Religious conversion under pressure in India
Alongside similar measures across the country, a new anti-conversion law in the Indian state of Maharashtra is making it increasingly difficult for Indians to change their faith, reports Ulrich von Schwerin in Neue Zürcher Zeitung (June 16). The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, passed by the state's governing Hindu nationalists in March 2026, threatens up to seven years’ imprisonment for anyone who induces another person to convert through force, violence, fraud or allurement. The law criminalizes offering money, employment, free education, a better standard of living, or the promise of marriage as an incentive to convert. Critics argue that, despite its title, the law does not protect religious freedom but attacks the right to choose one’s faith and endangers the work of Christian schools, Muslim foundations and other faith-based charities. Dolphy D’Souza, spokesman for the Bombay Catholic Sabha, describes the law as an assault on religious minorities, on women, and on the lower castes, who often convert to Christianity to escape the constraints of the caste system. The measure, the article adds, fits a broader narrative promoted by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and allied groups, who claim that Hindus are under threat and that Muslims and Christians are converting them by coercion and trickery.
Maharashtra is not an isolated case: 13 of India’s 28 states have adopted anti-conversion laws. Lawyer Lara Jesani notes that the new law is the harshest yet, with stiffer penalties and a broader definition of forced conversion. Yet, the article stresses that there is no evidence that forced conversions are a widespread problem: the government has never produced supporting figures, and states with existing laws have seen few convictions. Under the new rules, anyone wishing to convert must notify the authorities 60 days in advance, and their names are made public. Crucially, in case an objection is lodged, the burden of proof is reversed, with the accused required to demonstrate that no coercion occurred. The new law also allows courts to annul marriages deemed to have been contracted solely for the purpose of unlawful conversion. Moreover, later in June, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs released an amended version of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) rules. For the first time in the law’s 50-year history, the rules explicitly categorize religious conversion as a prohibited use of foreign funds, explicitly stating that “no activity related to religious conversion shall be permitted” (The Organiser, June 26).