A coalition of religious rights campaigners has spoken out after India’s highest court ruled against Hindus converting to other faiths.

The Supreme Court urged India’s government to act against what it called “fraudulent religious conversion” on November 14, calling it a potential “danger to national security”.

“We deplore last week’s ruling,” said a spokesperson for the Coalition for Minority Rights in India. “It decries ‘fraudulent religious conversion’ as a ‘nationwide problem’ with no facts or data to support such allegations. We are worried that in the light of this, the government of India will undermine religious freedom even further.” The multi-faith coalition, which brings together Open Doors International, Indian American Muslim Council, Hindus for Human Rights, Justice for All, the World Evangelical Alliance and International Commission for Dalit Rights, has warned in a submission to the UN that India’s minorities were “…on the edge of a precipice as their rights and freedoms have eroded in the face of a growing violent majoritarian ideology.”

They issued the warning as UN member states gathered to review India’s human rights record during its Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR, which examines the human rights records of all UN Member States at the Human Rights Council, will publish the final report in March 2023.

While India’s constitution notionally protects religious freedom and citizens are free to convert back to Hinduism, for those who wish to convert to a minority religion such as Christianity or Islam this freedom is restricted through ‘anti-conversion laws’. Such legislation is currently in place in 11 states in India, with the number fast rising.

According to ‘Lisa Gentile’ (name changed for security reasons), representing the coalition for Open Doors: ‘There is no evidence of widespread forced conversion to Christianity or Islam in India’. However, she says, there is ample evidence of fastrising violence against religious minorities. Indeed it is often encouraged by some of the nation’s most senior political leaders: “Muslims have been subjected to increasing mob lynching, cow vigilante attacks, public beatings, even calls for genocide. Christian congregations have regularly been attacked by Hindu nationalist mobs who have weaponized current anti-conversion laws. The United Christian Forum recorded more than 300 attacks on Christians in the first seven months of 2022 alone.”

The anti-conversion law in Uttar Pradesh requires people to submit a declaration to the local authorities to express their desire to convert to another religion. The law also requires such declarations to be exhibited publicly, publicly exposing potential converts to the whole community. “This is virtually incitement to violence,” says Lisa. “Such public notifications alert vigilante groups to their next victim and tells them exactly where to find them.”

A dozen states at the UPR urged the Indian government to ensure that anticonversion laws do not infringe upon the right to freedom of religion and belief. They also asked for the Indian Government to investigate cases of religious violence and discrimination, and to condemn violence and hate speech against religious minorities. India is currently number 10 on Open Doors World Watch list, which monitors the levels of persecution and discrimination, Christians face around the world.