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'''Anti-conversion legislation in India''' refers to the laws enacted by several Indian states which prohibit [[Hinduism|Hindus]] from converting to [[Christianity]]. Christianity is the third largest religion in India with Hinduism being the largest and [[Islam]] being the second largest religion.<ref name="census">[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm Population by religious communities]</ref> More than 2% of the population in the country are Christians.<ref name=TCHUI>[http://www.csmonitor.com/1999/0114/p6s1.html Torched churches heat up India] ''Chritian Science Monitor''</ref> Christianity is the majority religion in the states of [[Nagaland]], [[Mizoram]] and [[Meghalaya]] where Christians constitute 90.02%, 87% and 70.3% of the states' populations respectively.

'''Anti-conversion legislation in India''' refers to the laws enacted by several Indian states which prohibit conversions from one religion to another. Christianity is the third largest religion in India with Hinduism being the largest and [[Islam]] being the second largest religion.<ref name="census">[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm Population by religious communities]</ref> More than 2% of the population in the country are Christians.<ref name=TCHUI>[http://www.csmonitor.com/1999/0114/p6s1.html Torched churches heat up India] ''Chritian Science Monitor''</ref> Christianity is the majority religion in the states of [[Nagaland]], [[Mizoram]] and [[Meghalaya]] where Christians constitute 90.02%, 87% and 70.3% of the states' populations respectively.

Hindu fundamentalists claim Christian missionaries forcefully convert Hindus to Christianity.<ref name=IACLTEFS>[http://www.worthynews.com/christian/india-anti-conversion-law-takes-effect-in-fifth-state/ India: 'Anti-Conversion' Law Takes Effect in Fifth State] ''Worthynews.com''</ref> This belief is described as false propaganda campaign orchestrated by Hindu nationalist organizations in India.<ref name=TCHUI/> The stated purpose of the anti-conversion laws are to prohibit religious conversions allegedly made by "force", "fraud" or "allurement". This view is rejected by Christians and rights groups.<ref name=IACLTEFS/> In fact, there are incidents where churches are torched and Christian schools are ransacked by [[Hindu fanatics|Hindu extremists]].<ref name=TCHUI/> Christians stated that the laws are enacted actually for the purpose of obstructing conversion generally<ref name=IACLTEFS/> and to hold onto a Hindu cultural hegemony.<ref name=TCHUI/> There is also allegation that Hindu nationalists harass Christian workers by imprisoning them with false accusations.<ref name=IACLTEFS/> Hindu extremist organizations in the country want India to become a theocratic Hindu state.<ref name=TCHUI/> The anti-conversion laws favour Hinduism over other religions.<ref>[http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF157.htm Anti-conversion laws in India]</ref>

Hindus claim Christian missionaries forcefully convert Hindus to Christianity.<ref name=IACLTEFS>[http://www.worthynews.com/christian/india-anti-conversion-law-takes-effect-in-fifth-state/ India: 'Anti-Conversion' Law Takes Effect in Fifth State] ''Worthynews.com''</ref> This belief is described by some as a false propaganda campaign orchestrated by Hindu nationalist organizations in India.<ref name=TCHUI/> The stated purpose of the anti-conversion laws are to prohibit religious conversions allegedly made by "force", "fraud" or "allurement". This view is accepted by most Christians and rights groups. Fundamentalist Christians stated that the laws are enacted actually for the purpose of obstructing conversion generally<ref name=IACLTEFS/> and to hold onto a Hindu cultural traditions.<ref name=TCHUI/> There is also allegation by fundamentalist Christian groups (though not verified by any independent source) that Hindu nationalists harass Christian workers by imprisoning them with false accusations.<ref name=IACLTEFS/> They also claim that some Hindu extremist organizations in the country want India to become a theocratic Hindu state - which is a view that the vast majority of the Indian population rejects and India is a thriving secular democracy.<ref name=TCHUI/> The Orthodox Christion groups claim that anti-conversion laws favour Hinduism over other religions.<ref>[http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF157.htm Anti-conversion laws in India]</ref>

