Hindu minor children influenced by Christian religious teachings at primary school in Madanapalle
Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, India 
2 August, 2026
Case Summary
Christian religious teachings were conducted among primary school children at Mr Reddy E.M. Primary School in SBI Colony, Madanapalle, Annamayya district, Andhra Pradesh, prompting objections from parents and an inquiry by the education department. Parents learnt that, instead of regular lessons, Bible-related and Christian religious teachings were being imparted to children during school hours. They expressed concern that introducing such religious instruction to children at a young age was inappropriate and contrary to the purpose of school education. They prepared video evidence of the classroom sessions and approached the District Education Officer and the Mandal Education Officer, requesting a thorough inquiry into the school's management and appropriate action. Following the complaint, officials from the education department visited the school, questioned the management, and instructed it not to conduct such classes again. The school management stated that the classes had already been stopped. However, the parents remained dissatisfied with the explanation provided. One tweet by the X handle Tathvam-asi stated that the incident triggered a major uproar in Madanapalle, noting that a teacher taught Christian religious content to children as young as six or seven. It further described the activity as religious propaganda and stated that such instruction was contrary to the rules of the Education Department.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected in this case is- Predatory Proselytisation. The subcategory selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. The tertiary categories selected are- Conversion of minor, Pattern of targeting Hindus. 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 proselytisation, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This incident has been added to the Hate Crime database of the tracker because it involved the religious indoctrination of minor children through Christian teachings imparted by school teachers during school hours. By introducing the tenets of another faith to impressionable children in an educational setting, the activity sought to subtly influence their religious beliefs at an age when they were incapable of making informed decisions about matters of faith. Educational institutions are secular spaces intended to impart academic instruction without promoting the doctrines of any particular religion. Introducing Christian religious teachings and religious propaganda into classroom instruction departed from this secular purpose and exposed young children to the teachings of a specific faith within an environment where they were expected to receive academically focused education. Such conduct was especially significant because primary school children, owing to their age, remained particularly susceptible to influence from teachers, who occupied positions of trust and authority. The relationship between a teacher and a student is inherently fiduciary. Children are naturally inclined to trust and accept information conveyed by their teachers without the capacity to critically evaluate religious instruction. Using this position of authority to introduce the doctrines of a particular religion transformed the classroom from a place of secular education into a setting for religious influence. This element of trust distinguished the conduct from ordinary religious expression and brought it within the scope of subtle indoctrination. The school catered to children from the local community and was not identified as a religious institution established for imparting Christian theological education. In India's secular education system, such schools ordinarily serve children from different religious backgrounds, including Hindus. Introducing Christian religious instruction into this setting therefore carried the potential to influence Hindu children through the authority of the classroom rather than through informed personal choice. The concerns raised by parents reflected apprehension that impressionable children were being exposed to religious instruction unrelated to the prescribed curriculum, thereby affecting their ability to develop and practise their own religious beliefs free from institutional religious influence. It was also important to note that the children involved were primary school students. Minor children lack consent and a genuine change of conscience. It is a well-established fact that children are more susceptible to manipulation since they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully mature, making them more vulnerable to influence and less able to critically evaluate information. Moreover, subtle manipulation tactics can be difficult to detect, especially when employed by trusted authority figures in positions of influence. This makes it challenging for parents to identify and address instances of religious manipulation. Consequently, cases involving religious manipulation of minors not only represent an infringement on an individual's religious freedom but also demonstrate a calculated strategy of targeting those who are less able to resist or understand the long-term implications of conversion, making it a significant case of religiously motivated hate crime. For this reason, this case has been added to the tracker. Disclaimer: The exact date on which Christian religious teachings began being imparted at the primary school was not specified in the available sources. The tracker records incident dates based on when the underlying incident occurred rather than when it was reported or published. As the available reports did not specify the date of the commencement of the religious instruction, 3rd August 2026, the publication date of the news report, has been used as the indicative incident date for documentation purposes only.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
