Conversion Must Be Definitely Banned Nationally Right Now: Sageer Khan

Personal Experience and Beliefs

In 1994, in the Mackronia locality of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, my very best friend Sageer Khan profoundly influenced my thinking by instilling in me the belief that religious conversion is a crime worse than any other. At that time, I was deeply influenced by his explanation of Islam and even expressed my desire to convert and become a Muslim. However, Sageer Khan reacted in a most unexpected and emotional manner—he began crying, held my hand, placed it on his head, and made me take an oath that I would never abandon Hinduism or Mahadev Baba, whom I had worshipped all my life. In the same breath, he vowed that he would never renounce Islam or Allah, and insisted that I should neither enter a mosque nor even look towards one.

He explained that religions are simply different paths leading to the same ultimate goal, much like a mountaineer choosing different routes to reach the summit of a mountain. Sageer further emphasized that we should never abandon the religion into which we are born, as it is ordained by God—whom I call Mahadev and he calls Allah—and that this bond is as non-negotiable as our relationship with our parents and our nation. I silently acknowledged his words and nodded in agreement.

Views On Conversion And History

Sageer Khan further stated:

“It is better to sacrifice one’s life than to convert under pressure, as illustrated in historical narratives such as that of Rani Padmini during the time of Alauddin Khilji. Similarly, Sikh Gurus Arjan Dev and Guru Tegh Bahadur chose martyrdom over conversion.

According to him, conversion is the gravest sin and has historically been used as a strategic tool by powerful nations such as the USA and the UK. He alleged that these nations promote division globally despite presenting themselves as ‘united,’ drawing parallels with international institutions like the United Nations.

He further claimed that such powers have historically influenced divisions in countries, particularly India, and have contributed to communal tensions. He referred to historical figures such as Sardar Bhagat Singh and events like the partition of Punjab and the Khalistan movement, stating that these have left deep scars.

He also made claims about sectarian divisions among Muslims, particularly between Sunnis and Shias, and cited figures like Mohammad Ali Jinnah in the context of Pakistan’s creation.

He asserted that India remains comparatively safer and more tolerant, emphasizing that Hindus are among the most tolerant communities globally.

Additionally, he expressed strong views about global powers, alleging that they are responsible for conflicts, divisions, and policies like ‘divide and rule.’ He suggested that future global peace would come only after these influences are diminished.

He further stated that India could regain unity similar to the pre-partition era and argued that religious conversion played a major role in the partition of India in 1947.

He questioned why the central government has not imposed a nationwide ban on religious conversion and called for strict legal measures against it. He also advocated for a uniform ban on polygamy, linking it to population growth and conversion issues.

Concluding, he argued that the idea that religious conversion cannot influence or divide a nation is flawed, citing the partition of India as a key example.”

Present Context (2026)

Now we are in 2026 and we still see that conversion has not been banned nationally because of lack of political will to take any bold decision on this just like we see in case of implementation of uniform civil code which Apex Court keeps directing time and again so many times yet not even polygamy abolished for all most disgracefully!

Legal Framework In India

It must be laid bare that India’s first anti-conversion statute was Odisha’s Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 which had specifically criminalized conversion by force, inducement or fraud with comparatively light penalties capped at short prison terms and modest fines.

State-Wise Laws

Key Provisions

• Conversion by force, inducement, fraud or misrepresentation penalized
• Life imprisonment in cases of “mass conversion” (Chhattisgarh Bill)
• Offences cognizable and non-bailable
• Reconversion to ancestral religion not treated as conversion

Criticism And Concerns

What I find most particularly baffling is that why Centre led by PM Narendra Modi is not banning conversion nationally despite knowing fully well its dangerous implications and which is encouraged to the hilt by USA and UK and their allies as they are not happy with just one partition of India in 1947? Why even forced religious conversion is not being banned nationally? Is it because of maximum foreign funding to ruling party BJP which gets maximum funding as was disclosed in electoral bond case?

Personal View

To be brutally honest, I have just no idea but conversion must be definitely banned and especially forced conversion as it brooks no more delay any longer now!

State Action Example

Interestingly enough, we see that Gujarat which is home State of PM Narendra Modi halts State grants to institutions accused of illegal religious conversions as soon as chargesheets are filed, without waiting for a conviction. But still this is not being done nationally most disgracefully due to lack of political will power which definitely depicts a sorry picture of the deplorable state of affairs and makes for most depressing reading!

Judicial Perspective

One must be candid enough to concede that the only silver lining in this is the Supreme Court’s most laudable 1977 judgment in Rev. Stainislaus vs State of Madhya Pradesh which held that the right to “propagate” religion under Article 25 of the Constitution does not include a right to convert others and upheld early anti-conversion laws from Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

Conclusion And Strong Views

One fervently hope that the Judges of Supreme Court will not become a willing stooge in the hands of USA and UK and justify conversion on one pretext or the other and Centre must also have the guts, gall and gumption to catch the bull by the horns and ban conversion on a national level and punish most stringently those who indulge in conversion and especially mass conversion as it clearly aims to destabilize the demography of India to facilitate very quickly the partition of India just like retention of polygamy encourages conversion which must also be abolished for all and those who encourage mass conversion must be dealt with iron hands as my very best friend Sageer Khan always wanted more than three decades ago from 1993 onwards!

