West Bengal conversion row: Read how locals are pushing back against Christian conversion activities

· OpIndia

Cases of illegal religious conversion are increasing in parts of West Bengal. Recent incidents involving Christian religious activities have drawn protests from residents. The issue has gained fresh attention after an incident in Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas, where residents confronted a foreign national visiting the Sundarbans over allegations of religious conversion. 

Visit newsbetting.club for more information.

According to reports, the Argentine national had been staying in the Hingalganj Assembly constituency area for several months. Local sources confirmed that he had learnt Bengali and had established links with several house churches in the area. Residents accused him of approaching local people and attempting to persuade them to embrace Christianity. The allegations were widely circulated on social media and subsequently became the subject of local controversy.

The matter escalated when villagers questioned the foreign national about his religious activities and his presence in the area. Locals sought answers about whether he was involved in conversion activities and whether he possessed the required permissions for his work.

Around the same time, police in Hingalganj questioned three people, including two foreign nationals, after receiving information about an alleged conversion-related gathering in Sandelerbil village panchayat. Police and local sources said people from different countries had gathered at a house and were accused by villagers of trying to persuade tribal residents and people belonging to other faiths to change their religion.

Some villagers also revealed that people from Kolkata, as well as Australia, Germany, Bangladesh, and Argentina, regularly visited the house. Residents said that economically weaker people living near the Sundarbans were being offered money or other inducements. Police, however, are still examining the identities of those involved, their purpose of visiting the area and whether there was any basis for the allegations.

The issue therefore remains under investigation, but the incident has clearly highlighted the growing cases of organised religious activities in the region.

Hasnabad coaching centre sparks fresh protest

A similar controversy surfaced this month in Hasnabad village of North 24 Parganas district, where a Christian-run free coaching centre for children became the centre of a local protest.

According to those protesting, children were being provided free tuition at the centre, but religious material related to Jesus and the Bible was also being used. Members of the Hindu Jagran Manch and local residents arrived at the centre and demanded that the activities be stopped.

One protester, identified as Suparna Bera, said they had come to protest because they believed the centre was being used for religious activities. Pointing towards the walls, she said, “There are no pictures of great personalities or Hindu deities on these walls. Why should this be done? Jesus’ pictures are painted all over the walls. Go inside and see for yourself.”

When asked about their demand, she said, “We demand that this be shut down immediately. Why should this continue? This must be stopped.”

Bera further claimed that the activities at the location had been continuing for around 20 years. She said locals had been aware of the matter earlier but had not come together to protest. “We knew everything, we understood everything, but no one was by our side back then. Now our Hindu community has awakened, and we also want to carry out this protest,” she said.

A person associated with the centre gave a different explanation. When asked why children were being taught there, the person said, “We just teach free tuition to these children. For the children’s study… we set this up to teach them.”

Asked why the centre had been stopped, the person said villagers and members of the local groups had arrived and objected to the activities. The person also indicated that the centre would not continue religious activities if local residents opposed them.

Another protester said that the area was Hindu-majority and claimed that children were being brought to the centre and exposed to Christian teachings. The protester said that pictures of Jesus could be seen on the walls and that references to Jesus were also present in notebooks and books.

Sonamukhi conversion led to another protest

Another incident has been reported from Sonamukhi in Bankura district, where a group of locals confronted people during a Christian religious programme.

According to videos and reports circulating online, the programme was described as an attempt to convert local residents and tribal people under the guise of a healing or prayer programme. Members of a local group reached the spot and questioned the organisers about the material being distributed there.

During the confrontation, one man repeatedly asked, “Hey, give us the books! You’re taking the Bible here!” He then questioned another person, asking, “What is in his hand? What is in his hand? Show it!”

The protesters also asked what was being taught at the gathering and whether the books contained the Bible. One organiser tried to defend the gathering, saying that the material was meant for prayer. The exchange became heated, with people in the gathering repeatedly saying, “God is formless! God is formless!”

Bengali woman catches Christian evangelist red-handed and confronts her

The controversy over conversion activities also surfaced in Jalpaiguri in July, when a Bengali woman confronted a Christian missionary during an argument over religion.

In a video of the confrontation, the woman questioned the missionary about Sanatan Dharma and challenged the idea that it had a single founder. “Who is the father of Sanatan? Does Sanatan have a father? Sanatan is never a person! Sanatan is a religion!” she said during the exchange.

The confrontation reflected the increasingly aggressive nature of some local disputes over religious preaching and conversion. Such incidents have become flashpoints, with residents questioning missionaries over their conversion activities. 

Locals finally push back as conversion cases rise

Taken together, the recent incidents in Hingalganj, Hasnabad, Sonamukhi and Jalpaiguri show how locals are increasingly speaking out against attempts to convert people in their communities. Instead of remaining silent, locals have begun questioning religious activities taking place in their neighbourhoods, confronting those involved and demanding answers about what is being taught or offered to residents. In some cases, these objections have led to heated confrontations and the disruption of religious gatherings held in the name of healing and education.

For the locals raising these objections, the issue is not simply about religion but about the illegal conversion which is happening within their own communities. They say they do not want economically weaker families or children to be approached with religious teachings, money or other inducements in the name of education, charity or prayer. Their protests show a growing willingness among residents to come forward themselves and question activities they believe could affect the religious character of their communities.

The recent protests also show that locals are no longer willing to ignore activities that they suspect may be linked to religious conversion. Whether it is questioning foreign nationals in Hingalganj, protesting outside a coaching centre in Hasnabad or confronting people during a prayer gathering in Sonamukhi, residents have increasingly chosen to raise their voices and demand action. At the same time, the cases of forced or induced conversion must be established through proper investigation and evidence. 

Read full story at source