Thousands of Christians marched with torches on March 22 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh’s capital, to protest the state’s new anti-conversion law.

Protestors carried placards urging the government to scrap the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, passed by the State Legislative Assembly on March 19. They called it a black law.

The Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion, 2026, replaces a 58-year-old law by redefining conversion provisions and imposing stricter penalties for forced or fraudulent conversions.

The protestors expressed fears that the new law will worsen discrimination and harassment against the Christian community, which they believe violates constitutional guarantees.

They believe the law distracts from real crises in Chhattisgarh.

Christian experts noted that multiple petitions challenging the constitutional validity of similar “Freedom of Religion” Acts in various states across India are currently pending before the Supreme Court of India. Despite this, the state government is attempting to circumvent and pre-empt judicial scrutiny.

Many expect the protests against the anti-conversion law to intensify in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Christian Alliance (PCA) unequivocally opposed the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion 2026, saying the law is unconstitutional and a discriminatory measure designed to harass minorities, namely Christians in Chhattisgarh.

The PCA is a network of forward-looking Christian pastors, church leaders, and social workers. They are committed to justice, interfaith harmony, and constitutional values. In a press statement, they said: “This Bill is not about protecting religious freedom; it is about systematically restricting and criminalizing the legitimate expression of minority faiths — particularly Christianity — in Chhattisgarh.”

The coordinator of the PCA stated, “The existing Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968, has already been weaponized against Christians for decades. Hundreds of baseless FIRs have been lodged against pastors, evangelists, priests, nuns, and ordinary church members on trumped-up charges of ‘forced conversion.’”

In nearly 50 years, authorities have yet to convict a single Christian under the law. Many see this as evidence that these cases aim to harass, intimidate, and stigmatize the minority, not seek justice.

The government of Chhattisgarh, on the other hand, is upbeat that the new law will be more effective in curbing the use of force, greed, and fraudulent practices in conversions from one religion to another.

Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Vijay Sharma said protecting the constitutional rights of all citizens is a top priority, and this legislation is a major initiative in that direction.

The existing provisions, in place since 1968, are inadequate for current circumstances, as disputes related to religious conversion have led to social and class conflicts that have often reached the administration and courts.

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