Several Hindus targeted for Christian conversion; manipulated against Hinduism, drugged, and pressured to convert
Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
1 August, 2018
Case Summary
In Uttar Pradesh, Hindus were targeted and pressured to convert to Christianity by Christian missionary members. The accused involved were Durga Prasad Yadav, a gangster, Kirit Rai, and Jitendra Ramone. According to media reports, the accused were targeting several Hindus for conversion to Christianity through manipulation, drugs, and pressure. They had been brainwashing people from Jaunpur, Varanasi, Azamgarh, and Ghazipur districts for many years to visit a church in Baldeh village and attend prayers there. They spread misinformation about Hinduism and pressured Hindus to embrace Christianity. The accused also gave prohibited medicines and drugs to Hindu visitors, forcing them to convert to Christianity under their influence. Following this, a complaint was filed by members of Hindu Jagran Manch, a Hindu organisation, against the three accused. The lawyer Brijesh Singh, representing the Hindu Jagran Manch Singh had moved to the court on 2nd August 2018, seeking its direction to the police for lodging the FIR in the matter. The court allowed the plea on 31st August 2018 and asked the police to lodge an FIR and investigate the matter. Subsequently, the police registered an FIR against a total of 271 people in Uttar Pradesh for carrying out forced religious conversions, including the three accused – Durga Prasad Yadav, Kirit Rai, and Jitendra Ramone.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, 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. The other subcategory selected 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. The other subcategory selected is- Harassment, threats, coercion for conversion. Harassment covers a wide range of behaviours of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, including threats and coercion. Harassment and threats, in this case, find their root on discriminatory grounds which has the effect of nullifying a person’s rights or infringing upon his freedom to exercise his right specifically owing to the victim’s religious identity. Verbal and physical threats and psychological or physical harassment are often used against Hindu victims because they choose to practice their professed religion. Religious harassment also includes forced and involuntary conversions by harassment, threats or coercion. Coercion includes intimidatory tactics like force-feeding a Hindu victim beef to convert to another religion, forceful circumcision etc. In several cases documented, non-Hindu perpetrators or those who harbour specific animosity towards Hinduism, harass victims simply based on their religious identity. Such cases often also include harassment to ensure the Hindu victim abandons his/her professed religion and adopts the religion of the perpetrator. Such cases where Hindu victims are harassed to convert to the perpetrator’s religion are rooted in animosity towards the victim’s religious identity and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. This case demonstrates how Hindus were deliberately pressured and manipulated to convert to Christianity. The accused used psychological manipulation as a tool to uproot Hindus from their ancestral faith. This form of coercion undermines a person’s faith, violates their religious autonomy, and strips them of their right to practise their religion freely. When conversion does not arise from personal conviction but is manufactured through manipulation, it becomes an act of religious hostility. Such actions reveal clear animosity towards Hinduism and its adherents and therefore constitute an instance of a religiously motivated hate crime. The Christian perpetrators targeted Hindus by spreading deliberate misinformation against Hinduism and brainwashing individuals to reject their faith. By denigrating Hindu beliefs, the accused fostered a hostile environment where Hindu identity itself was maligned. This demonstrates that the intent was not merely to seek voluntary converts but to attack Hinduism as a faith. The targeted ridicule and denigration of the Hindu faith show religious animosity expressed in the form of coercive proselytisation, fuelling communal hatred and demonstrating religious animosity against Hindus. Furthermore, the Hindu victims were harassed and violated through the use of drugs. The accused administered prohibited medicines and intoxicating substances to Hindus, thereby impairing their judgment and forcing them into conversion under the influence of chemical coercion. Such an act is an egregious violation of the victims’ religious autonomy and dignity. By targeting Hindus with drugs to strip them of their faith, the perpetrators exhibited direct hostility towards their religion and further established the religiously motivated intent behind the crime. Such an act amounts to deliberate harassment of people due to their religious identity, making it an instance of a religiously motivated crime. It is also important to note that the accused were carrying out conversions on a large scale over several years, targeting Hindus in significant numbers rather than isolating individuals. This clearly shows that the aim was not a single conversion but the systematic targeting of a large section of the Hindu population for their religious identity. The long timeframe and wide reach of these activities demonstrate that it was a concerted and organised effort, not an isolated act. Such actions point towards an attempt to change the religious demography of the area, driven by religious animosity towards Hindus, making this an unmistakable case of a religiously motivated crime. Given that this case meets the parameters of a religiously motivated crime, it is being added to the hate crime database. Disclaimer: Media reports do not specify the exact date on which the predatory proselytisation activities began. However, the reports mention that on 2nd August 2018, a lawyer from the Hindu Jagran Manch took the matter to court and sought the registration of an FIR in this case. Since this is the earliest date referenced in the reports, 2nd August 2018 is being used as the indicative date of the incident for documentation purposes.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
