Christians wary as Indian state adopts stricter anti-conversion law

Christian leaders in India’s eastern state of Chhattisgarh have raised concerns about a stricter anti-conversion law that replaces a 1968 legislation, saying it aims to target religious minorities, particularly Christians.

The state legislature passed the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 on March 19, imposing severe penalties, including life imprisonment, for conversions through force, fraud, allurement, or misrepresentation.

The pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party, which enjoys a majority in the house, passed the bill, but to become a full-fledged law, it requires the assent of the state governor, the federal government’s representative in the state.

The state, formed in 2000, inherited the 1968 law from Madhya Pradesh state, from which it was carved out. The new law, besides stipulating harsh punishments, also adds new provisions.

Notably, the bill specifies that converting people back to their original or ancestral religion will not be considered a violation, effectively making the reconversion of Christians to Hinduism or tribal religion not a crime.

The new draft law also expands the definition of “allurement” to include not only traditional inducements, like cash or material offers, but also digital and other economic incentives.

Individuals planning to change their religion, as well as those conducting the ceremony, must submit prior declarations to district authorities. Post-conversion verification has also become mandatory, greatly increasing administrative oversight.

The draft law also requires the creation of special courts in each district and the appointment of dedicated public prosecutors to ensure quicker trials.

Critics have questioned the need for a new law, fearing it could target mission activities.

Kamal Kujur of the Rashtriya Christian Morcha, a national forum of Christians, said that even routine religious activities, such as prayer gatherings, could be misinterpreted as attempts to lure people into conversion.

Any Christian mission activity could be construed as force, fraud, or allurement, and as illegal activities for conversion. “Thus the new legislation could be used to target minority communities, particularly Christians and Muslims,” he told UCA News on March 23.

Kujur urged Christians in Chhattisgarh to “remain calm but vigilant,” and further warned them to “carry out their activities responsibly and avoid actions that could be misunderstood.”

Binay Lakra, a Christian activist based in the state capital Raipur, called the proposed law “an infringement on the constitutional right to freedom of religion.”

He argued that there is no evidence of widespread illegal conversions in the state and highlighted the long-standing role of Christian institutions in education and healthcare.
Across India, so-called anti-conversion laws — officially known as Freedom of Religion Acts — are enforced in thirteen states, regulating religious conversions through legal and administrative measures.

In Chhattisgarh, Christians make up less than two percent of the state’s roughly 30 million residents, raising concerns among community leaders about the potential effects of the new legislation.

This article was originally published on https://www.ucanews.com/news/christians-wary-as-indian-state-adopts-stricter-anti-conversion-law/112424