In half of India’s states, laws are in force that restrict conversion to another religion. Such a law was recently adopted in the state of Chhattisgarh, and it has proven to be one of the most severe.
This is stated in an article by The Economist.
The law is titled “on freedom of religion,” although in practice it concerns restrictions on freedom. The state of Maharashtra also adopted a similar law last month, bringing the number of states with such legislation to 14 out of 28.
These new laws, more aggressive than their predecessors, have been adopted since 2017 by state governments led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which also governs at the national level. They encourage government and police intervention, establish harsh penalties, and restrict rights related to marriage.
As an example of police intervention, The Economist cites the case of the burial of the Christian Chamru Ram Salam. After a crowd gathered to protest against his Christian burial, the police exhumed the body and hastily removed it.
As the article notes, those wishing to convert to Christianity must notify authorities several months in advance and register publicly, while citizens may file objections, which can trigger a police investigation during which the convert must prove that they were not coerced. In Chhattisgarh, “mass or forced conversions to Christianity” carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of 2.5 million rupees, nearly 26,000 dollars.
Authorities state that the laws protect vulnerable communities from pressure and deception. In Chhattisgarh, according to officials, the perceived threat comes from Christianity, and the victims are members of tribal minorities.
In other regions, concern is widespread over “love jihad,” a conspiracy theory claiming that Muslim men lure Hindu women into marriage in order to convert them to Islam and thereby alter India’s demographic balance in favor of Muslims. The Maharashtra law, for example, prohibits “unlawful conversions through marriage,” allows third parties to file complaints about interfaith marriages, and stipulates that children from such unions must adopt their mother’s religion.
Anti-conversion laws may soon face legal challenges. The Supreme Court of India is considering whether these laws violate constitutional rights to privacy and freedom of conscience. Its ruling will help shape the role of religion in India, where Hindu nationalism is increasingly gaining strength.
For now, however, India’s laws on freedom of religion continue to discredit the very concept they are claimed to protect.
