Hindu female teachers asked to marry Muslim men for a 'better life'
Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
23 January, 2025
Case Summary
In Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu female teachers were asked to marry Muslim men for a better life. Government Education Officer ABSA Babita Singh of Suar block is accused by the teachers in this case. According to reports, she asked her Hindu female colleagues to get married to Muslim men for a better life. The female teachers filed a complaint in which they stated that Babita Singh was encouraging ‘Love jihad’ and also tried to spread communalism and casteism. The District Magistrate and District Education Officer ordered an investigation of the allegations made by the teachers that the ABSA had told them that Islam offers more benefits and independence to women. She also said that she was happy because she married a Muslim and other women should also marry Muslims. Apart from these accusations, she was also accused of demanding bribes. Babita Singh denied all allegations against her. She stated that she had initiated action against some teachers for neglecting their duties, so they are trying to hurt her image and are vindictive.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category of- Predatory proselytisation. Within this, the sub-category selected is- Conversion/ attempts to convert by inducement. Predatory Proselytisation is not just limited to threat, harassment, force and violence, but it also has contours of stealth. In several cases, the Hindu victim is exploited to convert, with non-Hindus taking advantage of their poverty. In such cases, the Hindu victim who is suffering financially is offered monetary benefits, including lucrative offers for jobs, health treatment, education, etc, to induce the victim into changing his/her religion. In such cases, the religious identity of the victim and the aim to disenfranchise him from his faith form the heart of the crime. Also, taking advantage of and exploiting an individual’s economic vulnerabilities is widely acknowledged as exploitation, forms of which are often penalised by law. Such cases therefore are considered religiously motivated hate crimes since the victim’s religious identity forms the very heart of the crime itself. Here, the Government Education Officer, Babita Singh, encouraged Hindu female teachers to marry Muslim men, portraying it as a means to achieve a better life and greater independence. Such actions reflect a pattern of attempting to influence or coerce individuals into religious conversion through inducements, including promises of societal or personal benefits. The accused promoted Islam as offering more advantages to women and cited her personal experience as justification further underlining the attempts to manipulate vulnerable individuals by exploiting their circumstances. Her actions point to a targeted effort to undermine the religious identity of Hindu women, thereby constituting a form of predatory proselytisation. Since such actions stem from intolerance toward the victim's religious identity and are intended to coerce them into renouncing their faith, they qualify as a religiously motivated hate crime and have been recorded in the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
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