Religious Conversions is a very tricky topic to debate in India. Conversions are projected as threat to religion which has been the favourite bogeyman to persecute someone,
anyone since time immemorial. More modern examples are the rise of Hitler, ISIS, Taliban in Afgan/Pak.
It’s a dog whistle that makes the most educated of individuals the most rabid, foaming from the mouth, religion champion.
Everyone is ready to save the souls of lost ones.
Be it the recent outrage by Congress on GharWapsi compaign started by Sangh brotherhood or
forced conversions happened in past muslim rule (yes quite a few people are kind enough to remind me of my supposed hindu ancestry and how weak my forefathers were to give in to force) or
post independence christanity expansion in India through christian missionaries.
Lot of my friends have raised concerns on how unethical is the fact that people sell their religion hence soul for financial benefits (assuming people convert only for that). And each time i only remember this scene from Swades movie where a farmer recounts his poor financial condition. 'Mai bas itna janta hu ke ek julaha jisne kheti-baadi karni chahi wo apne parivar ko do waqt ki roti nahi de sakta, bas unhe bhookh se marta hua dekh sakta hai'. Who am i to condemn such conversion if it helps someone to put food on the table or afford basic necessities like education, health.
Mohan Bhargav goes to collect rent from haridas, a poor farmer.
Other reason which is often ignored by RSS is that, mostly Dalits have converted to other religions (buddhism and christinity) as the lure of being treated with dignity is much more powerful than anything that hinduism with caste discrimation have to offer.
The point i am trying to make is that I believe that All religions should be given a free hand to run conversion programs whether it is ghar wapsi or welcome to Gospel or Call to Allah. If people are willing to change their religion for any reason including financial incentives. They should be allowed to do that As long as there is no coercion (eg burning down of temples/mosque/churches, beating, burning of people) or use of state machinery with inducements that are rights (like ration cards, passports, Aadhar etc). Till there is no market pressure, No religion has reasons to reform.
That's why I do not support Anti-Conversion bill as it will only become a instrument to hold people into their respective faiths they are born into. State should not not interfere in deciding what religion its people should follow or not follow. In fact state must encourage that religion becomes a personal matter.
In effect, let there be a free economy for souls.