Christian missionaries lure 25 tribals with monetary inducements and health benefits to convert them to Christianity

Case ID : a4aede6 | Location : Bemetara, Chhattisgarh, India | Date of Incident : Tue, 27 February, 2024

Case ID : a4aede6

Bemetara, Chhattisgarh, India

27 February, 2024

Christian missionaries lure 25 tribals with monetary inducements and health benefits to convert them to Christianity

Predatory Proselytisation

Conversion/ attempts to convert by inducement

Case Summary

In Chhattisgarh's Bemetara area, over 25 members of the tribal community were converted to Christianity. The Christian missionaries facilitated the conversion through promises of improved healthcare and economic benefits. The incident took place in the Khamhariya area, involving five families from the Gond community in Ward Number 13. These families transformed a house built under PM Awas Yojana into a church and now conduct daily prayers in the name of Jesus Christ. Previously engaged in traditional occupations such as scrap dealing, dancing, and singing, their lifestyle has since changed. According to reports, some of the converted individuals claim that attending church has aided in health improvement and increased income.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The sub-category under 'Predatory Proselytisation' relevant in this case is attempting 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. In this case, the Christian evangelists were attempting to exploit a specific vulnerability of the victims who were in all likelihood also economically backward. The missionaries exploited the poor victims by promising them money and cures for their ailments - a cure that they either could not afford or for incurable diseases. 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.