Christians in India face the terrifying prospect of capital punishment for sharing their faith as Madhya Pradesh proposes extreme amendments to its anti-conversion laws.
At a Glance
- Madhya Pradesh’s chief minister plans to amend anti-conversion laws to include death penalty for “forced” conversions
- Current laws already impose 10-year prison sentences for religious conversion deemed “unlawful”
- Critics warn that vague terms like “forced” and “fraudulent” conversion create dangerous legal ambiguity
- The state has experienced increasing violence and harassment against Christians since implementation of existing laws
- Local authorities are allegedly slow to respond to anti-Christian violence while aggressively pursuing conversion cases
Draconian Amendments Threaten Religious Freedom
A disturbing legislative proposal in India’s Madhya Pradesh state could soon make evangelizing punishable by death. Mohan Yadav, the state’s chief minister, has announced plans to amend the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act to impose capital punishment for conversions deemed “forced” or “fraudulent.” The move represents a dramatic escalation from the already severe penalties in the 2021 law, which includes prison sentences of up to 10 years for unauthorized religious conversions.
The proposed amendment has alarmed religious freedom advocates who note that existing anti-conversion laws have already resulted in numerous arrests and acts of violence against Christians in the region. The legislation, ostensibly designed to prevent coerced religious conversions, appears to disproportionately target Christian communities engaged in normal religious practice, including prayer services and charitable activities that are protected under India’s constitution.
Vague Legal Definitions Fuel Persecution
Critics of the amendment highlight the dangerous ambiguity in terms like “forced” and “fraudulent” conversion, which leave interpretation largely to local authorities. Congress leader Arif Masood has publicly demanded clarification on what constitutes “forced conversion” under the law. This legal vagueness has created an environment where sharing one’s faith, a fundamental aspect of religious freedom, can be criminalized based on subjective interpretations.
Catholic columnist John Dayal has characterized the proposed death penalty as a political strategy specifically targeting Christians. The amendment comes amid a documented increase in anti-Christian violence in Madhya Pradesh, including church vandalism, disruption of worship services, and harassment through frivolous legal complaints. A pattern has emerged where allegations of conversion activities frequently lead to legal action against Christians, while violence directed at Christian communities often goes uninvestigated.
Historical Context of Religious Persecution
Madhya Pradesh has a troubling history regarding religious minorities. A significant incident in 2004 involved widespread violence against Christians in the Jhabua district, setting a precedent for community tensions. The current legal framework, established in 2021, has accelerated this pattern by providing legal justification for targeting religious minorities. Since the implementation of these laws, authorities have aggressively pursued cases against Christians while allegedly remaining passive when Christians face mob violence.
Religious leaders report that local authorities often fail to intervene during attacks on churches and Christian gatherings, yet rapidly investigate complaints about alleged conversion activities. This selective enforcement creates an atmosphere of impunity for those who target religious minorities while simultaneously criminalizing legitimate religious expression. The proposed amendment to include capital punishment would significantly raise the stakes of these already problematic enforcement patterns.
International Concerns and Constitutional Rights
The proposed amendments conflict with India’s constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and have drawn concern from international human rights organizations. Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees citizens the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate their religion, rights that appear increasingly threatened by anti-conversion legislation. The U.S. State Department has documented religious freedom concerns in India, including the troubling impact of anti-conversion laws on religious minorities.
The escalation to potential capital punishment represents an extreme approach to regulating religious practice that extends far beyond similar laws in other Indian states. If enacted, this amendment would make Madhya Pradesh’s anti-conversion framework among the most severe religious restrictions in any democratic nation, placing basic religious expressions like prayer services, charitable work, and faith sharing under potential criminal scrutiny with the highest possible penalty.
