Gujarat missionary accused of ‘hurting’ sentiments of Hindus

The Vadodara branch of Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, has been charged for “luring young girls towards Christianity” and also “hurting” the religious sentiments of Hindus.

Vadodara District Social Defence Officer Mayank Trivedi and head of Children Welfare Committee visited the Home for Girls in Makarpura for an inspection last week, after which they filed a complaint with the local police. An FIR has been lodged under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003.

The complaint filed by Trivedi says that he found girls being ‘forced’ to read Christian religious texts. Tiwari said that these girls were made to recite Christian prayers with an objective to “steer them into Christianity”. “Between February 10, 2021 and December 9, 2021, the institution has been involved in activities to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus intentionally and with bitterness (towards Hindu religion). The girls inside the Home are being lured to adopt Christianity by making them wear the cross around their neck and also placing the Bible on the table of the storeroom used by the girls, in order to compel them to read the bible… It is an attempted crime to force religious conversion upon the girls,” the FIR states.

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Missionaries of Charity has denied the charge. “We are not involved in any religious conversion activity… We have 24 girls at the home. These girls live with us and they follow our practice as they see us doing the same when we pray and live. We have not converted anyone or forced anyone to marry into Christian faith,” said a representative of the Missionaries of Charity.

The FIR reads that Missionaries of Charity “forced a Hindu girl to marry into a Christian family as per Christian traditions”. The complaint read that the girls are served non-vegetarian food and made to wear a cross and read the Bible.