Conversion attempt by Christians under garb of prayer meeting
Barnala, Punjab, India 
28 December, 2024
Case Summary
Christians were holding a prayer meeting in a rented house in Barnala village, Ambala, when Bajrang Dal members arrived, finding them doing forced religious conversions. The Christian community had been conducting prayers at the location for three years without any prior issues. On December 29, Bajrang Dal members confronted them, claiming the prayers were part of a conversion agenda. The confrontation escalated into a clash, leading to injuries on both sides. The pastor of the church denied the allegations, asserting that their prayers had always been peaceful. He alleged that some individuals entered the prayer meeting, shouted "Jai Shri Ram" slogans, and attacked those present. Police from Panjokhra station intervened to control the situation and mediate between the groups. Complaints were filed by both sides, with each accusing the other of provocation and misconduct. The police assured a thorough investigation into the matter and stated that further action would follow based on the findings. While the Christian pastor sought justice for the alleged attack, Bajrang Dal members justified their actions by citing concerns over alleged religious conversions. The investigation remained ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under the sub-category: Proselytisation by brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, under the core category of 'Predatory Proselytisation' because the details of the case clearly demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the victim's faith and the deliberate attempt to alienate them from their religious identity. 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. Here, the use of a prayer gathering as a cover suggests that the individuals involved may have been using indirect methods to lure or convince others into conversion, possibly targeting vulnerable people by exploiting their emotional, social, or religious needs. As such, this constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime as actions like these are driven by intolerance towards the victim's religious identity and aim to coerce them into abandoning their faith.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
