Pokhara, April 2

Former president Ram Baran Yadav has drawn the government’s attention to the need to stop the increasing trend of conversions happening in exchange for money.

“What seems a simple thing today could assume a serious problem tomorrow, so it’s high time the government brought necessary laws to stop the change-faith-for-money practice,” argued the former president, while giving away Kriti Smriti Journalism Britti Samman award to leading journalist Kishor Nepal in Pokhara today.

“We need to respect all faiths but getting people to change their religion by promising them lucre is wrong. As such practice has grown in the country of late, we must stop such wrong practices now itself. Even the MPs must raise this issue in the Parliament,” Yadav further noted.

The former president harked back on his role as the president in the past to prevent conflict that could have arisen over the constitution.

“There were grievances in the Madhes regarding the statute, but I as the president then made sure that those differences didn’t give way to any conflict between the hills and the Madhes,” he remarked, urging all to preserve the latest political gains achieved at the expense of a huge sacrifice.

While Yadav expressed displeasure at the government intention to control press freedom, he also rapped the main opposition for failing to take up the role of a strong opposition.

“The government is trying to curtail press freedom, it seems, which, if true, is sure to put democracy at risk,” he said, calling on mediapersons to be vigilant against such attempts of the government.

Journalist Nepal received a purse of 111,111 rupees with the award.