Christians slam Indian state’s ‘black law’ against so-called conversions

Thousands of Christians took to the streets across the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on March 28, voicing strong opposition to the state’s newly passed, stricter anti-conversion law.

The Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, passed by the State Assembly on March 19, was widely condemned by the demonstrators as a “black law.”

The bill, imposing severe penalties, including life imprisonment, for conversions through force, fraud, allurement, or misrepresentation, will become a fully-fledged law after the assent of the state governor, the federal government’s representative in the state.

It will replace a 1968 law passed by the erstwhile Madhya Pradesh state, from which the separate state of Chhattisgarh was carved out in 2000.

Christian groups representing different denominations participated in the protests held across 33 districts of Chhattisgarh.

Catholic Bishop Antonis Bara of Ambikapur diocese said it was the first time that Christians across denominations came together for a cause under the aegis of the Samyukt Masihi Samaj (United Christian Society).

More than 5,000 Christians joined the protests in his diocese. “Our people fear that the proposed law will be misused by vested interests to harass them,” Bara told UCA News on March 30.

Bishop Paul Toppo of Raigarh said more than 3,000 Christians, including Catholics, participated in the protest in his diocese.

The community feared that even routine religious practices — such as prayer meetings — might be misinterpreted as conversion activity under the new law, he said.

Toppo called for restraint within the community, urging his people to remain calm and vigilant.

Sunil Minj, an organizing member of the Bharat Mukti Morcha (India Freedom Front), said the demonstrations reflect a deep concern within the community and questioned Chhattisgarh’s pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party government’s approach.

“It should have consulted key stakeholders before introducing such legislation,” he said.

Minj stressed that the new bill goes against the spirit of the Indian Constitution, which grants citizens the right to choose their faith.

“Governments cannot decide what religion we follow,” he said.

The social activist said there is no credible evidence of large-scale illegal conversions in the state.

Bishop Emmanuel Kerketta of Jashpur said that “our demand across the state is the same — we want the state government to take back the new bill.”

In the state’s capital, Raipur, thousands attempted to march toward Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor.

The demonstrators presented seven key demands to the authorities, seeking the immediate withdrawal of the proposed law and adequate safeguards against what they described as “false cases” and “arbitrary arrests.”

The protests drew wider support from local Muslim groups and indigenous organizations like the Bastar Bheem Army

The state’s chief minister, Vishnu Deo Sai, defended the law, calling it necessary to protect local cultural identity and maintain social harmony.

Across India, so-called anti-conversion laws — officially known as Freedom of Religion Acts — are currently in force in 13 states, where they regulate religious conversions through a mix of legal requirements and administrative oversight.

In Chhattisgarh, Christians make up less than two percent of the state’s nearly 30 million population.

This small demographic presence has added to concerns among community leaders, who fear that the new law could disproportionately affect them and further complicate the exercise of their religious freedoms.

This article was originally published on https://www.ucanews.com/news/christians-slam-indian-states-black-law-against-so-called-conversions/112583