Dear all,
We, from the Centre for Equity Studies, in collaboration with Rosa
Luxemburg Stiftung and NewsClick invite you today to attend a webinar
on:
The Bogey of Love Jihad:
Constitution, Legality & Social Harmony
18th December (Today), 5pm
We would be in conversation with
Speakers:
Apoorvanand
Meena Kandasamy
Natasha Badhwar
Tanika Sarkar
Vrinda Grover
& Zoya Hasan
Moderated by:
Harsh Mander
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81630860217?pwd=RnJMeFRib2FSNjJxcWlIeVBTZU9XZz09
Passcode: 167772
Webinar ID: 816 3086 0217
Will also be livestreamed in the Centre for Equity Studies Facebook page.
A Note on the theme:
It is a matter of great anxiety that the government of Uttar Pradesh had recently formulated the ‘The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020’ on 27th November 2020. It attempts to provide certain provisions to put restrictions for undergoing religious conversion. Over and above the earlier laws against conversion, this ordinance incorporates a section, where it puts restrictions over interfaith marriages. Over the past few years, the Hindutva forces actively propagated a false-narrative to establish that Muslim men are manipulating Hindu women for marriage as a conspiracy. The Hindutva forces have termed this as ‘Love Jihad’.
This ordinance has not just subverted the constitution but has provided legal sanctions to openly propagate communalism and target the Muslims. The ordinance requires individuals to submit an advanced declaration of the proposed religious conversion sixty days prior, to the District Magistrate. With several brutal incidents of ‘(dis)honour-killing’ for ‘inter-faith’ and ‘inter-caste’ marriages coming to the fore, it is more than certain that this law would increase pressure on the individuals, which will lead to further brutality. It’s a direct attack on individual freedom even to choose one's partner. This ordinance is also an onslaught on the provisions guaranteed in the ‘Special Marriages Act’, which allows individuals from different religions for a marriage under the Special Marriage Act.
In the recent past, we have witnessed many instances, where the law is used in an openly discriminatory manner, according to the religion of the individual. It would widen the divide in the society, where It differentiates between Muslim men marrying Hindu women and Hindu men marrying Muslim women. This ordinance would perpetuate the ‘Brahmanical Patriarchy’ and it would push back the progressive interventions and advances gained by the progressive women’s movement in India. We have long witnessed similar violence and misuse of law when adult Dalit men have consensual relations with adult women of advantaged castes.
Now, the legal sanction to this hate-filled agenda requires larger public debate and condemnation.
Regards,
Harsh Mander and CES team.
