Some churches in the Indian state of Maharashtra are cancelling or limiting children’s Bible camps this Diwali, the autumn festival holiday, after a new anti-conversion law took effect on 28 August, The Indian Express reports.
Maharashtra is India’s second-most populous state and includes Mumbai, India’s largest city. It is a Hindu-majority state where Christians are a small minority.
Vacation Bible School is a seasonal, holiday-style club with songs, games, and Bible stories for children aged five to 15, and it is often attended by friends of other faiths. However, some churches now admit only Christian children, and others have cancelled.
The caution follows disruptions at prayer meetings around Mumbai by people identifying as members of the Hindu groups Bajrang Dal or VHP, who alleged conversions. The paper says five incidents between April and July led to nine police complaints, seven against organisers and worshippers.
The state’s Freedom of Religion Act bars conversions by force, fraud, coercion or broadly defined “allurement”. Forced conversion can carry up to seven years in prison and is non-bailable, and people wishing to change religion must give 60 days’ notice. The paper says anyone facilitating a conversion must prove it was voluntary.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the assembly the law isn’t aimed at any religion, only at conversions by force, fraud or inducement.
Maharashtra is not alone. At least 12 Indian states have anti-conversion laws, and supporters say they protect vulnerable people, particularly in rural and tribal areas, from exploitation. However, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom says they have disproportionately affected Christians and Muslims, and that terms like “allurement” are loosely defined. A Supreme Court challenge has been pending since 2020 without a ruling on the merits.
Churches that are going ahead are putting up banners, taking registrations and charging fees of 50 or 100 rupees, under £1, as proof that parents sent their children willingly. Some are also installing CCTV.