As Chhattisgarh Enacts Anti-Conversion Law, Churches Erect 'Enter At Own Risk' Boards

New Delhi: The Sunderganj Mennonite Church in Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh, has put up boards warning non-Christians of the voluntary risk involved in entering the church's premises as a "precautionary measure," shortly after the statewide enactment of the anti-conversion Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 2026. One sign, written in Hindi, reads: "In accordance with church management rules, entry into the church for worship is restricted to Christians. Others who enter voluntarily do so at their own risk."

Diamond Philus, general secretary of the Dhamtari District Christian Forum, told the Hindu that the boards, similar iterations of which have been installed outside churches in the city, have been erected "primarily as a precautionary measure to avoid action under the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 2026." The law, according to representatives of the BJP state government, aims to curb religious conversions, mandating a 60-day notice to the district administration by anyone seeking to change their religion.

Philus, describing the law as a "draconian" statute, alleged it spared no room for redress for anyone charged under it. Nearly a 1,000 people have reportedly submitted self-declaration forms at the district collectorate stating that they had attended religious meetings at churches and prayer halls at their own volition, "voluntarily and at their own risk," as per the Hindu.

The declaration form, a copy of which was reviewed by the Hindu, not only seeks details of the applications and the place of worship, but also requires the applicant to state that they have not been subjected to any undue influence, threat, force, deception or inducement and that no such instance of forced conversion has come to their notice.

Philus added that in addition to the law, notified in August, frequent disruptions of prayer meetings by right-wing groups had prompted churches to install such boards in the hope of creating for a "more secure environment" for the district's Christian community. "We are not restricting anyone, but if people want to come, they should come at their own risk," he told the Hindu.

Emphasising the need for precautionary boards in the state amid heightened censor over religious gatherings, he said, "A meeting was called at the district collectorate on September 15. The [Dhamtari District Christian] Forum was not informed that right-wing groups would be present. When they said we should not allow people inside the church till they have converted, the government officials supported their stand."

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