The chief minister of India’s Maharashtra State announced on 17 July the cancellation of Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates for individuals who have converted to Christianity or Islam.
Referring to a Supreme Court order dated 26 November 2024, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the SC category reservation should only be available to Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs, excluding converts to Christianity and Islam.
Critics argue that the ruling will significantly affect marginalised communities, particularly Dalits, who continue to face caste-based discrimination even if they convert to other religions, and could strip them of critical affirmative action benefits such as government-funded education, scholarships, employment quotas in public sector jobs and reserved seats at various levels of government.
Three days prior to the announcement, on 14 July, Dr Pankaj Bhoyar of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, a member of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stated that the state government has also formed a panel under the Director General of Police to introduce a stringent anti-conversion law during the 2025 winter legislative session, which he claimed will be ‘stricter’ than the other states that have these laws.
Recent discussions in the Maharashtra Legislative Council have also raised allegations of the existence of 'crypto Christians' , i.e. individuals who convert to Christianity but publicly maintain a Hindu identity to continue to access SC benefits.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW is concerned at the Maharashtra State authorities’ decision to cancel Scheduled Caste certificates for converts to Christianity or Islam, and pledge to introduce a strict anti-conversion law which will no doubt contravene India’s constitutional and international commitments to freedom of religion or belief. We call on the Maharashtra State government to reconsider this decision, and urge the governments of all states in which anti-conversion legislation is currently in place to repeal these laws as a matter of urgency.’
Notes to Editors:
- India’s Presidential Order of 1950 identifies specific castes eligible for affirmative action benefits, such as reservations in education, employment and political representation, to address historical social and economic disadvantages. Originally, the order restricted SC status to Hindus, but was later amended to include Buddhists and Sikhs whilst excluding Christians and Muslims.
- Eleven states in India currently enforce ‘Freedom of Religion Acts,’ which criminalise religious conversion: Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.