Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Uttarakhand Passes India’s Harshest Anti-Conversion Law
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
NEW DELHI (Worthy News) – Christians expressed concern Tuesday after Uttarakhand approved India’s most severe anti-conversion legislation, prescribing life imprisonment and steep fines for what the Hindu nationalist-ruled state calls “forced conversions.”
The Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed during a stormy assembly session last week, expanding the maximum punishment from 10 years in prison to 20 years or life imprisonment, along with fines of up to 1 million Indian rupees (approximately $11,500).
The law allows police to arrest suspects without a warrant, seize property, and makes offences non-bailable. Online or social media messages interpreted as promoting conversion are also punishable, raising concerns over free speech.
“These provisions, with penalties up to life imprisonment, represent some of India’s harshest anti-conversion measures and could turn ordinary conversations about belief into criminal acts,” warned the Rev. Vijayesh Lal, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India.
The law reserves harsher penalties for cases involving women, minors, tribal communities, or Dalits. Conversions linked to foreign funding will carry sentences of seven to 14 years, while those involving force, inducement, trafficking, or marriage promises may result in life sentences.
Concealing religion for marriage purposes could mean up to 10 years in prison and fines of more than $3,000.
BROADER TREND
Uttarakhand has now joined a growing number of Indian states that are tightening anti-conversion laws.
At least 10 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana, have adopted similar measures, although most carry shorter prison terms of up to 10 years.
As many as 13 states have passed such laws, although several remain inactive or are being legally challenged.
Rights advocates and Christian groups say the legislation will deepen religious polarization and restrict India’s constitutional freedoms.
Critics argue it effectively criminalizes evangelism and voluntary religious choice in the predominantly Hindu nation.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
France, the European Union’s second-largest economy, narrowly avoided deeper political turmoil Thursday as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes in Parliament that could have forced President Emmanuel Macron to call snap elections.
Turkey has deported hundreds of foreign Christians citing “national security” concerns as part of a broader crackdown by the Muslim-majority nation, several investigators confirmed.
Israel is demanding that Hamas hand over the remains of hostages still held in Gaza, as U.S. President Donald Trump vowed that “nobody is getting left behind,” underscoring Washington’s continued commitment to recovering every captive and fallen Israeli taken during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks.
More than 140 people were feared dead Thursday as Mexico struggled to bring aid to those devastated by record-breaking floods amid growing anger over the government’s handling of the crisis.
Christians and human rights activists in Pakistan have sounded the alarm over what they call a new wave of persecution, including church closures, violent evictions, and economic exploitation of Christian families.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that American forces conducted another lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing six people in what the administration calls part of a “noninternational armed conflict” with narco-terrorist networks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hamas must surrender its weapons or face dire consequences, saying that if the terror group refuses to disarm, “all hell breaks loose.” His comments came Tuesday in an interview with CBS, amid efforts to implement U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire and reconstruction plan for Gaza.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com