What Is Behind the New Prayer Declarations in Maharashtra Churches?

Some churches in and around Mumbai have begun asking worshippers to sign written declarations confirming that they attended prayer meetings voluntarily. The forms typically ask visitors to state that they came to pray by their own choice and were not forced, threatened or offered any inducement to attend. Some churches also collect names and identification details. Church leaders say the forms are kept as a precaution in case prayer meetings are later questioned or organisers face allegations of attempting to convert people. The practice emerged shortly before Maharashtra’s new Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, came into effect. The law prohibits religious conversion through force, fraud, coercion, inducement, misrepresentation and undue influence. It also introduces procedures requiring people who voluntarily convert to provide advance notice to authorities. The legislation provides for imprisonment of up to seven years for certain unlawful conversions, with stronger penalties in specified circumstances and for repeat offences. The Maharashtra government has said the law is intended to protect people, particularly those considered vulnerable, from forced or deceptive religious conversion. Church leaders and Christian community representatives, however, have expressed concerns about how the law could affect ordinary prayer gatherings. They say some worshippers have already faced questions about why they attend particular churches and whether anyone offered them money, assistance or other benefits. The concerns follow several disruptions of Christian prayer meetings around the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. According to The Indian Express, five prayer meetings were disrupted between April and July, resulting in nine police cases involving worshippers, organisers and members of the Bajrang Dal. Police have said complaints were received from different sides and that action was taken in individual cases. Christian representatives say the declarations are not government documents and do not have official legal status. Instead, they describe them as an internal precaution intended to record that people attending a particular prayer meeting did so voluntarily. The new practice has also raised wider questions about religious freedom and the relationship between prayer gatherings and conversion laws. While the Maharashtra law applies across religions, Christian leaders say anxiety has been particularly noticeable among minority Christian communities because of recent allegations and disruptions involving Christian prayer meetings. Supporters of the legislation maintain that it is aimed at preventing unlawful conversions rather than restricting voluntary religious practice. Critics, meanwhile, have raised concerns about privacy, personal freedom and the possibility of the law being applied too broadly. These competing perspectives remain part of the wider public debate surrounding the legislation. For churches in and around Mumbai, the declarations represent a new precaution in an environment where prayer meetings are receiving greater scrutiny. The situation has brought renewed attention to the balance between preventing unlawful conversion and protecting people's freedom to gather and practise their faith.