Freedom of Religion/History/Country sources/India
What is the oldest written source in this country that mentions this right?
India
The Constitution of India was ratified on November 29, 1949. Articles 15, 16.2, 23.2, 25, 26, 27, 29.2, 30, and 325 grant religious Freedom, equality, and prohibit religious discrimination. Article 371 grants special religious protections throughout various states and religions of India.
Article 25 Section 1 states that “[s]ubject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion” (constituteproject.org). According to the US Department of State in 2021, “ten of 28 states have laws restricting religious conversions. Four state governments have laws imposing penalties against so-called forced religious conversions for the purpose of marriage…” (state.gov).
Following independence from Britain, India created its draft constitution in 1948, which was the first document to grant Indians freedom of speech and expression. This right was reaffirmed in the 1949/50 Constitution.
References
Constituent Assembly. “The Constitution of India.” Government of India. Department of Legislation , November 26, 2021. Last modified November 26, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/COI...pdf.
English original text of the Draft Constitution of 1948, 652 (2011) https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?collection=cow&handle=hein.cow/zzin0011&id=4&men_tab=srchresults
English original text of the Constitution of 1949, 39 (2011) https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?collection=cow&handle=hein.cow/zzin0012&id=6&men_tab=srchresults
“India - United States Department of State.” U.S. Department of State, June 10, 2022. https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-report-on-international-religious-freedom/india/.
“India 1949 (Rev. 2016) Constitution.” Constitute. Accessed July 21, 2023. https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/India_2016.