Hindus being converted during prayer meetings by denigrating Hinduism at Deoria's Mission School

Case ID : 5954981 | Location : Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Sat, 5 October, 2024
Case ID : 5954981
location Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, India
date 5 October, 2024
Hindus being converted during prayer meetings by denigrating Hinduism at Deoria's Mission School
Predatory Proselytisation
Attempting to convert/converting by denigrating Hinduism
Conversion/ attempts to convert by inducement

Case Summary

In Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district, a conversion racket was uncovered at the Mission School in Barhaj Municipal Council. Workers from Hindu organizations arrived at the school following complaints of religious conversions taking place during prayer meetings. It was said that objectionable materials were discovered on the premises, which triggered a significant uproar. During the incident, it was reported that a pastor conducting the prayer meeting allegedly made denigrating remarks against Hinduism in front of the gathered crowd, which included Hindu women and families. When confronted by activists, the pastor reportedly abandoned the microphone and fled the scene to avoid further questioning or confrontation. This raised further suspicions and fueled the uproar. The gathered crowd, consisting primarily of Hindus, revealed upon questioning that they had been invited to the meeting under the pretext of promises of prosperity and miraculous cures. Activists claimed this was a tactic to influence vulnerable individuals, subtly leading to conversion efforts. Reports suggest that complaints about conversions during prayer meetings at the church within the Mission School had been ongoing for a while. Suspicion grew among Hindu organizations due to the unusually large crowds gathering for these prayer sessions. A large number of activists reached the church within the school campus. Initial questioning took place, and during the process, the discovery of objectionable materials led to commotion on the premises.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been listed in the tracker under the prime category- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the first sub-category selected 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. 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 disparaging Hinduism. 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. 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. Since such conversions are motivated by hatred for Hinduism, they are classified as hate crimes with a religious motive.

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Case Status


Complaint filed

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Perpetrators Details

Perpetrators


Christian Extremists

Perpetrators Range


One Person

Perpetrators Gender


male

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