Minor Hindu students made to recite prayers and brainwashed for Christian conversion by school administration; families lured with jobs
Dabra, Madhya Pradesh, India 
25 August, 2025
Case Summary
In the Jangipura area of Dabra city, minor Hindu students were brainwashed and indoctrinated to convert to Christianity by the school administration. Students' relatives and parents were offered jobs and other opportunities in order to push them towards conversion. According to reports, at Nava Kanti School (a Navodaya School located in Ward No. 18) in the Jangipura area, minor Hindu students were taught about Christianity and Christian prayer. They were motivated to abandon Hinduism and convert to Christianity. A complaint was lodged by a Hindu man named Shyam Valmiki, stating that his two minor children, who were studying in the school, were made to perform Christian prayers and sing praises of Jesus Christ. He also stated that he, along with the families of students, was promised a job in exchange for conversion. The FIR stated that on August 25, 2025, the complainant went to the school accompanied by a friend. After reaching the school, he saw two mysterious men present in the school, and the students were given literature relating to Christianity. According to the complainant, the two men approached him and handed him a Bible. They praised Jesus and Christianity and asked him to convert to Christianity in return for a job and money. Based on the complaint, the Collector ordered an inquiry and constituted a three-member committee, which visited the school and found several irregularities. The investigation revealed that untrained teachers without D.Ed. or B.Ed. Degrees were employed, there was no C register, and the governing committee lacked bylaws. Objectionable religious literature promoting Christianity was also confiscated during the inquiry. At present, 70 children are enrolled in the institution. Based on the findings, the police registered a case under Section 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act 2021 against three people, identified as Shyamnarayan, Ravikananda, and manager Daniel.
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 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. The other subcategory selected in this case is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. The tertiary category selected is- Pattern of targeting Hindus and Conversion of minor. 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. This case has been added to the tracker because minor Hindu students were brainwashed and indoctrinated to convert to Christianity by the school administration. Even their parents and relatives were promised jobs in exchange for conversion. Offering such kinds of inducements, especially when directed at vulnerable individuals in need, shows that these incentives were not acts of kindness or charity. Instead, they were calculated moves to exploit vulnerable Hindus because of their religion. By providing inducements or promising jobs in exchange for conversion, the accused were effectively blackmailing those who might have been desperate for assistance or hope. Such instances are seen in many cases where members of Christian missionary groups target socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion stripped people of their agency and dignity and resulted in coerced conversions. These were not random or isolated incidents, but rather cases deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims. It is further important to note that the school ran classes only up to Class 8, meaning all the Hindu students who were being brainwashed to convert to Christianity were minors, which shows that the element of consent and genuine change of conscience was missing ab initio. Minors, due to their young age and lack of maturity, are particularly vulnerable to manipulation and coercion. They may not have the ability to fully understand the implications of converting to another religion, and the Christian perpetrators purposely targeted and exploited this vulnerability of the victims. Since this case exemplified the use of coercion and manipulation to achieve religious conversion, it was a blatant act of religious hate, which is why it has been documented here in the hate tracker. Such acts were not merely criminal in nature; they were ideologically charged, revealing religious prejudice and a calculated intent to alter the religious identity of minors without their volition. Additionally, objectionable religious literature promoting Christianity was confiscated during the inquiry, indicating that Christian perpetrators were actively attempting to indoctrinate the minor Hindu students by using Christian religious texts. Using the scriptures or literature of one faith to deliberately target and manipulate members of another, with the clear intention of religious conversion, represented a direct attack on the Hindu faith. Such actions were designed to violate and undermine the beliefs of Hindu victims and were clear indicators of religious hostility towards Hindus and their religious identity. These actions further demonstrated that this was not an isolated incident of evangelism, but rather part of a broader, organised operation to further religious conversions. When Christian religious material was used to exploit trust, sow doubt, and misrepresent the beliefs of Hindus to coerce conversion, particularly in a systematic manner, it constituted a religiously motivated offence. The Christian faith, by its very theological foundations, places a strong emphasis on proselytisation. In pursuit of conversion objectives, Christian evangelists often employed unethical means, ranging from psychological pressure and misinformation to inducements such as money or jobs. In such cases, Christian missionary groups frequently targeted and brainwashed socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion stripped Hindus of their agency and dignity and enforced forced conversions. These were not random or isolated incidents, but rather premeditated efforts to undermine the Hindu faith, persuade Hindus to discard their own faith, and convert to Christianity. Such acts were deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims, and thus, this case was added to the tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when the victim’s ordeal began. However, in this case, the report does not provide specific details regarding how long the conversion activities had been going on. Therefore, for documentation purposes, the date of the incident has been recorded as the date it was reported in the media.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
