Hindu residents targeted for conversion under the guise of a prayer meeting by Christian missionaries
Korba, Chhattisgarh, India 
22 September, 2025
Case Summary
In the Pathripara Basti area of Korba district, Chhattisgarh, Hindu residents were targeted for conversion under the guise of a prayer meeting by Christian missionaries. According to reports, a man named Shankar Patel had sold his land to another person, on which a house was built, and crowds had been gathering at the home for several days. A Christian prayer meeting was held there, and reports of religious conversion activities prompted a large number of Bajrang Dal activists to arrive and protest. Local residents and Bajrang Dal activists stated that conversions were taking place inside the house. Police promptly arrived at the site, which led to scuffles between the Hindu activists and the police. Senior police officers also reached the scene to mediate the tensions and restore order. Reports indicate that fighting, stone pelting, and vandalism of vehicles occurred late at night. The police registered cases against some individuals after complaints were filed by both sides, and an investigation was initiated. Additional police forces were deployed in the area to prevent further conflict. Police closely monitored the situation to ensure tensions did not escalate further, while details regarding the number of individuals charged and the specifics of the FIRs remained confidential.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of - Predatory Proselytisation. Within it, the sub-category selected is - Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, with the tertiary category being - 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 Hindu residents in Pathripara Basti were were targeted for conversion under the guise of a prayer meeting by a Christian missionary. The act of inviting Hindus to a prayer gathering, while simultaneously conducting conversion activities, demonstrates that these meetings were not genuine religious sessions or community prayers. Instead, they were calculated efforts to exploit the trust and social cohesion within the Hindu community by disguising conversion attempts as routine gatherings. The organisers deliberately conducted conversion activities inside a house to avoid drawing attention, indicating a deliberate and deceptive strategy to manipulate Hindus and encourage them to abandon their faith. Vulnerable Hindus were targeted, exploiting their emotional, social, or religious sensitivities, which reflects malicious intent rooted in animosity towards Hinduism. The nature of these conversion efforts and their broader impact on the Hindu community indicate a targeted campaign against Hindus as a group. When individuals or organisations focus solely on converting members of a particular faith, in this case, Hindus, it shows a fundamental disregard for their beliefs and traditions. Conversion attempts that rely on persuasion, pressure, or inducements rather than genuine conviction are not merely the sharing of beliefs; they constitute an attempt to undermine the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. In this case, it is evident that the Christian perpetrators deliberately targeted Hindus, illustrating a lack of respect for their faith and practices, and making these actions a religiously motivated hate crime. 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 deception 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. This form of coercion strips Hindus of their agency and dignity and enforces forced conversions. These are 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 since when the conversion activities had been taking place. Therefore, for documentation purposes, the date of the incident has been recorded as the date when the protest occurred - September 23, 2025.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
