‘Enter at Own Risk’: Churches to Non-Christians as Anti-Conversion Law Takes Effect in Chhattisgarh
Church leaders said the notices and self-declarations are meant to avoid action under the new law and protect worship services from disruption.
- More than 10 churches in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district have posted notices asking non-Christians to enter at their own risk over the past month amid fears of backlash by Hindutva groups.
- The stringent Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act took effect in August, prompting these measures; community leaders allege Hindutva activists have been "given a free hand" since the Bharatiya Janata Party returned to power in 2023.
- Tensions escalated after a September 15 meeting at the District Collectorate, where right-wing groups including Bajrang Dal and Sarva Adivasi Samaj objected to non-Christians attending prayers following submission of over 1,000 self-declaration forms.
- Diamond Philus, general secretary of the Dhamtari District Christian Forum, described the banners as a "precautionary measure" to shield the community from legal complications under the new law.
- BJP spokesperson Shivnarayan Pandey maintained the issue is not about political ideology, while critics argue the administration failed to uphold constitutional freedom of religion amid ongoing communal disturbances.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Notice outside Chhattisgarh churches asks non-Christians to ‘enter at own responsibility’
The notices in Dhamtari town come amid a steady flow of applications submitted to the district administration by non-Christians, stating they were going to the churches voluntarily. This also comes over a month after the state’s strict anti-conversion law came into effect
Chhattisgarh churches bar prayers for non-Christians, asks to enter at own risk
At least eight churches in Dhamtari have restricted non-Christians from entering for prayers after a dispute over alleged conversions. The move follows a district-level meeting, fresh anti-conversion rules and claims of safety concerns among Christians.
As Chhattisgarh Enacts Anti-Conversion Law, Churches Erect 'Enter At Own Risk' Boards
Amid heightening scrutiny over non-Christians attending prayers at churches and frequent disruptions by right-wing groups, churches were forced to install warning boards as 'a precautionary measure,' Diamond Philus told the Hindu.
‘Enter at own risk’: churches to non-Christians as anti-conversion law takes effect in Chhattisgarh
Warning boards have been put up as a precautionary measure to avoid action under the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, says Diamond Philus, general secretary of the Dhamtari District Christian Forum
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