India keeps cool on Pope's conversion remarks

New Delhi, May 19: In a diplomatic reaction to Pope Benedict's condemnation of reported attempts to ban religious conversions in India, the Ministry of External Affairs Ministry today said it is a universally acknowledged fact that India is a secular country.

''It is acknowledged universally that India is a secular and democratic country in which adherents of all religious faiths enjoy equal rights. The Constitution of India states that all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion,'' a foreign office spokesman told reporters, responding to queries on the Pope's remarks.

In a speech in Paris yesterday, the Pope reportedly condemned attempts to ban religious conversions in India, stating that this reflected the growing tension among major faiths about the role and nature of missionary work.

In unusually strong language, the Pontiff told New Delhi's new ambassador to the Vatican that efforts in some states to outlaw conversions were unconstitutional and should be rejected.

It was his second declaration this week in defence of religious freedom in countries with non-Christian majorities. On Monday, he urged Muslim countries to give their Christian minorities the same rights as Muslims enjoyed in Western states.

UNI

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