinstatement of free power for farmers to free bus
passes for students. Two senior GoTN officials recently
confirmed to Pol Off the repeal of the Anti-Conversion Law,
and the fact that no legislative approval is required to
implement its repeal. Mr. T. Pitchandi, GoTN Secretary for
Public and Rehabilitation, pronounced the post-mortem, "The
anti-conversion bill is dead".

--------------
A "Non-Functional" Law
--------------


3. (U) Mr. Ramagopalan, who convened the Hindu Munnani, an
NGO espousing Hindu causes, described the Anti-Conversion
Law as "non-functional." He added, "The Hindu Munnani filed
over 1,000 cases of conversions in 2003 but police stations
did not take appropriate action to register them." Vishwa
Hindu Parishad (VHP) General Secretary Mr. R. Narayanswami
said that even after passing the act in 2003 the government
"did not make sincere efforts to identify conversions" that
took place in Tamil Nadu. He blamed this inaction on the
state government's concern about not antagonizing minority
voters in the run-up to the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
Christian authorities confirmed that conversions of Tamil
Nadu citizens continued during 2003-2004 but were performed
out of state.

--------------
Repeal & Its Repercussions
--------------


4. (U) COMMENT: All communities agreed that the reversal of
the Anti-Conversion Law was a clear attempt by Chief
Minister Jayalalithaa to regain popularity in the wake of
the 2004 elections. Following a huge electoral defeat,
Jayalalithaa announced the reversal of many measures taken
over the last three years including abandoning the
controversial Anti-Conversion Law. While she presumably
hopes reversing the law will attract votes from some who
voted against her party in May, Hindu groups suggest her
party may lose some share of the majority Hindu vote. Mr.
Narayansami reminded Pol FSN that the, "Pro-Hindu Bharatiya
Janata Party at the center dislodged the Hindutva
(nationalism) plank and faced the consequences." END
COMMENT

HAYNES