The case for an Anti-Conversion Law in J&K

Protecting Faith and Harmony

Deepak Sharma
raag.research03@gmail.com
In Jammu & Kashmir, where decades of conflict and communal division have already stretched the social fabric, even the whisper of a forced conversion can set off unrest. The region’s plural identity comprising Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Christians makes it one of the most religiously diverse parts of India. That very diversity, however, has become a source of fragility.
No region of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir has remained untouched by the menace of religious conversion. Whether in Jammu, Kashmir, or Ladakh, instances of such vulnerability have repeatedly surfaced. The region has, in the past, witnessed widespread protests in Ladakh where members of the Buddhist community alleged fraudulent conversion of their girls by Muslims under the garb of marriage. Similarly, in the Kashmir Valley, the Sikh community has raised grave concerns over incidents where their girls were allegedly subjected to forcible conversion on the pretext of marriage. The Jammu region too has been no exception, having witnessed comparable episodes that triggered widespread public outrage and protests.
Against this backdrop, the demand for an anti-conversion law in Jammu & Kashmir has gathered momentum. Community leaders, legal experts, and ordinary citizens increasingly view such a law as not only desirable but essential to protect individuals, maintain public order, and uphold the dignity of faith.
Conversion Controversies Stoke Communal Tensions
The region’s recent past is marked by controversies over conversion that has quickly escalated into communal flashpoints.
In 2021, Srinagar witnessed protests by members of the Sikh community after a young Sikh woman was allegedly coerced into converting and marrying outside her faith. Community leaders carried their demand to New Delhi, calling for an “anti-conversion law” on the lines of Uttar Pradesh. A delegation of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) also met with J&K L-G Manoj Sinha in this regard demanding action against alleged forced conversions of Sikh girls in Jammu & Kashmir. The incident highlighted how one contested marriage could become a rallying point for community-wide fears.
This was no isolated incident. Earlier that year, an 18 years old Sikh teenage girl was reportedly abducted, coerced to convert, and wed to a much older man of 60 years, sparking outrage and calls for justice. Community leaders allege several Sikh women have been similarly targeted over the years. Each allegation of religious conversion under duress has struck a raw nerve in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), a region already scarred by decades of communal strife.
Similarly, in 2011, protests rocked Kashmir University when videos emerged of a pastor baptizing Muslim youth, leading to accusations of “forced” conversions to Christianity. The mere rumour of conversion has proven explosive in J&K’s climate. Each episode whether involving Sikh girls in Kashmir or Christian missionaries in Jammu underscores how religious conversions can quickly become flashpoints, disrupting law and order.
A Region Prone to Communal Flashpoints
Jammu & Kashmir’s pluralistic social fabric has long been frayed by suspicion and insecurity between communities. The region’s unique demography a Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, a Hindu-majority part of Jammu region, sizable Sikh and Buddhist minorities means religious fault lines run deep. On-going communal sensitivities, amplified by the legacy of the Kashmiri Hindus exodus and decades of insurgency, make for a volatile mix. Even a single contentious conversion can act as a spark in this tinderbox environment. Local observers note that interfaith relationships or missionary activities, benign elsewhere, often take on sectarian overtones here.
Compounding these sensitivities is social and economic marginalization in pockets of J&K. In remote villages and among nomadic groups, low literacy and economic dependence can make residents susceptible to inducements like material help, education, even marriage, offered under the guise of religious outreach. Women and minor girls, in particular, face risks when traffickers or extremists use marriage and conversion as tools of exploitation. These factors create fertile ground for unscrupulous elements to prey on the vulnerable, stoking fears that conversions are not always born of free choice but of coercion or deceit. Every such episode deepens mistrust among J&K’s religious communities.
States Clamp Down on Coercive Conversions
Jammu & Kashmir would not be breaking new ground by legislating against forced conversions it would be following a path already taken by numerous Indian states. As on date more than twelve states in India have enacted their own “Freedom of Religion” Acts (commonly known as anti-conversion laws) to regulate religious conversions. These laws, in place in states as diverse as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, broadly prohibit conversion by misrepresentation, inducement, force, or any fraudulent tactics. Crucially, they do not outlaw voluntary conversion,rather, they ensure that a person changing faith is doing so of their own free will and with due transparency.
The content of these laws provides a ready blueprint. Most statutes require anyone officiating or facilitating a religious conversion to notify district authorities in advance, to verify that the act is not under coercion. Many mandate a post-conversion declaration as well, enabling the administration to keep records. Penalties are imposed on those found guilty of using force, fraud or “allurement”, a term that covers monetary gifts, job offers or material benefits given with intent to convert. Significantly, harsher punishments are usually reserved for offenses against minors, women, or members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, recognizing that these groups often face the greatest pressure and vulnerability.
A Legislative Roadmap for J&K
Against this backdrop, the calls for an anti-conversion law in Jammu & Kashmir appear not only justified but increasingly urgent. Community leaders in the region from Sikh activists to Hindu representatives have explicitly petitioned authorities for a legal shield to protect their people’s faith. The administration, for its part, acknowledged these fears, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had assured Sikh representatives that their concerns would be “looked into meticulously,” reiterating the government’s commitment to safeguard the interests of every section of society. Now, it is time to translate those assurances into action.
Equally important is that the law be even-handed and not seen as targeting any one faith. Jammu & Kashmir’s plurality means the statute should apply to all religions symmetrically. Just as it would punish a Muslim or Christian found forcing a Hindu’s conversion, it should equally penalize any Hindu attempting to forcibly convert a Muslim, and so on. The aim is not to curb genuine change of heart, only to ensure that changing one’s religion is an exercise of conscience, not a consequence of duress. By framing such a law, J&K can underscore that the legislation upholds religious freedom in its purest sense i.e freedom from fear or compulsion in matters of faith.
Conclusion
For too long, Jammu & Kashmir has witnessed how suspicions of religious conversion ignite tensions and endanger its fragile social harmony. A targeted law can provide a much-needed safety valve. It would empower authorities to pre-empt communal flare-ups by intervening early when shady conversion activities are reported, rather than scrambling to contain violence after the fact.
The onus is now on J&K’s lawmakers and administrators to heed the warnings from recent incidents and the lessons from across India, and to move decisively to safeguard the freedom of religion through freedom from coercion. It is not just a legislative necessity, but a moral imperative to preserve J&K’s delicate harmony for the future.
The author an advocate is Convener Research & Advocacy Group (RAAG)

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