Christians attempt to convert Hindus by promising 'solution to problems', denigrating Hinduism, asking them to throw idols away
Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India 
5 October, 2024
Case Summary
In Garthwalia village, located in the Kotwali Khalilabad area of Uttar Pradesh, police registered a case against three individuals for luring Hindu men and women into converting to Christianity during organised prayer meetings. The complaint was filed by Amarnath Sharma, a local resident, who said that the accused — Mohit, Kamlesh, and Varn, held these prayer gatherings regularly in a pink shed near a canal culvert. During these meetings, the accused reportedly promised the attendees that converting to Christianity would solve their problems, urging them to reject Hindu deities and practices. According to the complaint, participants were asked to remove Hindu religious symbols, such as chains and anklets, and discard idols from their homes. The accused also used derogatory language about Hindu gods and promoted Christianity as the solution to all issues. The trio organised feasts on Sundays to attract people, making the gatherings a regular occurrence. They enticed the local population by offering material benefits, with claims that many individuals were converted through these means. On receiving the complaint, police raided the prayer meeting, which had a large crowd in attendance, including a village chowkidar. During the raid, Mohit was arrested on the spot, followed by the arrest of Varn later. Both were sent to jail. Police interrogated several attendees who claimed they were there for healing or other personal problems.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime because of the various distinct components that demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith and their deliberate attempt to alienate the victims from their Hindu identity. As per the details, this case has been placed under two prime categories of the tracker. The first is-Predatory Proselytisation. Under this, two sub-categories have been selected. 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 under the aforementioned prime 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. The second prime category under which this case has been placed is- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. This case exemplifies a religiously motivated hate crime, falling into multiple categories that underscore the severity of the actions taken by the accused. First, the perpetrators targeted Hindu residents by vilifying Hindu deities and undermining the spiritual value of their symbols. Their denigration of Hindu beliefs as ineffective and subservient to their own religious system demonstrates a clear intent to replace the Hindu faith with Christianity through disparagement. This tactic reflects a deep-seated animosity toward Hinduism, as it involves both psychological manipulation and a direct assault on the faith’s perceived legitimacy. Further, the act of instructing attendees to remove Hindu religious symbols, such as chains, anklets, and idols, constitutes a direct affront to the spiritual and cultural identity of the Hindu community. This desecration not only disrespects the individual’s personal beliefs but also represents a broader attack on the collective religious heritage of the community. By urging participants to discard their symbols of faith, the accused aimed to sever their connection to Hinduism, further illustrating the nature of their coercive methods. Secondly, the accused also resorted to inducement as a means of facilitating conversions. They promised attendees that converting to Christianity would resolve their personal issues and improve their lives. This exploitation of individuals’ vulnerabilities for religious gain underscores a manipulative approach, where emotional and material benefits are offered in exchange for abandoning one's faith. Such tactics exemplify how the accused sought to exploit the socio-economic challenges faced by individuals in the community, thereby manipulating their choices under false pretences. Last but not least, the use of derogatory language against Hindu gods and practices during the prayer meetings reflects an underlying bias and hostility toward Hinduism. Since such conversions are motivated by hatred for Hinduism, they are classified as hate crimes with a religious motive.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
