Write a essay on secularism of Himachal Pradesh
Answers
Explanation:
The state had already enacted a law in 2007 which prohibited conversion from one religion to another by force or fraud. Last year it introduced a more stringent version of the legislation.
There was a rise in conversions by fraudulent means and unless checked well in time.
Such practice may erode the confidence and mutual trust between the different ethnic and religious groups in the state.
According to the Act, “no person shall convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any other person from one religion to another by use of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, inducement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage; nor shall any person abet or conspire such conversion”.
The Act does not cover a person re-converting to his “parent religion”.
It further says that any marriage done for the sole purpose of religion conversion may be declared null and void by a court on a petition by either party.
As per the Act, anyone who wishes to convert to any other religion will give a declaration to the district authorities at least one month in advance, specifying that one is doing so as per his/her “own volition or free consent”.
In fact, even the religious priest who performs the conversion ceremony has to inform the authorities at least one month in advance.
The district magistrate will then conduct an inquiry regarding the “intention, purpose and cause of proposed conversion”.
The conversion will be rendered illegal if the authorities are not informed in advance.
Himachal Pradesh (Hindi: [ɦɪˈmaːtʃəl pɾəˈdeːʃ] (About this soundlisten); lit. "snow-laden province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the eleven mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks and extensive river systems. Himachal Pradesh shares borders with the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the north, and the states of Punjab to the west, Haryana to the southwest, and Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to the south. The state shares a border to the east with the Tibet Autonomous Region in China.
The predominantly mountainous region comprising the present-day Himachal Pradesh has been inhabited since pre-historic times having witnessed multiple waves of human migration from other areas.[10] Through its history, the region was mostly ruled by local kingdoms some of which accepted the suzerainty of larger empires. Prior to India's independence from the British, Himachal comprised the hilly regions of Punjab Province of British India. After independence, many of the hilly territories were organized as the Chief Commissioner's province of Himachal Pradesh which later became a union territory. In 1966, hilly areas of neighboring Punjab state were merged into Himachal and it was ultimately granted full statehood in 1971.
Himachal Pradesh is spread across valleys with many perennial rivers flowing through them. Almost 90% of the state's population lives in rural areas. Agriculture, horticulture, hydropower and tourism are important constituents of the state's economy. The hilly state is almost universally electrified with 99.5% of the households having electricity as of 2016. The state was declared India's second open-defecation-free state in 2016.[11] According to a survey of CMS – India Corruption Study 2017, Himachal Pradesh is India's least corrupt state.[12][13]