Tribal Hindu villagers targeted for Christian conversion; church disguised as school in Rajasthan
Dungarpur, Rajasthan, India 
13 September, 2022
Case Summary
In Jelana village of Dungarpur district, Rajasthan, tribal Hindu villagers were being brainwashed and targeted for conversion by Christian missionaries, who operated a church under the guise of a school. According to reports, illegal religious conversions were going on in the church where tribal Hindu villagers were being brainwashed and made to pray to Jesus Christ. Members of the Hindu organisation and villagers, under the leadership of Gopalram Maharaj, reached the church and found that people were being made to pray illegally. They further stated that tribals were being misled and converted through such gatherings. They began protesting, leading to increased tensions in the area. Gopalram Maharaj stated that the church had been functioning under the name of a school for the past three years. According to him, villagers and nearby residents had opposed this activity since its inception but were ignored. He stated that conversion activities were being carried out in the church under the pretext of school. Police promptly arrived at the site to de-escalate the situation. Dungarpur DSP Tapendra Meena also arrived at the scene to assess the situation. Police gave a firm warning and directed that no activity other than school operations would be permitted and demanded an immediate stop to illegal conversion or religious activities.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Proselytisation by 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. This case constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime as tribal Hindu villagers were targeted for conversion to Christianity under the guise of a school. The operation of a church disguised as an educational institution demonstrates that these gatherings were not genuine invitations to interfaith dialogue or religious prayers, but deliberate attempts to mislead vulnerable tribal villagers into abandoning their faith. Using the school as a cover allowed the perpetrators to conceal their activities, showing clear intent to manipulate the Hindu community while avoiding scrutiny from local authorities and residents. Police promptly intervened at the site, confirmed that religious activities were taking place, and directed that no activity other than school operations would be permitted, demanding an immediate stop to all conversion or religious activities. This official confirmation underscores the coercive and unlawful nature of the gatherings. The act of luring and brainwashing tribal Hindu villagers to pray to Jesus Christ and attempting to influence them to convert represents a calculated deception. By presenting the gatherings as part of the school, the perpetrators exploited the villagers’ trust and sense of community to push them to abandon Hinduism. These actions reflect a targeted effort against a specific religious community and reveal clear animosity toward Hindu beliefs, as the perpetrators focused on converting Hindus rather than promoting genuine interfaith dialogue or educational engagement. When evangelists and Christian missionaries concentrate their efforts on converting members of a particular faith—in this instance, tribal Hindu villagers—it demonstrates a disregard for that community and its beliefs. Conversion, particularly when achieved through external persuasion or deception rather than sincere personal conviction, is not about sharing a religion but undermining the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. By exploiting the guise of a school, the perpetrators sought to normalise religious conversion and coerce participants into adopting a different faith, establishing a clear pattern of religiously motivated targeting. 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 psychological pressure and misinformation to inducements such as money or jobs. In such cases, Christian missionary groups often target and brainwash socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion strips 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: It is important to note that none of the media sources covering this case have specified the exact date when the conversion activities took place, although reports indicate that the church/school had been operating for the past three years. Thus, to document this case, we have used an indicative date—September 14, 2022—as a placeholder to represent the beginning of the conversion activities. While media coverage of the incident emerged on September 14, 2025, the Hinduphobia Tracker records the case based on when the victim’s suffering began, rather than when it was publicly reported.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
