Four arrested in Hardoi for anti-Hindu remarks and pressure to convert to Christianity
Bilgram, Uttar Pradesh, India 
8 October, 2024
Case Summary
In Bilgram, a case emerged involving the unauthorised promotion of Christianity and attempted religious conversions. Police registered a report against four individuals after a complaint was filed by Ajay, a resident of Mohalla Malkanth. The incident took place during a prayer meeting on October 9, 2024, at the home of Chandrashekhar, where around 70–80 people had gathered. Among those present were Vimlesh from Jhalpurwa, Vijay from Faridapur, and Santram alias Guddu from Shankar Baksh Purwa. During the gathering, attendees were reportedly promoting Christianity and making anti-Hindu remarks. Some participants were also accused of attempting to persuade others to convert to Christianity. Following the complaint, Kotwal Umakant Deepak confirmed that a report had been filed and that the four accused individuals were taken into custody for questioning.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under the core category of 'Predatory Proselytisation' because of the various distinct components that demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith and the deliberate attempt to alienate the victims from their Hindu identity. Further, two sub-categories have been selected here as per the details. The first is- Attempting to convert/converting by denigrating Hinduism. In several cases, Hindus are converted or an attempt is made to convert Hindus by denigrating their faith, Hinduism. In such cases, the Hindus associate with the non-Hindu perpetrators often by choice and then, the attempt to convert them by insulting their faith, showing the faith down etc begins. An example of this would be a non-Hindu gathering where the Hindus are attending the gathering of their own free will. However, once they attend the gathering, there is an explicit attempt to convert them by abusing their faith and hailing the faith of the perpetrator. The denigration of the Hindu faith is often based on misrepresentation of the Hindu faith, its doctrine and scriptures and insult to espoused traditions if not blatant lies about Hindu beliefs and ways. Such conversions or attempts at conversions are driven by animosity towards the Hindu faith and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. The second sub-category selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious grooming or brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such grooming or brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The actions in this case went beyond simply promoting an alternative faith; they involved disparaging remarks about Hinduism, designed to undermine the victims' connection to their religious identity. By denigrating Hindu deities and traditions during the prayer gathering, the accused sought to foster distrust and dissatisfaction with the Hindu faith, thus creating a psychological environment conducive to religious conversion. This approach, marked by derogation of the existing beliefs of the individuals, exemplifies an attempt to instill doubt and alienation, making it a clear case of religiously motivated proselytisation through disrespect and condemnation of Hindu beliefs. Further, the details highlight the insidious nature of the conversion attempts made by the accused, who employed psychological tactics to influence and persuade individuals during the prayer meeting. By creating an environment where individuals were encouraged to adopt Christianity, the perpetrators engaged in a form of grooming that sought to establish a rapport with vulnerable participants. Through manipulation and subtle indoctrination, the accused aimed to reshape the beliefs of the participants, fostering an atmosphere where doubts about Hinduism could flourish. The use of such tactics not only reflects a deep-seated animosity towards Hinduism but also signifies a broader pattern of targeting individuals for conversion through calculated strategies designed to undermine their existing faith and identity and this is why this case has been included in the tracker.
Victim Details
Total Victim
80
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 80
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 80
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 80
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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