India's Religious Laws Draw Scrutiny as 12 States Adopt Curbs

Letters published in the Wall Street Journal on May 13 criticize the use of anti-conversion laws in India, where 12 states have now enacted such legislation, highlighting growing concerns over religious pluralism in the nation of 1.4 billion people.

"Problems arise when governments punish people for their freely made decisions to change their faith," Knox Thames, executive director of the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom, wrote in a letter to the editor.

The debate follows recent moves by states like Gujarat and Uttarakhand to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a legal framework governing personal matters for all citizens, which critics argue is being used to target minorities. In Arunachal Pradesh, thousands protested on April 30 against the enforcement of a 1978 anti-conversion law.

The state-level legislative push, which follows the Bharatiya Janata Party's consolidation of regional power in May 4 elections, puts the rights of India's 28 million Christians and other religious minorities at the center of a conflict between Hindu nationalist policies and the country's secular constitution.

State-Level Push for Uniform Codes

The push for common laws is most visible in the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, a provision under Article 44 of India's constitution to create a single set of personal laws for all citizens, regardless of religion. The BJP-led government has championed the UCC as a tool for gender justice and equality, but it has been met with resistance from minority groups who fear it will erode their cultural and religious autonomy.

Uttarakhand became the first state to pass a UCC bill in February 2024, followed by Gujarat. The Gujarat bill was drafted after a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court justice reviewed more than two million public suggestions. Proponents, like Gujarat's Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, argue the law protects women from fraudulent relationships by mandating the registration of marriages and live-in relationships.

Anti-Conversion Laws Spread

Parallel to the UCC effort, at least 12 states have now implemented anti-conversion laws, which are often framed as a way to prevent "predatory proselytization." Critics, however, say these laws are used to harass and intimidate religious minorities. A letter to the WSJ from Bethany Mathews recounted how her godfather was jailed for nearly a month on "trumped-up 'anticonversion' charges" after attending a prayer meeting.

The laws have tangible consequences. In the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, the Arunachal Christian Forum organized a statewide protest on April 30 against the potential enforcement of the 1978 Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act. In Assam, which the BJP retained for a third consecutive term in May, the government's strategy combines "aggressive polarization on the basis of religious identity, extensive welfare delivery, and co-opting of indigenous and tribal identities," according to Allen Brooks, spokesperson of the Assam Christian Forum.

The legislative activity at the state level sharpens existing fears among India's Christian community, which makes up about 2.3 percent of the population. John Dayal, a spokesperson for the All India Catholic Union, noted that while some election results offer relief, the broader trend of BJP gains in states like West Bengal heightens concerns over restrictive laws and rising violence against minorities.

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