Evangelist couple booked for converting children to Christianity during 'prayer' meetings
Kokrajhar, Assam, India 
26 September, 2024
Case Summary
An FIR was lodged in Assam against Mizo gospel singer Bethsy Lalrinsangi and her husband, evangelist C. Lalhriatpuia, for forced religious conversions. The couple held a gospel meeting at Mount Olive School in Debitola, Assam, where they reportedly performed prayers for children. The complaint was filed by a Hindu rights organization affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), reporting the couple converting children to Christianity during these gospel meetings. The couple appeared at Kokrajhar District Court in connection with the case. They sought interim bail, but their plea was denied by the court. A church official mentioned they were still awaiting official documents and were unsure about the exact organization or individual responsible for filing the FIR.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category- Predatory proselytisation and under this, the sub-category selected is- Proselytisation by brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. The tertiary category selected within this is- Conversion of minor. 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 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 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 the existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinated 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 details of this case reveal that the Hindu victims were minors, indicating a lack of 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 matured, making them more vulnerable to influence and less capable of critically evaluating 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 religious motivated hate crime. For this reason, this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
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