The U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus briefing on anti-conversion laws in India by Angela C. Wu of the [[Washington, D.C.]]-based The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty stated:<ref>[http://www.becketfund.org/files/581fd.pdf?PHPSESSID=30a72aefbf3d94d6a8ece1c5b4869d00 THE CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CAUCUS]</ref>

The U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus briefing on anti-conversion laws in India by Angela C. Wu of the [[Washington, D.C.]]-based The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty stated:<ref>[http://www.becketfund.org/files/581fd.pdf?PHPSESSID=30a72aefbf3d94d6a8ece1c5b4869d00 THE CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CAUCUS]</ref>

{{cquote|The federal government in India has embraced religious pluralism, and indeed Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees everyone the right and the freedom to preach, practice and propagate her religion. ... Yet many state governments have chosen to exploit religious tensions by enforcing or strengthening anti-conversion laws Some of these laws have long been on the books, but the recent enforcement and even strengthening of these laws, particularly by the Hindu nationalist BJP, is alarming. These laws forbid "forcible conversions" — which police and judges have interpreted to mean anything from charity by religious groups to claiming that God would be happier if someone converted to a new religion.}}

{{cquote|The federal government in India has embraced religious pluralism, and indeed Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees everyone the right and the freedom to preach, practice and propagate her religion. ... Yet many state governments have chosen to exploit religious tensions by enforcing or strengthening anti-conversion laws, similar to how Muslims are sometimes falsely branded as terrorists for political expedienccy in the United States, Some of these laws have long been on the books, but the recent enforcement and even strengthening of these laws, particularly by the Hindu nationalist BJP, is alarming. These laws forbid "forcible conversions" — which police and judges have interpreted to mean anything from charity by religious groups to claiming that God would be happier if someone converted to a new religion.}}

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Hindu nationalist political party in India, passed an anti-conversion law in the state of [[Gujarat]] in 2003. Christian community in the state feared that Hindu extremists will misuse this law by making false accusations against Christian missionaries. A report in an Indian newspaper described the law "From now on, anyone wishing to convert will have to tell the government why they were doing it and for how long they had been following the religion which they were renouncing, failing which, they will be declared offenders and prosecuted under criminal laws". Hindu nationalist organizations prosecuted Muslims and Christians and killed more than 2,000 Muslims in Gujarat in 2002. Due to this law, it becomes mandatory for the clergy who want to convert a person from one religion to another to obtain permission of the district magistrate. It also becomes mandatory for the clergy to provide personal information of the person whom (s)he wants to convert including her/his marital status, occupation and income.<ref name=IACLTEFS/> The Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) expressed concern over this law in which "force", "fraudulent means" and "allurement" are very loosely defined.<ref name=CSWCWACLY>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=news&id=737 India: CSW condemns "worst anti-conversion law yet"] ''Christian Solidarity Worldwide''</ref> Alexa Papadouris, Advocacy Director of the Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said,<ref name=CSWCWACLY/>

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Hindu nationalist political party in India, passed an anti-conversion law in the state of [[Gujarat]] in 2003. Christian community in the state feared that Hindu extremists will misuse this law by making false accusations against Christian missionaries. A report in an Indian newspaper described the law "From now on, anyone wishing to convert will have to tell the government why they were doing it and for how long they had been following the religion which they were renouncing, failing which, they will be declared offenders and prosecuted under criminal laws". Hindu nationalist organizations prosecuted Muslims and Christians and killed more than 2,000 Muslims in Gujarat in 2002. Due to this law, it becomes mandatory for the clergy who want to convert a person from one religion to another to obtain permission of the district magistrate. It also becomes mandatory for the clergy to provide personal information of the person whom (s)he wants to convert including her/his marital status, occupation and income.<ref name=IACLTEFS/> The Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) expressed concern over this law in which "force", "fraudulent means" and "allurement" are very loosely defined.<ref name=CSWCWACLY>[http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=news&id=737 India: CSW condemns "worst anti-conversion law yet"] ''Christian Solidarity Worldwide''</ref> Alexa Papadouris, Advocacy Director of the Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said,<ref name=CSWCWACLY/>