EXPLAINER | What is Anti-Conversion Law in India?

Anti-conversion law has its origin in colonial India when they were introduced by the princely states during the British period in the 1930s and 1940s.

These first anti-conversion laws were made to preserve and protect the cultural identity of the princely states from British missionaries. Several princely states gave birth to anti-conversion laws like the Raigarh State Conversion Act, 1936, Udaipur State Anti-Conversion Act, 1946 and several other states like Bikaner, Patna and Jodhpur, Bikaner followed suit.

After India's independence, multiple anti-conversion bills were introduced in the parliament but not a single Bill was passed. Currently, anti-conversion laws fall under the domain of state governments. 

The law seeks to prevent religious conversions and at present, there are eight states where the law is in force. The states are Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. Apart from some differences the structure and content of the laws are almost identical. 

To prevent the conversion of a person to another religion either by force or enticement is the common objective of the laws. The penalties for violating the laws range from imposing fines and imprisonment if the targeted member belongs to scheduled caste or scheduled tribes. 

In 1954, the Indian Conversion (Regulation and Registration) Bill was introduced in the parliament seeking to enforce licensing of missionaries and also registration of conversion with officials of the government. Then the Backward Communities (Religious Protection) Bill was introduced in 1960 for checking the conversion of Hindu community people to 'non-Indian religions'. In 1979 the Freedom of Religion Bill was introduced in the parliament that intended to "officially prevent inter-religion conversion."

But due to a lack of support from the political parties, none of the Bills was passed in the parliament. The anti-conversion laws in the states have not been without legal challenges. On many occasions, these laws have been challenged on the ground that innocent persons were being victimised by them.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the state will soon implement an anti-conversion law.

Speaking to the media, Bommai said, "Seers of various mutts have appealed to the state government for implementing the Act to ban religious conversions in the state. The government is already studying the laws passed by some states in this regard. Karnataka will soon come out with its own version."

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