The Court observes that inducement-based missionary conversions threaten tribal identity, cultural harmony, and national unity.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has issued a significant observation regarding increasing cases of religious conversion among tribal communities, warning that such trends pose a direct threat to India’s social unity and cultural balance. The Court noted that mass-scale conversions particularly those carried out through allurement, financial inducements, or misrepresentation can lead to deep polarization within society and even spark violent confrontations in rural areas.
The bench pointed out that missionary activities in tribal-dominated regions, once widely considered humanitarian and service-driven, have in several instances “turned into instruments of religious expansion.” These conversions, the Court said, often come disguised behind free schooling, medical support, job opportunities, or financial help offered to economically vulnerable tribal families.
“India is a secular and pluralistic nation where every individual has the right to follow and propagate their religion,” the Court reaffirmed. “However, this right does not give any person or institution the authority to convert others through force, inducement, or fraudulent means.”
Threat to Indigenous Identity and Cultural Continuity
The High Court stressed that tribal communities have their own deeply rooted traditions, rituals, and belief systems that form a core part of India’s cultural heritage. Forced or incentivized conversions, it stated, risk severing tribal populations from their ancestral identity and collective memory.
Such transformations not only disrupt community structures but also create divisions within villages splitting families and clans along newly drawn religious lines. “This cultural displacement is as dangerous as political or social division,” the Court noted.
Rising Tensions and Conflicts in Rural Areas
The Court referenced several recent cases from Chhattisgarh and neighbouring states where disputes over religious conversion reportedly led to clashes. These tensions, it warned, could escalate if policy and enforcement agencies fail to intervene appropriately.
It called on state authorities to strictly enforce laws that prevent forced or fraudulent conversions while ensuring that citizens’ constitutional rights remain protected.
Balancing Faith With Constitutional Duty
The Court further clarified the constitutional position:
Right to Freedom of Religion – guaranteed under Article 25
But limited by the need to maintain public order, morality, and health.
Propagation ≠ Conversion, especially not by coercion or inducements.
The judgment reflects a broader national conversation on preserving tribal identity, preventing exploitation of vulnerable communities, and maintaining communal harmony.
The High Court’s remarks serve as a reminder of the fine balance India must maintain: respecting religious freedoms while preventing exploitation and cultural erosion. As evangelical networks expand into remote tribal belts, the debate surrounding conversion, identity, and autonomy is likely to intensify.
What remains essential is a governance approach that protects tribal culture, encourages inclusive development, and ensures that no community is manipulated on the basis of poverty or vulnerability.
