Sign before praying: A new conversion law is affecting churchgoers in Indian state
Some churches in and around Mumbai have started asking worshippers to sign statements saying they came to pray voluntarily, amid fears about Maharashtra’s new anti-conversion law. The forms have no legal standing, but churches keep them in case prayer meetings are challenged or organisers are accused of trying to convert people.
The law bans conversions through force, fraud, coercion or inducement, and requires people planning to convert voluntarily to notify authorities in advance. Unlawful conversion can bring up to seven years in prison, or 10 for repeat offences. The state says the law protects vulnerable people, while critics fear its broad terms and penalties will invite police scrutiny of religious gatherings; reports have documented disrupted Christian prayer meetings and police cases around Mumbai.
- Churches are collecting voluntary attendance declarations amid fears over the new law.
- The law requires advance notice of voluntary conversions and punishes unlawful ones.
- Critics say its broad reach could expose worshippers and organisers to scrutiny.