Dalit Hindu villagers targeted for Christian conversion under guise of healing meeting; missionaries offered inducements and denigrated Hinduism
Prayagraj (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, India 
18 September, 2025
Case Summary
In the Phulpur area of Prayagraj district, Uttar Pradesh, Dalit Hindu villagers were targeted for Christian conversion under the guise of a healing meeting. Along with this, Christian missionaries also offered inducements and passed indecent comments about Hindu deities to instigate people against their faith. In Katauta village, Phulpur, poor Dalit Hindu families were lured into conversion by missionaries, who had also illegally constructed churches in the village. Religious gatherings were organised in the name of healing meetings, but the purpose was to push people towards conversion. Bajrang Dal, a Hindu organisation, received information that such a meeting was being held in a house, and when its members reached the spot, they found that conversion activities were taking place under the cover of the healing meeting. The Hindu activists stated that poor people were being lured with money to these meetings and then converted. Offensive remarks against Hindu deities were being made to weaken their faith in order to push people towards conversion. Meanwhile, missionaries claimed that they had obtained permission from the court to organise the religious event. After a prolonged commotion, the police reached the spot and took two people to the station for questioning. Following this, Bajrang Dal activists gathered at the Phulpur police station, raised slogans, and staged a protest inside, declaring that their agitation would continue until the accused were arrested and the conversion activities were stopped.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the sub-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. The other subcategory selected is- Attempts 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 other sub-category relevant here is - Proselytisation by brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Within this, the tertiary category selected is- Pattern of targeting Hindus. 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 constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime, as Dalit Hindu villagers in Phulpur, Prayagraj were lured into converting to Christianity under the guise of healing and prayer meetings. The act of luring Hindus under the pretext of religious gatherings demonstrated that these events were not genuine forums for dialogue or worship but calculated attempts to exploit the trust of vulnerable villagers and make them abandon their faith. Such targeting of poor Dalit villagers showed that the perpetrators were exploiting social, emotional, and religious vulnerabilities for the purpose of religious conversion. These malicious actions were rooted in animosity towards Hinduism and sought to undermine the faith of its community members. Hindu activists stated that villagers were lured to these healing meetings by offering them money, after which they were converted. Offering incentives, especially when directed at vulnerable individuals in need, demonstrated 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 in exchange for conversion, the missionaries were effectively blackmailing those who might have been desperate for assistance or hope. Such instances have been seen in many cases where 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 and results in coerced conversions. Christian missionaries not only lured villagers into these meetings but also denigrated Hinduism and spoke offensively about Hindu gods and goddesses. This goes beyond religious debate or proselytisation; it constitutes an act of incitement and insult directed at the core beliefs of the Hindu community. Such remarks were designed to demean and undermine the faith of Hindus and intend to create an inferiority complex in the minds of the victims against their own faith. This fosters an environment of hostility and disrespect towards the Hindu community and Hindu deities. Such insults stem from Christian theology, which harbours disdain and hatred for polytheistic faiths, and which categorises Hindus as ‘polytheists’, thereby fostering hatred against them. Such actions make the religiously motivated nature of the crime even more evident. These actions further demonstrate that this was not an isolated incident of evangelism, but part of a broader, organised effort to further religious conversions. When evangelists and Christian missionaries focus their efforts on converting individuals of a particular faith, in this instance Hindus, it reveals a fundamental disregard for that community and its beliefs. Conversion, especially when not based on sincere personal conviction but rather on external persuasion or pressure, is not about sharing a religion; it is an attempt to undermine the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. The Christian faith, by its very theological foundations, places a strong emphasis on proselytisation. In pursuit of conversion objectives, Christian evangelists often employ unethical means, ranging from psychological pressure and misinformation to inducements such as money or jobs. In such cases, Christian missionary groups often target and brainwash socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. 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 since when these conversion activities were going on. Therefore, for documentation purposes, the date of the incident has been recorded as the date it was reported in the media - September 19, 2025.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
