Facing systemic exclusion, scores of Dalit families in Gujarat are turning to Buddhism. But official recognition of these conversions has been slow on account of bureaucratic hurdles.
In its report, Evangelical Fellowship of India says violent incidents rose from 601 in 2023 to 840 in 2024, including assault, church vandalism & wrongful arrests under anti-conversion law.
Activists say the controversial law is misused to settle scores in domestic conflicts and to intimidate minority communities. Police say due process is followed in all cases.
Outfit engages 1,000 workers for ‘reconversion’ mission, asks Bajrang Dal & Durga Vahini to ‘educate’ and make Hindu families ‘aware’ of the perils of religious conversion.
An interfaith couple eloped from Khajuri Odpur this month. The incident, compounded with allegations of religious conversion, led to the suspension of 3 Muslim teachers at a govt school.
The demand came after RSS-linked publication, ‘Organiser’, accused the e-commerce company of funding conversions in Northeast India. Amazon has denied the allegations.
Since April, police in UP’s Fatehpur have carried out three rounds of arrests following complaints from VHP and Bajrang Dal units about Christian groups trying to convert people.
Christian leaders say attack on Vidisha school Sunday is latest in a series of alleged atrocities. But home minister, police deny claim that crimes against community are on the rise.
Contrary to naysayers, the RSS practices what it preaches. It is closer to the Gandhian teaching of improving the individual morally and spiritually to change the external environment.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
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