Please pray: Chhattisgarh’s Freedom of Religion Act under scrutiny

A division of Chhattisgarh’s High Court has challenged the state’s Freedom of Religion Act, whose stringent amendments have seen Christians targeted, attacked and discriminated against since their implementation. Please pray as the state government reconsiders the law and for the freedom of believers in India.

In India, a divisional bench of Chhattisgarh’s High Court has challenged the constitutional validity of the state’s Freedom of Religion Act. Despite its name, the Act has made the lives and practices of believers more open to scrutiny, vulnerability and attack by extremist groups and hostile authorities.

Earlier in March, the state government introduced harsh amendments to the Act which made offences non-bailable and prolonged the process for declaring a conversion, as well as making the validity of a conversion increasingly subject to the decisions of those in power. Since these amendments, Christians in the state have been exposed to more arrests, extensive legal battles and increased social pressure, even before allegations of forced conversion are proven or dismissed.

“The 2026 amendment of the Freedom of Religion Act mainly targets Christians,” states Dhruv Baiga*, Open Doors’ local partner. “It also raises concerns about the violation of Articles 25 to 28 of the Indian Constitution, which protect religious freedom.”

This month, the High Court heard a petition filed by senior advocates and so challenged the Act, giving the state government three weeks to provide a response. The petition argues that the Act could infringe upon the fundamental right of citizens to adopt a religion without excessive government intervention or public disclosure.

And it wasn’t the only petition made against the Act. Multiple were already pending before the High Court when it made its challenge to the state government.

Hope for believers

Chhattisgarh isn’t the only state where a stand is being made against unjust laws which infringe upon the freedoms of believers, especially those of converts. Earlier this year, believers in Arunachal Pradesh protested the state’s own Freedom of Religion Act; more recently, Goa State’s anti-conversion law has been shelved for reconsideration for an absence of reports of forced conversion and fears of such a law disrupting social harmony.

This decision on the part of the High Court is a glimmer of hope for believers living under the watching eye of their communities and government.

“The petition challenging this Act is a good step not only for the Christian community in Chhattisgarh, but in India at large,” says Dhruv Baiga. “Reforming this law will definitely help protect religious freedom and strengthen the right of believers to practise their faith freely.” 

Thank you for praying for our brothers and sisters in Chhattisgarh and across India. Please continue to intercede for them as they await the response of the state government.

*Name changed for security reasons