Maharashtra Bill raising serious concerns about religious freedoms in India
Islamabad: The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 26 was passed by the state legislature in March 2026.
According to Kashmir Media Service, this bill creates a threat surrounding interfaith marriages, individual conversion choices, minority missionary activities, and personal religious autonomy—raising serious concerns about religious freedoms in India.
The bill is a clear indication that India is shifting from religious regulation to religious policing, using this tool to further solidify state-backed majoritarian consolidation.
Such bills primarily target lower-class Hindus who willingly choose to convert to other faiths, amplifying individual arrests, marriage disputes, and conversion complaints. This makes minorities vulnerable not only to mob pressure but also to legal and administrative pressure.
By using law to convert a constitutional freedom into a monitored activity, India’s actions expose its ongoing efforts towards de-secularization, selective criminalization, and democratic backsliding.
The bill seeks to regulate religious conversions by prohibiting conversion through force, fraud, coercion, or inducement.
It prescribes harsh penalties (up to life imprisonment) for “mass conversions” and requires individuals to submit a declaration to the District Magistrate before converting, allowing for state verification and public objections.
Critics argue that these “anti-conversion” laws, often labelled as “Freedom of Religion” bills, create fear, restrict personal choice, and prioritize state control over individual belief systems
