How a “Freedom of Religion” bill spells trouble for India’s believers
By Abigail Hofland | September 2, 2025
India (MNN) — Christians in India’s Uttarakhand State expect increased punishment for breaking anti-conversion laws, as legislation to expand existing penalties awaits final assent from the region’s governor. Carefully yet deceptively worded, the proposed amendment purports to protect religious minorities while licensing their maltreatment.
First introduced in 2018, Uttarakhand’s “Freedom of Religion Bill” prohibits religious conversion through misrepresentation, force, coercion, or any fraudulent means. The latest amendment increases penalties to a fine of 1 million Indian Rupees (more than $11,000 USD) and possible life imprisonment.
On one hand, these measures could be viewed as protection for Christians, as the bill’s title suggests. Notably, in neighboring Pakistan, reports of forced conversions to Islam are increasing; and India’s new restrictions are at best a prophylactic move for the country’s own religious minorities.
On the other hand, the situation could be much more grim: with the law now firmly behind them, persecutors of believers could heavily target Christian evangelistic activity in Uttarakhand. Already, reports from local believers indicate this is the primary scenario unfolding in their region.
Mike Grandy with Unknown Nations recently spoke with a Christian brother there, who explained that homes are now being targeted.
“If believers are gathering within a home, they’re considering that conversion; and so they’re actually targeting homes where believers are gathering,” Grandy says.
Governmental tactics to break up church communities in this way are not new.
“They want to preserve the power, the strength of the ruling party. When you look at those who are in control politically and in charge of the largest businesses, it all really comes down to the same things: control, power, and money,” he points out.
The latest amendment goes as far as to criminalize propaganda on social or digital media, a vague clause that could enable sweeping indictments. In this way, individual Christians become pinpointable targets, and “forceful conversion” becomes anything from sharing a Christian social media post to handing out Bibles on the street.
But where vague terminology is weaponized, seasoned speech prevails.
Grandy tells the story of one church community whose pastor was recently imprisoned when officials attributed church growth to his preaching. In the prison cell, he and some friends began singing, worshipping, and praying.
The guards were uncomfortable. They asked the prisoners if friends and family had bail money to procure their release. When the pastor responded, “No,” and continued to sing, the guards were spiritually disarmed.
“’We’re going to just let you go,’ they said. ‘We can’t have you in here singing and worshipping,’” Grandy relates.
While prison release is not a guaranteed outcome for persecuted believers, believers understand the persecution itself to be a given. Grandy recently spoke with one Christian brother who described his experience of being “slapped around” while preaching the Gospel in public.
“But that’s not really persecution,” he said. “That just comes with the territory. That’s what we do when we’re called to Christ.”
Grandy calls on worldwide believers to support the persecuted church in prayer.
“Pray that the message of the Gospel would take root. Pray for our brave brothers and sisters who are sharing the Gospel: that they would continue, that they’d have boldness and discernment of the Holy Spirit.”
Please pray also that regardless of what is enacted politically, the Gospel would remain unhindered as Christ’s people in Uttarakhand go forth in faith.
Featured image: Believers in West Bengal, India. Courtesy of Pexels.
https://www.mnnonline.org/news/how-a-freedom-of-religion-bill-spells-trouble-for-indias-believers/