Church leaders and rights activists have deplored the passing of sweeping changes to the anti-conversion law in a northern Indian state where Christians complain of harassment. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which provides for stricter punishment, including life imprisonment for fraudulent or forced conversion, was passed by the state assembly on July 30.
Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, is ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The National Council of Churches in India, in a July 31 statement, said the amended law “violates the provisions of the Indian Constitution” and “adversely affects the harmonious life in India and the basic rights of its citizens.”“Conversion itself is not an offense unless induced by undue influence, misrepresentation, or coercion, which only the victim can claim,” stressed the council, an ecumenical forum of Protestant and Orthodox churches in India. Reverend Asir Ebenezer, council general secretary, said the amended law grants extensive authority to officials and any third parties and can be misused to target specific individuals or communities based on religious prejudice. “The law is a risk… for heightened harassment and criminalization of peaceful religious practices, including baptism in Christianity,” he added. The earlier law allowed only a victim or a blood relative to file a complaint against illegal conversion. However, the amended law states that “any information related to violation of the provisions of the Act can be given by any person” to police or authorities. In the case of mass religious conversions, the jail terms have been increased to 7-14 years from 3-10, and fines to 100,000 rupees (US$1,250) from 50,000 rupees.
Earlier, the maximum punishment provided for marrying a woman by deceiving her and converting her was ten years, with a fine of Rs 50,000. The amended law prescribes imprisonment for 20 years or entire life. Also, all the alleged crimes under the amended law have been made non-bailable, which means a mere allegation of conversion can land suspects in jail with no hope of bail. The bill will become effective after the Uttar Pradesh governor, who is the constitutional head of the state, signs it. The Christian council said that “the anti-conversion law encroaches on the constitutional right to freely practice and profess religion, a fundamental human right recognized by both the Indian Constitution and international human rights standards.” Minakshi Singh, a Christian activist based in Uttar Pradesh, condemned the passing of the amendments to the anti-conversion law. “A law against conversion already exists in the state. Does it mean the government is not sure its previous law passed in 2020 was not effective enough?” she asked UCA News. Singh, who is general secretary of the charity, Unity in Compassion, said the amended law “threatens to aggravate communal tensions and undermine India’s diverse religious society.” Muhammad Arif, chairman of the Centre for Harmony and Peace, said the BJP government was playing the communal game and harassing religious minority groups. Christians make up less than 1 percent of more than 200 million people in Uttar Pradesh, and more than 80 percent of them are Hindus.