ICC Note:

Jharkhand state’s government in India has received a report accusing Christians of forcibly converting tribal Hindus to Christianity. This report was motivated, in part, by tribals’ protests against Jharkhand’s development proposals. The government investigated the cause of the protests and reported that Christians are using foreign money to fund uprisings and forcibly convert Hindu tribals. These accusations have infuriated radical Hindu groups, some of which are calling for a ‘surgical strike’ against Christian conversions. Christians deny the charges, but it is unlikely that government officials will believe them.  

11/10/2016 India (Hindustan Times) – Jharkhand government plans to crack down on misuse of funds and what it calls forcible conversions of tribals by Christian missionaries after a report accused the Church of inciting the state’s sizeable population to block development schemes.

Alarm bells were set ringing in the power corridors of Ranchi last month after a massive tribal protest against proposed changes in the state’s land acquisition law — demonstrations that the government says were planned and funded by Christian missionaries with foreign money. On September 15, more than 100,00 tribals converged in Ranchi to protest against two ordinances that proposed acquisition of tribal agricultural land for development purposes such as roads, schools, hospitals and flyovers.

Never before had the state seen such a huge congregation of tribals — who account for more than a quarter of the state’s population — in the capital on a non-political platform daring the government. A little known Adivasi Buddhijivi Manch (ABM) — Tribal Intellectual Cell — headed the protests.

A shocked state government asked its special branch to probe the protests. The branch’s report — a copy of which is with HT — says the rally was conceived and executed by the churches, who are allegedly using foreign funds meant for development work to incite tribal unrest.

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