Washington Post accuses Hindu groups of carrying out ‘evangelical campaigns’ in Jharkhand to ‘convert’ tribals to the Hindu Faith

Case Summary
The Washington Post published an article on February 1, alleging that Hindu organizations in Jharkhand were running evangelical campaigns to convert tribal communities to Hinduism. The report claimed that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliated organisations were influencing tribals by convincing them that they were part of the broader Hindu fold, thereby erasing their distinct cultural identity. The article came at a time when Jharkhand has been witnessing large-scale religious conversions by Christian and Muslim groups. It accused organizations like Vikas Bharti and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram of dividing tribal communities rather than preserving their traditions. Vikas Bharti was criticized for encouraging tribals to adopt Hindu practices. Its education coordinator, Kumkum Maitra, stated that Hinduism cannot be imposed on anyone, but should be accepted naturally. She had invited tribals to celebrate Shivratri, but The Washington Post misrepresented this as an attempt at religious conversion. The article also targeted Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, alleging that it was competing with Christian missionaries in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. To support its claims, the report cited Nandini Sundar, wife of The Wire’s founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan, who has previously been critical of Hindu organizations. The article also brought up the Sarna Tribal Religious Code issue. Indian law currently recognizes six major religions—Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The Congress-Hemant Soren-led alliance in Jharkhand has been advocating for the inclusion of the Sarna Code to designate tribals as a separate religious group. In November 2020, the Jharkhand Assembly proposed including the Sarna Code in the 2021 Census. The BJP supported the resolution despite concerns about its implications. During the Jharkhand election campaign, BJP leaders, including Amit Shah and Himanta Biswa Sarma, stated that the party would consider implementing the Sarna Code if elected. However, the RSS maintains that tribals are an integral part of Hindu society. The Washington Post portrayed the Sarna Code issue as a growing conflict between Hindu groups and tribals seeking a separate identity. The report cited a tribal nurse associated with Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram who claimed that she was pressured to identify as Hindu despite belonging to the Sarna community. The article framed Hindu organisations as aggressors while ignoring the role of Christian and Muslim missionary groups in conversions. It attempted to deepen divisions between Hindus and tribals and misrepresented efforts to counter religious conversions as an attack on indigenous cultures.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under- Hate speech against Hindus and within this category, the sub-category selected is- Anti-Hindu subversion and prejudice. Further, based on the information, the tertiary category under which this case has been placed is- Anti-Hindu Fake News or Downplaying. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. The report by the Washington Post deliberately paints Hindu groups as aggressors while shielding Christian and Muslim missionary organisations that have been systematically converting tribals for decades. By selectively focusing on the efforts of organisations like the RSS, Vikas Bharti, and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, the article distorts the reality of religious conversions in the region. Instead of acknowledging the large-scale proselytisation campaigns carried out by Christian and Muslim groups—often using financial inducements, coercion, or deceit—the report shifts the narrative to portray Hindus as the ones erasing tribal identities. This deliberate misrepresentation serves to demonise the Hindus while conveniently ignoring the role of foreign-funded Christian and Islamic groups that actively work to sever tribals from their ancestral faith. The media’s refusal to critically examine these conversion programs and its attempt to vilify Hindu organisations expose a deep-seated prejudice against Hindus. This bias is not accidental but part of a broader pattern where global leftist and Islamist-influenced narratives seek to provide cover for the predatory conversion tactics of Christian and Muslim missionaries. The Washington Post’s article is a clear display of the deep-seated animosity harboured against Hindus. This biased reporting reflects an underlying prejudice that fuels discrimination against Hindus and highlights how the motivations behind the one-sided narrative—demonising Hindu organisations while protecting Christian and Muslim groups engaged in large-scale religious conversions—stem from a profound hostility toward Hindus and their faith. As a result, this case has been added to the tracker.

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Unknown

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
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unknown