India Harshest Anti-Conversion Law Ever is Passed

8/26/2025  (Morning Star News)

India’s Uttarakhand state last week passed an amendment to its controversial anti-conversion law expanding punishment to life imprisonment. The Hindu nationalist BJP government managed to introduce the Freedom of Religion Bill, which expands penalties from the current maximum of 10 years in prison to life imprisonment, with fines reaching 1 million Indian Rupees ($11,446 USD) for “forced conversions.” The bill introduces India’s most chilling restrictions on freedom of religion and speech. Among concerning provisions are measures that criminalize that “acts such as promoting or inciting conversion through social media, messaging app or any online medium”. Such activities will be forbidden and punishable. Ordinary conversations about religious belief can now become criminal acts. The law reserves its harshest penalties for conversions involving minors, women, people of specific castes and tribes, disabled or mentally challenged persons (5 to 14 years imprisonment and a fine of at least 100,000 Indian Rupees ($1,150 USD). Conversions resulting from foreign or external funding will result in seven to 14 years in prison and a fine of at least 1 million Indian Rupees ($11,446 USD). Mainstream editorial opinion has condemned the legislation as overreach. The legislation introduces sweeping enforcement measures that civil liberties advocates say violate basic constitutional rights.

Please pray…

• Pray that the Lord will strengthen and encourage His Church in Uttarakhand and all of India.

• Pray that Christians in India will be wise in how they tell others about Jesus, but also that they will not stop spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.

• Pray that the law will be retracted or revised in accordance to the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.