Imagine a poor Christian family in a village. A neighbor with a grudge tells the police they were pressured into converting. No proof is needed to start the case. The pastor can be arrested, and under many of these laws he must prove his own innocence from jail. That is how anti-conversion laws work in practice across a growing number of Indian states, and the political movement pushing them is Hindutva, led by the RSS and carried into government by the BJP.
What the laws say and how they’re used
India’s Constitution promises every citizen the right to “freely profess, practice and propagate” their religion (Article 25). Yet the laws passed in state after state, usually called “Freedom of Religion Acts,” criminalize conversion by “force, fraud or allurement.” The language sounds reasonable, but the definitions are so vague that almost anything can be called “allurement”: a free school, medical care, a meal, or a gift at Christmas.
Many of these laws also share features that make them easy to abuse:
- Complaints can sometimes be filed by relatives or even third parties, not just the person who converted.
- The burden of proof often falls on the accused.
- Penalties can be severe, and in some states reach many years in prison.
- Some require officials to approve a conversion in advance, which puts the state between a person and their own conscience.
Christian organizations such as the United Christian Forum and the Evangelical Fellowship of India document hundreds of incidents of harassment, mob attacks and arrests every year. In many reported cases, prayer meetings were broken up and pastors arrested on complaints from people who had no relationship with those worshipping. The accusations are made far more often than any proven case of coerced conversion.
The people behind the laws
These laws did not appear from nowhere. They are promoted by Hindutva, a political ideology that defines India as a Hindu nation and treats other faiths as foreign. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is the movement’s parent organization, with affiliates including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Bajrang Dal and the BJP.
The RSS has been banned three times by the Indian government: after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 (by Nathuram Godse, a former member), during the Emergency in 1975, and after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Its supporters say it is a cultural and service organization, and that its bans were lifted because no wrongdoing was proven. Its critics point to the violence committed by affiliated groups. Both sides should be heard, but the record deserves attention:
- Graham Staines, 1999. The Australian missionary, who worked with leprosy patients in Odisha, was burned to death in his vehicle with his two young sons, aged ten and six. The attacker, Dara Singh, was linked to the Bajrang Dal and convicted. His wife Gladys publicly forgave the killers, a response straight out of the Gospel.
- Kandhamal, 2007-2008. Waves of violence in Odisha killed around a hundred people, mostly Christians, destroyed thousands of homes and hundreds of churches and displaced tens of thousands of people. Some of the accused came from Hindutva-affiliated groups. Investigators and the Hindu groups involved disagree on who was responsible for the killing of the VHP leader that sparked the violence, and many Christians were imprisoned for it despite doubts about their guilt.
- Continuing attacks. Churches vandalized, pastors beaten, converts forced to “return” in “ghar wapsi” ceremonies, and mobs that act while police look on.
I am not claiming that every member of these organizations supports violence. What I am saying is that a movement whose affiliates are tied to this record should not be writing the laws that govern Christians’ freedom of worship, and that the state should protect minorities, not pass laws that make them easier targets.
What the Bible says about conversion
The Christian answer to forced conversion is simple: Jesus never forced anyone. He invited.
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.” (Revelation 3:20)
A faith that is forced is not faith. The gospel is spread by persuasion, which means the church should welcome any investigation into real coercion. Christians should be the first to say that anyone who bribes or threatens people into baptism is wrong. But that is not what the laws prohibit. They go after people who share the gospel, give help and welcome people who come freely.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31)
Peter and John, ordered by the authorities to stop speaking about Jesus, gave the answer Christians have given ever since:
“We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
Paul reminds us how to respond to those who wrong us:
“Recompense to no man evil for evil… If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:17-18)
“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.” (Romans 12:14)
Why these laws are wrong, even for non-Christians
Anti-conversion laws should trouble everyone, not only Christians.
- They violate conscience. The right to change your faith is basic. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which India supports, protects it explicitly in Article 18.
- They treat adults like children. They assume a Dalit, a tribal villager or a poor woman cannot make a spiritual choice for themselves and must have been tricked.
- They are selective. “Reconversion” to Hinduism is treated by many of these laws as a “return home” and is often exempt.
- They invite abuse. Where any accusation can land someone in jail, personal grudges and mob justice follow.
- They hurt the people they claim to protect. Many who convert to Christianity are Dalits and tribals seeking dignity the caste system denied them. The laws tell them their choice does not count.
Where the argument should be careful
Not every Hindu supports these laws. Many Hindus, including many in India, oppose them as a violation of the constitution, and Hindu friends and neighbors have often protected Christians. Our dispute is with an ideology and with laws, not with a people. Jesus said to love our neighbors and our enemies (Matthew 5:44), and that means praying for those who persecute the church, including the people who write and enforce these laws.
What Christians can do
- Pray for persecuted believers, for officials, and for those who oppose the church. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
- Support organizations that document persecution and provide legal help.
- Speak to elected representatives and international bodies about the right to religious freedom.
- Live in a way that shows the gospel is good news for everyone.
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)
The church in India has endured this before, and history shows it grows under pressure. No law can stop a person from calling on the name of the Lord.
Glory to Jesus Christ, who sets the captive free, and no human law can chain His gospel.