📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Priyankanagarajan
Religion
Maharashtra churches circulate ‘free will’ forms ahead of anti‑conversion law
✍️ News18
🗓 25 Aug 2026, 08:38 PM
👁 7
As Maharashtra prepares to enforce its anti‑conversion legislation, several churches have begun asking members to sign ‘free will’ declarations, aiming to document voluntary religious choices.
The state government of Maharashtra is set to implement a new anti‑conversion law that criminalises forced religious conversions. In response, a number of Christian churches across the state have started distributing written statements that ask congregants to affirm that any decision to join or remain in the faith is made of their own free will.
Church officials say the forms are a precautionary measure intended to protect both the clergy and the faithful from potential legal scrutiny once the law comes into force. By obtaining a signed declaration, they hope to demonstrate that no inducement, monetary or otherwise, was involved in the conversion process.
Legal experts note that while the law targets coercive conversions, it does not require documentation of voluntary ones. However, the ambiguity surrounding the definition of "force" has prompted religious institutions to adopt such paperwork as a safeguard.
The move has drawn mixed reactions. Some believers view the forms as a necessary step to ensure transparency, while others fear it may create an atmosphere of suspicion around genuine religious expression.
The anti‑conversion bill is expected to be operational later this year, and authorities have yet to issue detailed guidelines on how compliance will be monitored.
Church officials say the forms are a precautionary measure intended to protect both the clergy and the faithful from potential legal scrutiny once the law comes into force. By obtaining a signed declaration, they hope to demonstrate that no inducement, monetary or otherwise, was involved in the conversion process.
Legal experts note that while the law targets coercive conversions, it does not require documentation of voluntary ones. However, the ambiguity surrounding the definition of "force" has prompted religious institutions to adopt such paperwork as a safeguard.
The move has drawn mixed reactions. Some believers view the forms as a necessary step to ensure transparency, while others fear it may create an atmosphere of suspicion around genuine religious expression.
The anti‑conversion bill is expected to be operational later this year, and authorities have yet to issue detailed guidelines on how compliance will be monitored.