Sageer Khan Statement

Sageer Khan said that, “Centre must ban conversion completely and those who encourage conversion without using any force must be punished for 10 years to 20 years in prison and those who forcibly convert must be punished only and only by shooting them in public and should not allow any of his relatives to attend his last rites and should not be given proper burial so that no one dares to again ever indulge in forcible conversion.”

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Need For Parity In High Court Benches

It is high time and all the High Courts and the Supreme Court also must stop giving conversion a degree of legitimacy on one pretext or the other and should rather strive to ensure parity in distribution of High Court Benches in different States and different regions which we don’t see happening most unfortunately even though this directly concerns judiciary and yet only five elite States have multiple High Court Benches – Maharashtra, Assam, Karnataka, West Bengal and Assam leaving big States like UP and Rajasthan with just one High Court Bench and States like Orissa, Bihar and Gujarat with not even one Bench most shockingly! Why West UP which owes for majority of pending cases of Allahabad High Court which is highest in not just UP but all across the nation has not even a High Court Bench nor even a Circuit Bench to say the very least? This is really terrible!

Serious Concern Over Issue

It definitely cannot be lightly dismissed by anyone and has to be taken most seriously by all of us that it is none other than the Allahabad High Court in a most learned judgment titled Kailash vs State of UP in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. – 19442 of 2024 and cited in Neutral Citation No. – 2024 : AHC : 105940 that has been pronounced as recently as on July 1, 2024 has minced just no words to say in no uncertain terms most unequivocally while expressing most serious concern on huge conversions that unlawful conversion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes SC/ST and economically poor persons to Christianity was being done at rampant pace throughout Uttar Pradesh. Most worryingly, the Bench minced absolutely just no words to say most clearly that the majority population of the country would become the minority one day, if religious congregations where conversions take place are not stopped. No denying it.

Court Observations And Legal Context

It must be also further disclosed here that the Single Judge Bench comprising of Hon’ble Mr Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal of the Allahabad High Court made these so very crucial observations while dismissing the bail plea of an accused after perusing it very minutely in detail under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. Very rightly so! It was also observed by the Bench that Article 25 of the Constitution of India provides for “freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion” but does not provide for conversion from one faith to another faith. The Bench also sought to clarify on “propagation” that, “The word “propagation” means to promote, but it does not mean to convert any person from his religion to another religion.”

Call For National Action

All told, it is trite to say that conversions must actually be now totally banned not just from few States as we see right now but from all over India on a national scale as it is high time now and for which Centre must definitely take the much needed initiative just like it has done to amend the penal laws as we cannot gloss over or take lightly what the Allahabad High Court has expressed its utmost concern over the huge conversions taking place. There can be no more dilly-dallying on this as it brooks no more delay any longer now!

Threats Highlighted

• Use of inducements like money to secure conversions
• Potential threat to national security
• Rapid change in population demography
• Targeting economically weaker sections

We have seen that how many missionaries groups on many occasions give lure of huge money and what not just to secure conversions which definitely is a very big potential threat not just to one religion alone but to our national security also as the population demography can be easily changed very fast by mass conversions as pointed out in this brilliant judgment by Allahabad High Court who very rightly held that, “It has come into notice of this Court in several cases that unlawful activity of conversion of people of SC/ST castes and other castes including economically poor persons into Christianity is being done at rampant pace throughout the State of Uttar Pradesh.”

Final Arguments And Suggestions

It is not just the illiterate people but also literate people who too many times get brain washed and indulge in wrong acts which are inimical to our national interests which has to be checked, combated and crushed completely by ensuring that no conversion is ever allowed in India under any circumstances whatsoever!

Not all are lucky like me to get a friend like Sageer Khan who regularly accompanied me to temple of Lord Hanuman and Devi Durga in Mandir Marg in Civil Lines in Sagar in Madhya Pradesh for two years from April 1993 to April 1995!

It is definitely high time and now what most commendable initiative we see that the UP State Government is taking must definitely be implemented nationally also most promptly so that those who indulge in forced or fraudulent conversions are sent behind bars at least for life if not killed publicly as my very best friend Sageer Khan wanted most desperately!

Minimum Safeguards

• Complete ban on forced conversions
• Strict punishment for fraudulent conversions
• Uniform national implementation of laws

If conversion cannot be banned completely because of “freedom of choice to practice the religion of his/her choice” as enshrined in Constitution the least that can be done is to completely ban forced or fraudulent conversion and those who are still found to be indulging in it rampantly must be strictly punished with the same punishment as we see has been done by the UP State Government! No denying or disputing it!

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