Chhattisgarh Assembly Enacts Stricter Anti-Conversion Law
New Legislation Passed
On Thursday, the Chhattisgarh Assembly approved a new bill aimed at regulating religious conversions.
This legislation imposes harsher penalties, including life imprisonment and fines reaching up to Rs 25 lakh for certain violations.
The 2026 Freedom of Religion Bill is set to replace a 1968 law that was originally enacted in undivided Madhya Pradesh, prior to the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000.
The Opposition chose to boycott the session, demanding a more thorough examination of the proposed legislation.
Following the bill's passage, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai informed the media that the law aims to prevent conversions that exploit individuals' poverty and lack of education, as reported by a news outlet.
According to Deo Sai, the previous 1968 law was insufficient in effectively curbing the use of coercion, greed, and deceit in conversion practices.
Key Features of the New Law
Provisions of the Legislation
The new law prohibits converting individuals through methods such as misrepresentation, coercion, undue influence, or any form of allurement.
Individuals wishing to convert must now submit a declaration to the district magistrate or an authorized official, as reported by another news source.
Authorities will then publish the details of the proposed conversion on a designated website and in local government offices within a week.
The law grants officials the authority to verify conversion claims, investigate complaints, and summon relevant records. Objections to proposed conversions can be lodged within a month, prompting an inquiry by the authorities, according to the same news source.
The definition of 'allurement' has been expanded to encompass monetary incentives, gifts, job offers, free education, medical services, promises of improved living conditions, and marriage.
Conversions conducted solely for marriage or those that lead to marriage will be deemed invalid unless proper legal procedures are followed, as reported.
The term 'coercion' is defined to include psychological pressure, physical threats, or social ostracism.
The law mandates that authorities maintain a record of proposed conversions on their website and establish special courts to address matters related to this Act.
For mass conversions, individuals may face a minimum of 10 years in prison, potentially leading to life imprisonment, along with fines of Rs 25 lakh or more.
In cases involving minors, women, individuals with mental health issues, or members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, the minimum fine is set at Rs 10 lakh.
However, reverting to an 'ancestral religion' will not be classified as a conversion under this law, as reported by another news outlet.
With this legislation, Chhattisgarh aligns with several other states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party that have enacted similar laws in recent years.
For instance, the Maharashtra legislature also passed a comparable anti-conversion bill, amid concerns from the Opposition regarding potential misuse of the provisions by authorities and socio-political groups.