The state government ordered a time-bound review of land owned by churches and mission organizations, to identify alleged documentation irregularities and unlawful occupation.
On July 8, the government of Maharashtra — India's second most populous state — ordered a time-bound statewide audit of land belonging to churches and mission organizations, according to a report by International Christian Concern (ICC). The stated goal is to identify alleged documentation irregularities and land considered unlawfully occupied.
This kind of audit isn't, by itself, unusual for any public administration — but local Christian leaders voiced concern that the measure could, in practice, serve to seize church and ministry facilities, even where the paperwork is in order. Land audits have already been used, in other Indian states, as an indirect instrument of pressure on religious institutions.
The point of concern isn't the audit itself, but how it will be carried out: if the process is transparent, with clear deadlines and criteria, it will likely amount to nothing more than an administrative procedure. If it results in seizures or disproportionate action against properly documented properties — the fear voiced by Christian leaders themselves — it becomes one more chapter in the institutional pressure on Christian communities in certain Indian states.
Pray for transparency and fairness in how this audit is carried out, that churches and missions with proper documentation won't be harmed, and for wisdom for the Christian leaders who will need to respond to the process.
Church in IndiaEvangelical organizations in West Bengal launched a statewide campaign to counter false social media claims that churches and missionaries convert people through bribery or manipulation.
Religious FreedomIndia's Supreme Court heard a petition denouncing rising hate speech and vigilante attacks against Christians, especially during festive periods.
