Protecting the Right to Freedom of Religion

The streets of Bengaluru saw an outpour of citizens in large numbers on 21 December 2021 to protest against the anti-people and unconstitutional Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021. The rally began from Mysore Bank Circle and culminated at Freedom Park. A broad coalition of more than 40 organisations vociferously demanded that the bill be withdrawn as the Government of Karnataka is trampling upon the constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of religion, privacy, and dignity.

Speaking at the protest, advocate and constitutional law expert Arvind Narrain said that the Supreme Court has recognised that individuals have the freedom to dress the way they want, eat what they want, and practise the faith they want. The bill, by seeking to target conversions, interferes with both the human right to dignity and the freedom to practise the faith of their choice. Gowramma of Janwadi Mahila Sanghatan stated that these are dark days in Karnataka, and the bill is not only an attack on religion but also an attack on all women. The bill presumes that women and individuals from the Dalit and Scheduled Caste communities do not have the agency to decide the religion they want to belong to. Demanding that the state withdraw the bill, she asked that the government should instead be paying attention to the problems of nutrition, unemployment, and rising violence against women.