PATNA: A row erupted in Bagaha town of West Champaran district of Bihar, after a few locals opposed a gathering organised by the missionaries, where they were allegedly inciting people for conversion.
According to the media reports, a group of missionaries were allegedly providing treatment in a makeshift camp in Chaurasiya Gali of the town. Knowing about the alleged medical camp, a group of villagers along with a few social workers arrived at the scene and opposed the missionaries, leading to a confrontation between the two groups.
Locals alleged that the missionaries are luring innocent people into conversion on pretext of providing them medical relief. According to them, a few missionaries from Ratanpurva have been visiting the area for quite some time and inciting the locals to convert on pretext of providing them with medical facilities. They further have alleged that the missionaries are luring people via exorcism.
One of the organiser of the event, Lalan Ram however refuted the allegations, claiming that those arrived for the treatment have already tried everything in their capacity to get cured, they have already visited temples and doctors and have reached here only after failing in their attempts to get cured.
Upon receiving the information about the camp, a police team soon reached the spot and tried calming the agitated locals. It’s been reported that following the police intervention, the missionaries fled the spot.
बगहा: झाड़ फूंक के नाम पर धर्म परिवर्तन खेल, पुलिस मामले कि छानबीन में जुटी pic.twitter.com/tFwNRJOq3P
— News18 Bihar (@News18Bihar) September 26, 2024
It is to be noted that news related to conversion activities in interior regions and small localities of Bihar have been keep emerging from time to time, suggesting a larger ploy behind surge in conversion activities. Earlier in a similar case reported from Hathodi area of Muzaffarpur district, an attempt of misleading the local women into giving up traditional worship methods was thwarted by a section of vigilant villagers on September 11.
According to the details, a few people had organised a program by erecting a tent in the Ekma village under Hathodi police station limits, where they were inciting the locals against idol worship. However, a section of the villagers soon arrived on the spot and confronted those inciting the gathering, mostly consists of local women.
Locals alleged that a youth along with a woman was visiting the locality for some time, convincing a section of local women to give up their traditional methods of worship. They were further inciting the residents to worship Parmeshawar, claiming that mere praying to him could cure serious illnesses.
