Hindu-majority village lured to convert to Islam and visit the mosque
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India 
7 March, 2025
Case Summary
In the Hindu-majority village of Panaiyur in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Hindus were lured by Muslims to convert to Islam and visit the mosque. According to media reports, a group of ten Muslims arrived in the village in an auto-rickshaw and engaged in door-to-door preaching, attempting to convert Hindus to Islam. They sang Islamic devotional songs accompanied by drums, distributed holy water and amulets, and urged the locals to visit the nearby mosque. A few locals informed Hindu organisations like Hindu Munnani. The members of Hindu Munnani reached the village and confronted the Muslim group. They cited laws against forced conversions, halted the conversion activities, and sent the accused back. Hindu Munnani issued a public statement on their official X handle. They stated, “Religious conversion thwarted. Ten individuals from Madurai arrived in an auto-rickshaw and went door to door, singing Islamic songs accompanied by drums, offering water and amulets to Hindus, urging them to visit mosques and attempting to convert them to Islam in Panaiyur village, a Hindu-majority area. Upon learning of this, Hindu Munnani officials rushed to the scene, confronted the Islamic conversion group, and sent them away. As a result, the conversion attempt was halted in Panaiyur village.”
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case can be categorised under- Predatory Proselytisation, specifically within the sub-category of- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation, or subtle indoctrination. 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 tactics employed by the group of ten Muslims who arrived in Panaiyur reflect a calculated and organised effort to subtly manipulate and persuade Hindus into converting to Islam. The modus operandi in this case—door-to-door preaching, singing Islamic songs with drums, distributing "holy water" and amulets, and urging Hindus to visit the mosque—suggests a systematic effort to manipulate and influence the Hindu villagers. Such acts, though they seem non-coercive on the surface, fall under manipulative conversion tactics. Furthermore, the fact that this activity was conducted in a Hindu-majority area indicates a deliberate targeting of Hindus for conversion. The use of religious paraphernalia and music further points to an attempt to subtly indoctrinate the locals rather than presenting a neutral exchange of beliefs. Such predatory behaviour is rooted in doctrinal animosity toward Hinduism, as Abrahamic faiths often hold the belief that non-adherents must either convert or be dehumanised. The targeting of Hindus, particularly those from weaker socio-economic backgrounds, reflects a strategic effort to erode their religious identity by exploiting their hardships and lack of resources. This is not an act of goodwill but a deliberate attack on the Hindu faith and its followers, stemming from an inherent hostility toward Hindu beliefs. For these reasons, this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint not filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
