GUJARAT CHIEF MINISTER BEGINS EFFORT TO RECAST IMAGE WITH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUMBAI 000094 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA AND DRL/IRF FOR JOANELLA MORALES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM IN SUBJECT: GUJARAT CHIEF MINISTER BEGINS EFFORT TO RECAST IMAGE WITH PARTIAL RETREAT ON RELIGIOUS BILL REF: 2007 MUMBAI 479 MUMBAI 00000094 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary: On March 10, the Government of Gujarat (GOG) withdrew a controversial 2007 amendment to a 2003 religious conversion law. Human rights activists informed Congenoffs that the withdrawal of the 2007 amendment was a) unnecessary and b) meaningless without withdrawing the original 2003 legislation that the 2007 proposal sought to amend. The March 10 withdrawal could be interpreted as an attempt by the controversial Gujarat BJP chief minister Narendra Modi to improve his image, which was tarnished by his complicity in the 2002 anti-Muslim violence. End Summary. ¶2. (U) On March 10, the GOG withdrew a 2007 proposal to amend a 2003 law against religious conversion. The proposed 2007 amendment was designed to reclassify Jains and Buddhists as sub-sects of Hinduism in order to avoid violating the 2003 conversion legislation. While introducing the amendment, GOG thought it was making life easier for Jains, who commonly inter-marry with Hindus (usually from the bania or merchant community which forms a large segment of BJP support). However, the Jain community criticized the amendment sharply, saying that they were a separate faith, not a sub-sect. The Governor of Gujarat refused to sign that amendment into law in July 2007 (reftel),pointing out that Article 25 of the Indian Constitution stipulates that all religions have equal status, and that the Indian Supreme Court determined that Jainism and Buddhism are independent religions, rather than sects of Hinduism. Move Toward Greater Religious Tolerance or Smokescreen -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) The 2003 law requires all persons undergoing religious conversion to give prior notice to a district collector (a judicial and administrative officer of the state government). This law has been widely criticized by minority religious groups for asserting temporal authority over a matter of conscience -- choice of religion. Although the law was passed in 2003, the rules and regulations necessary for implementing the law, have yet to be published by the Government of Gujarat. Congenoffs have been informed by constitutional experts and faith-based groups that the law cannot be challenged in the courts until these rules are established and made public. ¶4. (U) Interlocutors have criticized the sudden decision to retract the 2007 amendment by the BJP-led Government of Gujarat, characterizing the move as a smokescreen designed to gain political capital without producing any results. Human rights activist Father Cedric Prakash stated, "Since the Governor had not signed the bill, it had lapsed anyway. Formally withdrawing it is just a big drama. The original 2003 Act still remains in the state. Unless that is withdrawn in totality, withdrawing just the amendment has no meaning." Comment: -------------- ¶5. (U) Pundits speculate that Chief Minister Narendra Modi is actively working to reshape his image which remains tainted by the anti-Muslim violence which erupted in Gujarat in 2002. Following his thumping victory in December 2007, Modi may be trying to reinvent himself as an inclusive leader, acceptable to religious minorities, in order to fulfill his widely suspected national ambitions. Withdrawing this controversial amendment, which greatly offended the affluent and influential Jain community, is likely one small step on his image reshaping agenda. Withdrawing the 2003 Bill might well be the next step in his reinventing project. Modi may be emulating BJP national leader and current PM candidate L.K. Advani who in 2005 made laudatory comments about Pakistan founder M.A. Jinnah to distance himself from the 1992 Ayodhya Babri mosque destruction. In another image-building exercise, CM Modi will be sharing the dais with a world-renowned spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Sankar in MUMBAI 00000094 002.2 OF 002 Mumbai on March 12, to inaugurate an exhibition on 16th century iconic Maratha king Shivaji. OWEN