Why Christians seem to be under attack in Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring states
The amendment to the MP Freedom of Religion Act in March 2021, plus the BJP’s tribal outreach plan in MP, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, has complicated matters for the minority community
There has been a spate of attacks on Christian institutions and disruptions in prayer meetings by right wing Hindu groups in Madhya Pradesh over the Past few weeks prompting members of the community leadership to raise the issue with the ruling BJP government in the state.
Geographically speaking, the attacks have been happening across Madhya Pradesh—from Jhabua in the West to Satna in the North eastern part of the state, Vidisha in central MP and Datia in the North. Christian organisations have complained of the administration being soft on the attackers. So what is prompting this sudden surfeit in attacks and is there a political motive behind them?
On December 6, Bajrang Dal workers pelted the St. Joseph School in Ganj Basoda in Vidisha district with stones while students were taking their class XII exams inside. The school was damaged in the attack that came after allegations that children were being forced into conversion at the school. The allegations have not yet been proven. The school principal had informed the police about the protest in advance but the Vidisha district administration did not do anything to prevent it.
Earlier in October, nearly a dozen members of the Christian community were booked and arrested in Datia on charges of distributing Christian literature—an act seen as an instance of promotion of enmity between communities (Section 505 IPC). A school in Satna, in north west MP, was targeted by Bajrang Dal members on November 1, who barged into a prayer meeting claiming that conversions were taking place. In October again, some people barged into a school in Mandla, located in the tribal belt in eastern MP accusing the school of carrying out conversions.
The attacks are, of course, not just restricted to Madhya Pradesh. A.C. Michael, national coordinator of the United Christian Forum (UCF) wrote a letter to the National Commission for Minorities in November 2021 citing a total of 382 incidents of violence reported against Christians in 21 states of India between January and October on a toll-free number run by his organisation. As per the UCF, while there have been 34 FIRs filed in connection to incidents of Christians coming under attack, there have been 73 FIRs against members for the Christian community in connection with the same attacks. The FIRs against Christians are on charges of forcible conversions. The number of incidents by end of December, claimed Michael, have increased to nearly 450. Four north Indian states, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh account for 216 of these incidents. Among the South Indian states, Karnataka accounts for 45 cases, suggesting a political link to the attacks. In MP, an amendment was made in the freedom of religion act in March 2021, following similar amendments in UP and Uttrakhand. The amendment, pejoratively called the ‘anti love jihad’ law as being aimed at curtailing religious conversion due to marriage, but attacks seem to have increased on Christians after the amendment. “However,” says Michael, “incidents were being reported even before the amendment. I feel the amendments were done to bring the issue of conversion centrestage.” For the record, the calls reporting attacks at the UCF helpline have increased from 142 in 2015 to 279 in 2020 with the current year reporting 450 plus incidents.
Jhabua, a tribal district in western MP has become the epicenter of this trend. India Today spoke to Azad Prem Singh Damor, the head of the Adivasi Samaj Sudharak Sangh, a body leading the campaign against the Christian institutions in Jhabua. “I am only asking for the implementation of the constitution, especially articles related to the scheduled areas which allow for protection of tribal culture. I have never been involved in violence of any kind,” said Damor, who was formerly with a paramilitary force. Damor and his cadres, who deny any association with the BJP or RSS, have filed numerous complaints with the Jhabua district administration against Christian community-run schools and churches. The administration on December 8 stopped renovation work at the Jhabua cathedral, which Christian leaders claimed was 100 years old and made on land donated by the erstwhile royal family of Jhabua.
Rocky Shah, the media in charge of the catholic diocese in Jhabua said that the recognition of seven schools in Jhabua run by missionaries have been not been renewed on various grounds. He said that 16 members of the Christian community have been booked in two incidents in the district of which some are still in jail. “In most cases, members of the Sudharak Sangh enter prayer meetings along with members of the administration and claim that religious conversion is taking place. When all members of such meetings are already Christians, how can they be converted,” said Shah. In many instances, what is being attacked is the right to propagate one’s religion through claims of fraudulent conversion, backed by the new anti-conversion laws. However, police usually do not have evidence of fraudulent conversion but the laws have been made so stringent that going through the processes even when accused would break anyone’s back. “Religious material of the majority faith is sold openly at stalls and even sometimes by volunteers at traffic lights. There are no complaints against them and are not seen as attempts to convert. Why are Christians singled out and attacked?” said a catholic priest on condition of anonymity.
Damor has also been petitioning the administration to deny benefits of reservation to those tribals who have converted to Christianity. He cites Kerala HC and MP HC judgments to support his claim that those who have converted to Christianity cease to be tribals and hence should not have access to the benefits provided to tribals under the law. More recently, petitions were made to the administration to debar tribal Christians from contesting in seats reserved for tribals in the upcoming panchayat elections but were not entertained by the administration.
Christians are the second largest minority in MP and constitute about 0.29 per cent, or 2.13 lakh, of the state’s 7.26 crore population, as per the 2011 census. Of these, the major Christian populations are in the tribal districts of eastern and western MP with Jhabua alone having around 35,000 Catholics, as per church sources. So why should a miniscule minority pose a threat? A recently-held assembly by election in which the BJP wrested the Jobat seat from the Congress is also being cited as a reason for increased attacks. Political observers suggest that the BJP’s tribal outreach plan in states such as MP, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand has a lot riding on it for the party. Political observers, however, point out that since the people involved on both sides are tribals, it may not lead to polarising of the tribal vote in favour of one party and hence the attacks seem to be not very helpful. “The attacks and raising of the bogie of conversion do help in polarising the majority vote elsewhere in favour of one party,” said a Congress leader.
In Jhabua, where families are being divided on religious lines, as one wing has converted to Christianity while another hasn’t, fault lines are evident. “Members of families who have converted to Christianity do not come for weddings or funerals leading to tensions between the family members,” says Damor. There is another side to the story. “There is a social boycott of those who have converted to Christianity by the others. They are scared and many times do not even report that they have converted as there are consequences,” says an activist working in Jhabua.
Meanwhile, the administration has not done much to enhance confidence of the minorities. Archbishop Bhopal, Sebastian Durairaj, called on Home Minister Narottam Mishra who assured him of action, in case there is violence.