Thread by @Raksha_Kumar

As we end 2020, it is a good time to look back at an explicitly unconstitutional law, which is brandished with utmost impunity. #TooMuchDemocracy?
Here are some fun facts about the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020. A compilation.
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Usually, police takes years to update themselves about laws. For instance, sex workers complain that police still use the Immoral Traffic (Suppression) Act of 1956 to harass them, even though the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act was passed in its place in 1986.
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The UP Ordinance or #LoveJihadLaw was promulgated on Nov 28. And first case was registered within hours of its passing.
Efficiency max?
It has been a month and there are 35 arrests in a dozen FIRs
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indianexpress.com/article/india/…

Ever tried lodging an FIR? You will come up against mountains of resistance from the police. They do not want unsolved cases in their books. They try to coerce, nudge, lure you away from filing an FIR.
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But, on Nov 29, Bareilly police promptly filed the 1st case of religious conversion, under the new Ordinance.
Some complaints are more important than others. Priorities?
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scroll.in/latest/979782/…

The UP law has the same punishment for religious conversion as other major crimes - a non-bailable offence, inviting penalties up to 10 years in prison if found to be guilty.
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While eight states have banned religious conversions by force, fraud or allurement and inducement of money, only the Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and UP laws place a ban on conversion through marriage.
It is 2020, are women still fight for their agency? Oh yeah. 7/n

Another interesting aspect of the law is that it has a special provision for conversions of women of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities.
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While this might be the case in certain other state laws too, it assumes a different seriousness in Uttar Pradesh, where according to the NCRB, caste atrocity is the highest in the country.
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newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/oc…

Let’s consider the 7th case filed under #LoveJihadLaw". The news report says “22-year-old labourer Afzal for allegedly kidnapping a girl from near her residence in the Kotwali area on December 7. The police said they had rescued the girl and conducted a medical examination”

Why not use IPC section 363? It is because it is a congnizable office and bailable? Legal experts do weigh in.
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indianexpress.com/article/cities…

Make no mistake, the #UttarPradesh law was a 'success' - it achieved its intended goals.
That's what compelled #HimachalPradesh to jump up and say, they had done it first!
indianexpress.com/article/india/…

Here's some commentary on the ordinance.
The new law does not allow for fluid identities writes @jyotipunwani
indianexpress.com/article/opinio…

"The attempt to rob women of their agency is an attempt to produce a docile female population that does as it is told" writes @insiyahv
indianexpress.com/article/opinio…

#UttarPradesh #LoveJihadLaw curbs #Dalit Rights writes @ShoaibDaniyal
scroll.in/article/981591…

I am not sure how much things will change in 2021. But, more and more young people coming forward to marry by exercising their choice is what brings in hope
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