Mumbai, March 9: The Archdiocese of Bombay has expressed its concern over the Maharashtra Cabinet’s approval of the draft Anti-Conversion Bill.
According to the proposal approved by the Cabinet, which is yet to become a law, anyone wanting to convert should give a 60-day notice to a designated authority and register the conversion with the authority within 25 days, failing which the conversion will be deemed null and void. If any blood relative of the convert complains that the conversion is illegal, then an FIR will be registered by the police.
Church voices concern over personal freedom
Fr Nigel Barret from the press office of the Archdiocese said, “While we acknowledge the State’s duty to safeguard individuals from coercion, inducement or deceit in religious matters, we must express serious reservations about provisions that undermine personal freedom of conscience.
“The requirement of a sixty-day prior notice and permission from a designated authority before any act of conversion is, in our view, not protection—it is undue interference. Faith is a deeply personal journey, not a bureaucratic procedure. No citizen should need state approval to respond to the call of God, or to any sincere conviction. Such a mechanism risks turning spiritual choice into a regulated transaction, eroding the very dignity the law claims to defend."
“Likewise, the provision allowing blood relatives to trigger police action through complaints—without safeguards against malice—opens the door to abuse. We support measures against forced conversions. But where an allegation proves baseless, fairness demands that the complainant be held accountable. False claims do not shield the vulnerable; they wound them further.”
Fr Barrett said, “The Church in Mumbai remains committed to dialogue, truth, and the common good. We will continue to uphold the right of every person to seek, embrace, or change faith freely—without fear of reprisal or red tape.
“We urge the Government to reconsider these clauses, ensuring that any legislation respects both liberty and justice,” he added.
Bombay Catholic Sabha also opposes proposal
The Bombay Catholic Sabha has also opposed the proposal, which it said was “draconian.” Spokesperson for the Sabha Dolphy D'Souza said the decision was taken without adequate public consultation. He said the proposal went “against freedom of conscience guaranteed by the Constitution under Article 25.”
D'Souza said the decision has been taken by the state government even as petitions against anti-conversion laws passed by different state legislatures are being heard in the Supreme Court. The Maharashtra government should at least have waited for the decision of the apex court.
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“The experience of various states which have anti-conversion laws indicates that the draconian provisions have been used to harass inter-faith couples, minorities and activists. The provisions made under such laws target the autonomy of individuals, especially women, and make them hostage to archaic social norms and patriarchal family pressures,” D'Souza observed.
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