Hinduism denigrated to facilitate conversion; Hindu women and children in Surat lured with incentives by Christian missionaries
Surat, Gujarat, India 
8 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Dindoli, Surat, Gujarat, several Hindu women and children from SC, ST and OBC communities were lured by Christian missionaries to convert to Christianity through incentives and under the guise of ‘healing’. The missionaries also denigrated Hinduism in an effort to facilitate these conversions. Reports confirmed that these conversion activities were conducted under the banners of the Church of God and the Zion Mission Trust. The church premises became a centre for illegal Christian conversions, where Hindu women and children were called for prayer meetings and made to listen to sermons and accept pamphlets promoting Christianity. Local Hindus reported that missionary members enticed children with incentives such as books and school materials, encouraging them to attend church prayers. The presence of vulnerable Hindu individuals at these gatherings raised serious concerns within the local Hindu community. Hindu women were invited to the church with promises of peace, healing, and care. However, inside the church, they were exposed to Christian preaching, pamphlet distribution, and ridicule of Hindu beliefs. Exploiting their vulnerability, the missionaries intensified efforts to convert them to Christianity. Reports also confirmed that when members of Hindu organisations confronted the missionaries, one of the Christian missionaries responded, “This is a secular nation and not your Hindu Rashtra.” Such conversion drives were conducted regularly over the past two years. Members of Hindu organisations were alerted to the situation and arrived at the scene. Upon entering the church premises to question the activities, the church authorities, particularly the key pastors leading the conversions, fled, strategically pushing converted women forward to argue on their behalf. Subsequently, outraged Hindu activists held a protest in front of the police station, demanding immediate action. The Hindu organisation members informed the police about the forced and manipulative religious conversions being carried out by the church authorities in Surat. Both the local public and Hindu organisations demanded strict legal action against the Christian missionary networks responsible for these proselytisation activities.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. Within this, the subcategory 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 other subcategory selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, and within it, the tertiary category selected is- Pattern of targeting Hindus and Conversion of Minors. 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 proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The other subcategory 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. In this case, Hindu women from SC, ST and OBC communities were lured to convert to Christianity through incentives, which can be regarded as a hate crime against Hindus for several compelling reasons. The nature of the conversion efforts, the use of inducements to exploit vulnerable Hindus, and the wider impact on the Hindu community all indicate a targeted action against Hindus as a group. When individuals or groups focus their efforts on converting members of a particular religion—in this instance, Hindus—it demonstrates a fundamental disregard for that faith. Conversion, especially when not based on personal conviction but rather on external persuasion or pressure, is not merely about sharing a different belief system. It is an attempt to undermine the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. In this context, the perpetrators specifically targeted Hindus, suggesting a lack of respect for Hinduism and its followers. Such actions are carried out with the intention of stripping Hindu victims of their faith. Secondly, offering incentives to encourage conversion, particularly when directed at vulnerable or needy individuals, shows that these inducements are not acts of kindness or charity. Instead, they are calculated moves to exploit vulnerable Hindus because of their religion. By providing inducements to Hindus to change their faith, the accused effectively blackmailed those who might have been desperate for assistance. Such instances are common where members of Christian missionary groups target socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion strips people of their agency and dignity, enforcing forced conversions. These are not random or isolated incidents but rather cases deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims. Furthermore, a particularly troubling aspect of this case is the use of “healing services” as a guise to lure individuals and facilitate conversions. These gatherings are often presented as opportunities for physical or emotional healing, offering hope to Hindus suffering from illness, distress, or other hardships. Such manipulation of vulnerable Hindus, exploiting their difficulties to advance the conversion agenda, clearly demonstrates the religiously motivated nature of the case. Another important point is that the victims included minors. The conversion of minors is especially egregious, as it constitutes a direct violation of their rights and an attack on their cultural and religious identity. Since the victims were mainly minors, the element of consent and genuine change of conscience was absent from the outset. Due to their young age and lack of maturity, minors are particularly vulnerable to manipulation and coercion. They may not have the capacity to fully understand the implications of converting to another religion, making them susceptible to religious indoctrination and brainwashing. Moreover, children were induced to convert to Christianity using enticements such as books and school materials, highlighting a systematic attempt at conversion through inducements. Offering incentives as bait to lure minors into conversion is a form of coercion, exploiting children’s needs to advance a religious agenda. These instances are not random but a premeditated effort to further religious conversions, stemming from hatred and animosity towards the victims’ original faith, Hinduism. Another point to highlight is that the Christian missionaries denigrated Hinduism to further their conversion agenda. This makes the religious motivations behind the crime even clearer. This behaviour demonstrates the perpetrators’ religious animosity and hatred towards Hinduism. Such actions are intended to erase the presence of Hinduism from victims’ lives, constituting religiously motivated hate speech and a clear manifestation of religious hatred. This further facilitates the perpetrators’ efforts to convert Hindu victims. It is a glaring instance of religious hatred directed at Hindus and their faith. During a heated confrontation over the deceptive and inducement-based conversion of Hindus, the Christian missionaries in this case told members of the Hindu organisation, “This is a secular nation, not your Hindu Rashtra.” This statement, made in the context of illegal conversions, reflects not only resistance to Hindu efforts to prevent such activities but also reveals a deep-seated animosity towards both Hindus and the concept of a Hindu nation state. The dismissive reference to ‘Hindu Rashtra’ underscores the missionaries’ hostility towards Hindu identity and aspirations, suggesting an entrenched religious bias and a lack of respect for the concerns raised by the Hindu community. Reports also confirmed that such conversion drives were conducted regularly over the past two years. Such repeated actions, especially when they involve inducement, brainwashing and use of incentives, are widely recognised as forms of hate crime because they are directed at undermining the religious and cultural identity of Hindus through manipulation and unlawful means. The deliberate targeting of Hindus for conversion over a long period signals a systematic attempt to alter the religious demographic of the area and strip Hindus of their faith. These instances of targeted proselytisation activities stem from inherent hostility towards the victim's professed faith since Abrahamic faiths believe that any non-adherent to the faith is subject to being dehumanised till they convert. Since such predatory actions stem from doctrinal animosity towards the Hindu faith and its adherents, this case is being documented as a religiously motivated hate crime. Additionally, the consequences of such targeted conversion efforts extend far beyond the individuals directly involved. When the Hindu community sees its members being systematically targeted, enticed, and pressured to abandon their faith, it creates a climate of fear, mistrust, and insecurity. The Hindu community in Surat, as well as in other places where similar incidents occur, may feel under siege, concerned that their traditions and beliefs are being eroded by predatory proselytising Christian groups. This sense of targeting faced by Hindus for practising their religion is a clear indicator of a religiously motivated crime. Hence, this is a hate crime as it involves systematic and targeted efforts to undermine Hindu faith and identity through coercive conversion tactics rooted in religious animosity. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the conversion activity began. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
