Attempt to convert Hindus to Christianity by claiming to provide treatment to serious ailments

Case Summary
An attempt was made to convert several Hindus to Christianity in a village near Rajwada Bhagwan, leading to tension between the two groups. Christian missionaries reportedly organised healing meetings every Thursday and Sunday at the residence of Ram Babu Sah, offering prayers and claiming to provide solutions for various ailments. On January 19, 2025, a healing meeting drew participants from nearby areas, while a Hanuman Chalisa recitation led by BJP and RSS workers, including former RSS block worker Randhir Kumar and BJP leader Satyendra Kumar Sharma, was held nearby. The simultaneous events caused tensions to escalate. Local residents and women confronted the outsiders attending the healing meeting and forced them to leave. Randhir Kumar stated that poor Hindus were being converted under the guise of healing and vowed that the Sangh would offer free treatment and promote cottage industries to support the villagers. Villagers, including Nitish Kumar and Dharmendra Kumar, stated that Christian missionaries had been attempting conversions for months, prompting local resistance. As tensions rose, police were called to the scene and successfully diffused the situation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under the category of- Predatory Proselytisation because of the distinct component that demonstrates the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith and their deliberate attempt to alienate the victims from their Hindu identity. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Conversion/attempts to convert by 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 Hindus through inducements, such as a miraculous cure for their ailments The use of inducements to convert individuals is indeed a common tactic in efforts to influence or manipulate vulnerable individuals into changing their faith. This approach often targets economically disadvantaged groups, offering material benefits such as food, money, medical support, education or livestock in exchange for conversion. It creates a form of dependency that can alienate individuals from their original faith, as they may feel compelled to convert not out of genuine belief but due to immediate needs or financial pressures. Here too, the Christian evangelists adopted a similar tactic of exploiting the vulnerability of the Hindus to convert them to Christianity. Since exploiting vulnerabilities for the explicit purpose of conversion is purely based on animosity towards the victim's faith, this case has been categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.

Case Status
Complaint filed

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown