India (MNN) — A new source of trouble is coming for Christians in India’s Maharashtra State. On March 5, 2026, the state cabinet approved a bill proposing a new anti-conversion law. For those following our reports on India, you know this type of law creates many difficulties for Christians and other minorities.
India’s Supreme Court (Photo courtesy of Subhashish Panigrahi via Wikimedia Commons – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)
The bill is made worse because Maharashtra is the economic center of India and the second-most populous state, says Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations. “Because of its influence, because of its power, that probably is just going to continue now, the cascading domino effect of additional states coming along [with their own such laws].”
Twelve Indian states already have anti-conversion laws in place. They are meant to protect people from being coerced into converting through force, fraud, or inducement. However, Kelley says the laws disproportionately target Christians.
“I’m sure there are some bad actors,” he concedes. “And this isn’t just Christians, but it’s also dealing with Hindus marrying Muslims, for example, and forcing them to become Muslim. So there are other dynamics. But Christians, being the minority, are persecuted and targeted by not just Hindus but also Muslims.”
Anti-conversion laws require the accused to prove that any conversion(s) in question was not done through force or allurement. In other words, they must prove themselves innocent.
Kelley says that although the Maharashtra bill has a few more legal hurdles to jump through, it’s basically certain. “Because of the precedent that’s already been set by 12 other states, this is just going to kind of push through the process. It’s not chartering new ground. This is becoming an established pattern.”
One piece of good news is that India’s Supreme Court is in the process of a landmark review of anti-conversion laws and their constitutionality. Their ruling will affect all of India’s states, including Maharashtra and Bihar States, which are both at different stages with anti-conversion legislation.
In the meantime, don’t miss the bigger picture of the Great Commission in India.
“What most people don’t realize is that within probably the next 25 years, India will simultaneously be the most populated Hindu country and the most populated Muslim country,” says Kelley.
“So it is ‘ground zero’ for what we call unreached people groups. So the church has to have a missional presence in India. [There are] over 1.2 billion people living there, and most of them without a gospel witness. It has got to be a priority.”
Photo from Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, India (Courtesy of Jannes Jacobs via Unsplash)
Pray for wisdom for gospel workers in Maharashtra State, as they will soon have to navigate the effects of the new law. Pray for innocence and also shrewdness as they pursue the call to share Jesus.
Pray for a stronger Christian presence in India. Pray for India as a whole. Learn how you can partner with gospel workers already there, making Jesus known in India alongside Unknown Nations.
Header photo is a stock image courtesy of Joe Gratz/Flickr.
