There are many instances in Bihar where Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were targeted for religious conversions, and many a time, demand for anti-conversion law has risen in the State.
Meanwhile, another case of religious conversion has surfaced from Vaini village of Bihar’s Samastipur, where Hindu residents exposed a couple from Telangana. The residents alleged that the couple attempted to lure the Hindus and force them to convert to Christianity.
Video of the incident went viral on social media, where residents of Vaini village could be seen exposing the ill intention of the couple.
On December 26, 2022, local Hindu residents of the Vaini village in Samastipur, Bihar, exposed a converted Christian couple. The converted Christian couple, identified as Lakshman Rao and Lalita, was trying to lure residents of Vaini village Shivaji Paswan and his wife Dulari. The accused couple hails from Hyderabad, Telangana and was handed over to the police for further action.
Hindu Couple Shivaji Paswan and Dulari raised the alarm in the village, exposing Rao, his wife, and around 8-10, who accompanied the converted Christian couple.
Shivaji Paswan alleged that the converted Christian family were asking his family to read the Bible daily and was also luring them with money to change their religion.
The Sarpanch of Vaini Village Arun Sharma confirmed the incidents and added, “They were abusing the Hindu Gods and Goddesses and were asking people to read Bible daily.”
During the initial inquiry, it came to notice that Rao and his followers were conducting a ‘prophetical prayer meeting’ in all the Churches of Samastipur and that the gathering was organised on the occasion of Christmas.
Police also recovered several documents and religious texts from the accused’s possession. Police are interrogating Rao, his wife, and eight other persons for luring Hindus.
Investigations into the matter are underway.
This is not the first time incidents of forceful religious conversion have come to notice
In 2021, a shocking case of an entire village converting to Christianity within a span of one year due to superstitious beliefs. The incident occurred in the Gaya District’s Belwadih village, where 25 families belonging to a Scheduled Caste Hindus converted to Christianity following assurances of a ‘miracle cure’ through prayers by evangelical missionaries.
A Hindi daily newspaper report in 2021 revealed that more than 10,000 persons in the Banka District converted to Christianity in just three years. During the lockdown period, borewells with hand pumps were set up, which were called ‘Jesus Wells’.
While the cases of forceful conversion are coming out repeatedly, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ruled out the need for any anti-conversion law in the State. On June 9, 2022, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, “There is no need for any anti-conversion law in Bihar, where members of different religious communities live in peace and harmony. The government is alert towards sensitive issues”.
Looking at the seriousness of the issue, on November 29, 2022, BJP leader and MP Giriraj Singh raised demands for an anti-conversion law in the State. He alleged that Christian missionaries are carrying out religious conversions in districts of Bihar, including his constituency of Begusarai.
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