By Matters India Reporter
MUMBAI, September 1, 2026: The United Christian Forum has appealed to Maharashtra’s government to defer enforcement of the newly enacted Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, warning that its provisions could be misused against Christians and other minorities.
In a memorandum dated August 31, addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Forum said the Act’s language “goes far beyond” preventing conversions by force or fraud and risks criminalizing legitimate religious and charitable activities.
“Ordinary Christian activities such as free education in minority schools, charitable relief, prayer for healing, and normal preaching or praise of one’s faith are thus exposed to criminalization as ‘allurement,’” the memorandum stated.
The Forum argued that the Act undermines constitutional guarantees of equality, liberty and fraternity.
It cited the Preamble’s assurance of “fraternity assuring the dignity of individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation,” warning that the law could replace trust with suspicion in communally sensitive areas.
Among the provisions criticized are requirements for individuals to give 60 days’ prior notice of intended conversion, public display of such notices, and compulsory post-conversion declarations.
The memorandum said this regime intrudes into privacy and exposes converts to hostility. It also highlighted enforcement mechanisms that allow third-party complaints, police suo motu action, and reverse burden of proof, making offences cognizable and non-bailable.
The Forum pointed to experiences in other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, where similar laws have allegedly been misused.
It cited data from the Evangelical Fellowship of India documenting 334 incidents of targeting Christians between January and July 2025, and a study showing that over 60% of cases in Uttar Pradesh were filed by third parties rather than alleged victims.
Michael Williams, national president of the Forum, signed the memorandum, which urged the government to defer the Act’s commencement and constitute a high-level committee to review its constitutional validity.
The committee, the Forum suggested, should include representatives of minorities, civil society, legal experts and human rights bodies.
The memorandum emphasized the contributions of Christian institutions in education, health care and welfare, particularly among Dalits, Adivasis and the poor.
It warned that treating charitable assistance and evangelism as potential “allurement” would damage trust between communities and contradict the Preamble’s promise of liberty and fraternity.
The Forum concluded by appealing to the Legislative Assembly to adopt a rights-respecting approach that protects both religious freedom and public order.
“It is therefore reasonable and constitutionally significant that Christians and other minorities apprehend that the Act will be used as a tool of harassment rather than a narrowly tailored shield against genuine coercion,” the memorandum said.
The United Christian Forum, established in 2015, operates a toll-free helpline to assist people in distress and promote constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.
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