According to International Christian Concern (ICC), a charity that helps persecuted Christians, Christians in the state of Jharkhand now fear intense division and persecution under the new law.
The Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Bill-2017 was passed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government despite significant opposition from religious groups, civil society, and the tribal groups across Jharkhand.
It will now be sent to the governor, following whose approval it would go to the president for final assent.
Rev Dr Man Maish Ekka, a member of the Jharkhand Sadbhavana Munch, a local religious freedom forum told ICC: "This is very unfortunate for the people of Jharkhand.
"This is not just an attack on Christians, but is an attack on the religious freedom that the constitution gives to every citizen of this country. The motive of the bill is to divide the tribal people and break their unity."
The law is seen by many Christians there as a way for radicals to attack Christian leaders with impunity.
Section 3 of the law states, "No person shall attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any person from one religious faith to another by use of force or by allurement or by any fraudulent means, nor shall any person abet any such conversion."
If someone is caught breaking the law, they could be punished by up to three years of imprisonment, a fine of 50,000 Rupees, or both.
ICC stated: "In cases where a minor, a woman, or a person from the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities were involved, the prison sentence would increase to four years and the fine to 100,000 Rupees."
Although similar laws exist in six other states in India, those governments have not defined the terms "inducement," "coercion," "force," or "fraud" in the context of religious conversions.
The charity said because of the legal ambiguity, the laws have been abused by radical Hindu nationalist groups to "harass and intimidate Christians while claiming to be under the auspices of state law."
