The central Indian state of Chhattisgarh is set to replace its existing anti-conversion law with a new one like Uttar Pradesh’s draconian anti-conversion law to make it difficult to change one’s religion.

The proposed law calls for strict punishment for those who conduct “forced conversions.”

Media reports have discussed the virtues of the proposed law, stating that, at present, there is no such procedure in Chhattisgarh in which the process of conversion can be given legality. At the request of a follower of a particular religion, people accept that religion and, by adopting their method of worship, start calling themselves followers of that religion.

Therefore, the entire conversion process will be brought under the ambit of one rule. If someone changes his religion outside this rule, the new religion would not be recognized legally. Legal action would be taken against the person who converted the other individual by luring or through pressure.

It is alleged that in the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh, especially in Bastar, Jashpur, and Raigarh provinces, indigenous people are being converted to Christianity on a large scale. This allegation has become a matter of controversy.

In 2023, the Narayanpur area of ​​Bastar, for example, witnessed factional conflicts over religious conversions from aboriginal animism to Christianity, leading to many violent clashes between the indigenous people and the Christian converts among them.

For this reason, the Chhattisgarh government started formulating a strict and formidable law in early 2024 to avoid such disputes over religious conversions. Now, the law is set to become a reality.

Those who drafted the new law considered similar laws in nearly 10 states. Of these laws, Uttar Pradesh’s is considered the strictest. For this reason, a large part of the Freedom of Religion Act in Uttar Pradesh will be taken up here. Under this, special attention is being given to creating a uniform process and giving strict punishment to those convicted under the law.

Chhattisgarh is being ruled by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one of its leaders, Prabal Pratap Singh Judeo, who also belongs to a former royal family, recently stated that religious conversions are rampant in the state.

Judeo also stressed the imperative to delist people who have adopted Christianity or any other religion and continue to avail benefits of reservation exclusively meant for Scheduled Tribes.

Chhattisgarh has had an anti-conversion law in place since 1968, and the BJP government has repeatedly tried to amend the law and make it more stringent. It seems that this time, its ultimate goal is becoming a reality.