Hindu tribals targeted for conversion through inducements; residents of 18 villages raise alarm over large-scale conversion activities in Chhattisgarh's forest regions
Kawardha, Chhattisgarh, India 
2 November, 2026
Case Summary
Large-scale conversion activities were reported from Chhattisgarh's Kawardha district, where Christian missionaries were converting Hindus by offering them various inducements. Villagers also complained that churches were being constructed illegally on government land in the forest regions, raising concerns over encroachment and the changing religious landscape of the tribal-dominated areas. On November 3, 2026, hundreds of residents from 18 villages across the Pandariya and Bodla blocks reached the Collectorate to demand action against these activities. Members of the Baiga community, representatives of other tribal communities and local public representatives met the District Collector and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, seeking immediate intervention. In their complaint, the villagers stated that religious conversion activities were taking place on a large scale in the forest regions and were affecting the traditional culture, customs, practices and religious beliefs of tribal communities. They claimed that members of these communities were being offered various inducements to abandon their existing faith and embrace Christianity. The residents said these activities were not merely changing tribal people's religious affiliations but also affecting their connection to ancestral traditions and cultural practices. During their meeting with the Collector, the representatives raised three major demands and sought an investigation into the activities taking place in the forest regions. One of their primary concerns was the construction of churches on government land. The villagers said that government land was being encroached upon for this purpose and demanded an investigation into more than 40 churches constructed in the region. They also sought an inquiry into cases involving government employees who had obtained jobs by availing themselves of reservation benefits meant for Scheduled Tribe communities and subsequently converted to Christianity. Another major demand concerned the use of inducements to bring members of the Baiga and other tribal communities into Christianity. Community representatives called for legal action against those found responsible for such activities. The residents told the administration that people in rural and forest regions were being offered various inducements to adopt Christianity. They said that these practices had led several members of tribal communities to change their religion. The villagers demanded that the administration investigate these complaints, stop unlawful conversion activities and take appropriate action against those responsible. The mobilisation of residents from 18 villages reflected the growing concern among tribal communities over the impact of religious conversion activities on their ancestral beliefs, customs and cultural identity. They called on the district administration to intervene and protect the traditional religious and cultural practices of the communities living in the region.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This incident has been added to the tracker under the category: Predatory Proselytisation. Within this, the subcategory selected is: Conversion/attempts to convert thorugh inducements. 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, some Christian evangelists attempted to convert poor and vulnerable tribal Hindus through inducements. Using inducements to convert individuals is a common tactic in efforts to influence or manipulate vulnerable people into changing their faith. This approach often targets economically disadvantaged groups, offering material benefits such as food, money, or livestock in exchange for conversion. It creates dependency that can alienate individuals from their original faith, as they may feel compelled to convert not out of genuine belief but because of immediate needs or financial pressure. Here too, the Christian evangelists adopted a similar tactic of exploiting the vulnerability of the Hindus to convert them to Christianity. The construction of churches in Hindu tribal areas further strengthens the missionary presence in these communities and provides an institutional base for continued conversion activities. When such construction accompanies efforts to convert vulnerable Hindus through inducements, it becomes part of a wider attempt to expand Christian influence and weaken the religious and cultural identity of indigenous Hindu communities. The fundamental motivation behind such activities is to draw vulnerable Hindus away from their ancestral faith, erode their religious identity and expand the reach of Christianity at the expense of their traditional beliefs and practices. The Christian faith, by its very theological foundations, places a strong emphasis on proselytisation. In pursuit of conversion objectives, Christian evangelists often employ unethical means, ranging from psychological pressure and misinformation to inducements such as money or jobs. In such cases, Christian missionary groups often target and brainwash socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion strips Hindus of their agency and dignity and enforces forced conversions. These are not random or isolated incidents, but rather premeditated efforts to undermine the Hindu faith, persuade Hindus to discard their own faith, and convert to Christianity. Because predatory proselytisation is driven by animosity toward the victim's professed faith, this case was added to the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
