Insta
Nepal Criminalises Religious Conversions And Hurting Religious Sentiments
Christians in a Nepali Church. Nepal has documented rapid growth of the Christian population. (Anna Keating)
Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandary signed a bill last week criminalising forced religious conversions with a jail term of up to five years, reported Newsmax.
An excerpt of the new law, sanctioned by the Nepalese President, reads, “No one should involve or encourage conversion of religion. No one should convert a person from one religion to another religion or profess their religion and belief with similar intention by using or not using any means of attraction and by disturbing religion or belief of any ethnic groups or community that has been practised since ancient times.”
The report also said that a penalty of Rs 2,000 and a prison term of up to two years would be imposed on any person undermining or hurting religious sentiments. Although Hinduism dominates the religious fabric of Nepal, the country has documented a rapid growth of the Christian population, one of the fastest in the world.
The Nepalese high command has received flak from various institutions for having passed laws which would inhibit the religious freedom of the minorities.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
