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Report blames missionaries for violence in Madhya Pradesh.
"..."Forced Conversions" Broadly Defined
Three recent events show that conversion is still a contentious issue in the state.
Members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a radical Hindu group, stormed a pastors’ retreat in Gandhi Nagar, Ratlam district, on July 23. The attackers entered the Gujarati hall and asked tribal participants why they were attending the meeting. Police and media representatives soon learned of the meeting, and authorities accused the conference organizers of encouraging forced conversions.
Police took statements from both parties but made no arrests.
Secondly, Father P.T. Thomas, director of St. Michael’s Catholic School in Jhabua district, was arrested on July 21 and charged under the Freedom of Religion Act for abetting conversion to Christianity. He was released on bail the following day.
And on July 20, Hindu extremists entered a house in Jeet Nagar village while Jagdish Naik and his wife Grace, both independent Christian workers, were conducting a prayer meeting. The couple was dragged to the police station, charged with attempted conversion, and released on bail within 24 hours.
In response to these events and Prasad’s allegations, the state government plans to question the Department of Tribal Welfare and district collectors about conversions and any action taken against them.
According to 2001 Census figures, Christians account for just 170,381 of 60.3 million residents in Madhya Pradesh.
You may read the full article at Compass Direct.
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