What Happened
- The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly passed the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, replacing earlier anti-conversion legislation with significantly stricter provisions.
- The Bill was tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma; Congress MLAs raised objections and called for broader public consultation before passage.
- The legislation mandates imprisonment of 7–10 years and a fine of ₹5 lakh for general illegal conversions; up to 20 years for conversions involving minors, women, persons with disabilities, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
- The most stringent provision imposes life imprisonment and a fine up to ₹25 lakh for mass conversions — defined as the conversion of more than two persons through force or coercion.
- All offences under the Bill are classified as cognisable and non-bailable.
- Individuals seeking conversion must submit a declaration to the district magistrate; those conducting conversions must give prior intimation to authorities.
- The Bill covers conversions through "force, coercion, undue influence, allurement, misrepresentation, fraudulent means or marriage" — including conversions conducted via digital platforms.
Static Topic Bridges
Constitutional Framework: Right to Religion and the Anti-Conversion Debate
Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees every citizen the "freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion." However, this right is subject to public order, morality, and health — and crucially, the Supreme Court has held that the right to "propagate" religion does not include a right to "convert" another person by using force, fraud, or inducement. This distinction is the constitutional foundation on which state-level anti-conversion laws rest.
- Article 25: Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion (subject to reasonable restrictions).
- Article 26: Freedom to manage religious affairs.
- Article 28: No religious instruction in State-funded educational institutions.
- The Supreme Court in Rev Stainislaus v. State of Madhya Pradesh (1977) held that the right to "propagate" does not include a right to convert, and state anti-conversion laws do not violate Article 25.
- The State List (Schedule VII) includes "public order" as a subject, giving states legislative competence to enact laws preventing forced conversions.
Connection to this news: Chhattisgarh's new Bill operates within this constitutional space but pushes the boundaries significantly — particularly with the mass conversion provision that could apply to organised religious gatherings, raising questions about where "persuasion" ends and "coercion" begins.
State Anti-Conversion Laws: A Legislative Map
Anti-conversion laws (also called "Freedom of Religion Acts") are a state-level phenomenon in India. Odisha became the first state to enact such a law in 1967. Over the decades, multiple BJP-governed states have enacted or strengthened these laws, particularly since 2000. The laws vary significantly in their definitions of prohibited acts, penalties, and procedural requirements.
- States with anti-conversion laws (as of 2026): Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Karnataka, and Maharashtra (passed 2026).
- Maharashtra also passed a Freedom of Religion Bill in March 2026 around the same time, showing coordinated legislative push.
- Madhya Pradesh's Dharma Swatantrya (Freedom of Religion) Act, 2021, similarly introduced marriage-based conversion as an offence.
- Uttar Pradesh's Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021, imposed penalties of up to 10 years and ₹50,000 fine.
- Critics argue these laws are frequently misused to target inter-faith marriages and peaceful missionary activity.
Connection to this news: Chhattisgarh's 2026 Bill represents a further tightening in an already evolving legislative landscape, with the life imprisonment clause for mass conversions being the most severe provision yet enacted in India.
Tribal Rights, Scheduled Tribes, and Religious Conversion
The protection of SC and ST communities from coercive conversion has been a recurrent justification for anti-conversion legislation. Chhattisgarh has a large tribal population — approximately 30.6% of the state's population belongs to Scheduled Tribes. The state has historically been a site of active Christian missionary activity as well as Hindu re-conversion (ghar wapsi) movements, making religious identity a politically charged issue.
- Chhattisgarh's ST population: ~30.6% (one of the highest proportions in mainland India).
- The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution provides protection for Scheduled Tribe areas (including large parts of Chhattisgarh).
- The Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) grants gram sabhas in tribal areas autonomy over social and cultural matters.
- India is also a signatory to ILO Convention 169 (not ratified) which recognises indigenous peoples' right to maintain and strengthen their distinct cultural practices.
- The specific protection for STs in the new Bill (enhanced penalties for conversions targeting STs) inverts the usual tribal rights framework — positioning tribal people as needing protection from religious change rather than from state-imposed restrictions.
Connection to this news: The enhanced penalties for conversions targeting ST communities in Chhattisgarh's new Bill reflect the political salience of tribal religious identity in a state where the ruling BJP seeks to consolidate support among tribal voters who have historically oscillated between Congress and BJP.
Cognisable, Non-Bailable Offences: Due Process Implications
The classification of all offences under the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill as cognisable (police can arrest without warrant) and non-bailable (bail is not a right) significantly raises the stakes for accused persons. This classification is typically reserved for serious crimes. Critics argue that making religious conversion offences cognisable and non-bailable creates scope for harassment and abuse by local police, particularly against minority communities.
- Cognisable offences: Police may arrest without a warrant (Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 2(c)).
- Non-bailable offences: The accused must apply to the court for bail; it is not granted automatically (CrPC Section 436–437).
- India's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data has shown repeated cases of misuse of similarly structured laws (e.g., cow slaughter acts) against minorities.
- International human rights bodies including the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief have flagged India's anti-conversion laws as potentially violating international religious freedom standards.
- The mandatory prior notice requirement (before conducting conversions) is also contested as it gives state authorities power to obstruct peaceful religious activity.
Connection to this news: The cognisable and non-bailable classification in Chhattisgarh's new Bill, combined with the vague definition of "undue influence" and "allurement," gives law enforcement broad discretionary powers that civil liberties groups warn can be weaponised against peaceful religious minorities.
Key Facts & Data
- Bill: Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 (passed March 2026)
- General illegal conversion penalty: 7–10 years imprisonment + ₹5 lakh fine
- Involving minors, women, disabled persons, SC/ST: up to 20 years imprisonment
- Mass conversion (more than 2 persons): life imprisonment + fine up to ₹25 lakh
- All offences: cognisable and non-bailable
- Conversion modes covered: force, coercion, undue influence, allurement, misrepresentation, fraud, marriage — including digital platforms
- Procedural requirement: declaration to district magistrate by the person seeking conversion; prior intimation by the person conducting conversions
- Chhattisgarh ST population: ~30.6% of state total
- Constitutional basis: Article 25 (right to propagate, not to convert); upheld in Rev Stainislaus v. MP (1977)