Hindus attacked and assaulted for opposing Christian conversion attempt carried out in the name of birthday party
Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh, India 
10 February, 2025
Case Summary
In Rathodi village of Madhya Pradesh, Hindus were attacked by Christians for opposing a conversion attempt by them in the name of a birthday party. This led further towards a clash between the Hindus and Christians. According to the villagers, there was a birthday party at the house of Gamesh Parmar. The people of the village were also invited to it. Along with playing Christian carols, other Christian activities were also being conducted under the guise of the birthday celebration. Ashwin and Rahul of the village, who were present at the party, objected to the conversion activities. Hindus alleged that an attempt was being made to convert Hindus to Christianity in the name of a birthday party. A fight broke out when Hindus opposed the conversion tactics being carried out during the party. There was conflict, which resulted in physical assault and vandalism of vehicles. The injured people were taken to the Community Health Center for treatment. The police claimed that the incident was not an attack by any external group but rather a dispute between individuals from the same community. An investigation was launched but no FIR was filed.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added as a religiously motivated hate crime under two prime categories of the tracker. The first is- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. 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 second category selected is- Attack not resulting in death and within this, the sub-category chosen is- Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. This incident can be categorised as a hate crime under 'Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation, or subtle indoctrination' due to the allegations that an attempt at religious conversion was being carried out under the guise of a birthday celebration. The reported religious activities, including the playing of faith-specific hymns and other associated practices, suggest a deliberate effort to influence and convert individuals in an indirect manner. Such tactics align with the pattern of subtle indoctrination, where conversions are encouraged under the pretext of social gatherings, making it a case of predatory proselytisation. Furthermore, the violence that ensued when certain individuals objected to these activities classifies this case under 'Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save the victim'. Those who resisted or questioned the religious conversion efforts became targets of assault, indicating an intolerance towards any opposition to the proselytisation attempt. The attack on those who objected highlights how religious radicals often resort to intimidation and violence to suppress dissent and prevent individuals from exposing their activities. This reinforces the fact that opposition to coercive conversion efforts is often met with hostility, making this a case of religiously motivated hate crime.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 2
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 2
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 2
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint not filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
