Hindu woman lured to convert to Christianity through promises and by denigrating Hindu deities

Case Summary
Police in Mehanajpur, Uttar Pradesh, arrested a woman named Pramila Singh for attempting to convert people through inducements in Kurehra Tej Singh village. Pramila, a resident of Chauwaha village in Jaunpur district, was accused of pressuring a woman named Savita Devi to change her religion. Savita filed a complaint stating that Pramila lured her with promises and pressured her to convert to Christianity. When Savita refused, Pramila also gathered people outside her house on December 29 and made derogatory remarks about Hindu gods and goddesses, claiming the superiority of a particular religion. Police recovered 11 books, including religious texts, from the accused during her arrest at Chillupur turn. Authorities confirmed that legal action was being taken against the accused.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the Hinduphobia tracker under the prime category of- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the first 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 second sub-category selected here is- Attempting 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. In this particular case, the Christian evangelist was overtly trying to convert a Hindu woman by disparaging Hindu gods and goddesses while glorifying her own faith, Christianity. In an effort to indoctrinate the Hindu victim against their religion—which itself is a product of hostility towards the Hindu faith—she was making derogatory remarks about Hindu deities. Denigrating someone else's faith for the purpose of conversion often stems from a deeper animosity or lack of respect for the victim's faith. This animosity can be driven by the belief that one's own faith is superior and can lead to a dismissive attitude towards other religions. This superiority complex can manifest as disrespect and hostility towards other beliefs. Insulting Hinduism in attempts to brainwash Hindus against their religion, itself stems from the animosity against the Hindu faith, which is why this case qualifies as a hate crime against Hindus and has been documented here. Further, the Christian evangelist was attempting to exploit a specific vulnerability of the victim who in all likelihood belonged to an economically backward background. The missionary exploited the poor victim by promising her various inducements. 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.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 1
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0

Case Status
Arrested

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female