‘Majority population will be minority if…’: What Allahabad HC said on religious congregations

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday remarked that with the number of religious conversions going on in India, the 'majority population would find itself in the minority'. According to the last census conducted in 2011, Hindus constitute 79.8 per cent of the country's population.

The Allahabad High Court also said that congregations wherein religious conversions occur should be stopped 'immediately'.

Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal made this observation while denying bail to one Kailash, who is accused of taking numerous villagers to social gatherings for religious conversion.

Justice Agarwal said, “The word 'propagation' means to promote, but it does not mean to convert any person from his religion to another religion.”

"In the instant case, there are serious allegations against the applicant by the informant that her brother, along with several others, were taken from their village to attend a gathering in New Delhi and converted to Christianity. The brother of the informant never returned," the court noted.

Kailash is accused of transporting villagers to various ceremonies and converting them to Christianity. The Allahabad High Court cautioned, “Majority population would find itself in the minority if the current trend of conversion in religious congregations is not stopped.”

The court observed in its order that the statements recorded by the investigation officer revealed that Kailash had been taking people to attend religious congregations in New Delhi, where they were being converted to Christianity.

“It has come into notice of this court in several cases that unlawful activity of conversion of people of SC/ST castes and other castes including economically poor persons into Christianity is being done at rampant pace throughout the State of Uttar Pradesh,” the court stated.

The 2011 census data reveal that Hindus constitute 79.8 per cent of the population, Muslims 14.2 per cent, Christians 2.3 per cent, and Sikhs 1.7 per cent.

According to the first information report (FIR), Kailash allegedly took Ramphal, the brother of informant Ramkali Prajapati, to Delhi under the pretext of attending a social gathering. Several others from their village were also brought to such events, where they were purportedly converted to Christianity.

Kailash had assured Ramkali that her mentally ill brother would receive treatment and return within a week. When this did not occur, Ramkali queried Kailash but received an unsatisfactory response. Consequently, she approached the police for assistance.