Hindu villagers targeted for conversion by Christian pastor in Ghazipur; denigrated Hinduism and offered inducements
Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
23 August, 2025
Case Summary
In Nasratpur village of Ghazipur district, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu villagers were targeted for conversion by a Christian Pastor. According to reports, Pastor Narayan Ram used to target poor and illiterate Hindu villagers, including women from nearby villages, for religious conversion. He called people to his home under the guise of prayer meetings, where he used to preach Christianity to induce conversion. Along with him, Santosh Ram, a resident of Bogana, and Ramjanam Ram were also involved in these conversion activities. Villagers reported that the perpetrators denigrated Hinduism and insulted Hindu religious beliefs through prayers while simultaneously glorifying Christianity. It was also reported that financial inducements were offered in order to push people towards religious conversion. Upon getting information about such illegal conversions, Bajrang Dal (a Hindu organisation) workers arrived at the spot and confronted the situation. The police registered a complaint and initiated an investigation. Additional police forces were deployed in the village to prevent any form of unrest in the area.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. Within this, the 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 second subcategory selected in this case 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 third sub-category selected here 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 has been added to the tracker because poor and illiterate Hindu villagers were targeted for conversion by the Christian perpetrator. He specifically targeted poor Hindu villagers and offered them money in order to push them towards conversion. Offering incentives, especially to poor or vulnerable people, shows that these incentives were not acts of kindness or charity. Instead, they were calculated moves to exploit vulnerable Hindus and push them towards conversion. By providing inducements in exchange for conversion, the accused were effectively blackmailing those who might have been desperate for assistance or hope. Such instances are seen in many cases where members of Christian missionary groups target socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion strips people of their agency and dignity and results in coerced conversions. These are not random or isolated incidents, but rather cases deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims. Furthermore, the Christian perpetrators also denigrated Hinduism and insulted Hindu religious beliefs. This goes beyond religious debate or proselytisation; it constitutes an act of incitement and insult directed at the core beliefs of the Hindu community. Such tactics are designed to demean and undermine the faith of Hindus and intend to create an inferiority complex in the minds of the victims against their own faith. Simultaneously, the perpetrators glorified Christianity, presenting it as the only viable alternative after abandoning Hinduism. These acts of insulting Hinduism stem from Christian theology, which harbours disdain and hatred for polytheistic faiths, and which categorises Hindus as ‘polytheists’, thereby fostering hatred against them. Such actions make the religiously motivated nature of the crime even more evident. Also, this case reflects a deliberate pattern of systematically targeting Hindu villagers for religious conversion. Pastor Narayan Ram, along with accomplices, repeatedly approached poor and illiterate Hindus, including women, under the guise of prayer meetings, employing inducements, subtle indoctrination, and denigration of Hinduism over time. The continuity of these activities demonstrates a sustained effort to weaken Hindu faith within the community, showing that the targeting was not random but part of an ongoing, predatory strategy aimed specifically at undermining Hindu religious identity. 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 the denigration of Hinduism to inducements such as money or jobs. In such cases, Christian missionary groups frequently target and brainwash poor, illiterate and socially vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion robs 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 or when the event occurred, not when it was reported. Since the report does not specify the exact date when the Christian perpetrator began the conversion activities, or when victims were targeted, thus, for documentation purposes we have recorded the date based on when it was reported in the media.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
