The president of a Christian organization, who is accused of illegal conversion of children to Christianity, was recently honoured by Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia. Dr. Vivart Lall, who is the President of the Mid India Christian Society, was honored for his ‘social work’ at the second edition of the ‘Pride of Central India, 2022’ event organized by Dainik Bhaskar in Delhi. Lall was awarded two weeks after he was named in an FIR filed on the complaint of NCPCR. The union minister was invited by the media group to hand over the awards at the event.
It is notable that the Mid India Christian Society has been booked in an illegal conversion case after a surprise inspection by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). 10 persons associated with the Christian organisation, including the president, have been named in the FIR after NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo filed a written complaint against them.
Dr. Vivrat Lall who has been named in the FIR registered by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) along with 9 other accused members, is absconding at present. However, the Dainik Bhaskar award was accepted by Lall’s assistant named Salil on December 1 in Delhi.
The case against Lall pertains to alleged forceful conversion appearing from the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh. NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo had filed a complaint against ten members of a Christian organization named Mid India Christian Society in Damoh. Kanoongo in the complaint had said that several Hindu minor students residing in the children’s home of Mid India Christian Society were converted to Christianity and were forcefully being kept away from studies. They were being lured by the missionary authorities to become a pastor in the future.
The matter came to light after Kanoongo conducted a surprise inspection of a children’s home run by the Mid India Christian Society on November 13. He said that massive irregularities were found in the working of the organization and the home also failed to produce legal documents.
“There were 91 children registered in Mid India Christian Society, of which 45 were present. Most of these children are Hindus and some are Muslims, but they were all being taught teachings of Christianity. The organization did not even have proper documents for its functioning,” the FIR copy attained by OpIndia read.
The NCPCR in the complaint also mentioned that no proper documentation regarding children and their parents was being maintained by the hostel authorities. It said that orphan children were forcefully given the last name ‘Lall’ after the President of the organization. “This also becomes a case of conversion and human trafficking,” the NCPCR said.
The Police then registered an FIR under sections 42 and 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act and 3 and 5 of the MP Freedom of Religion Act, along with 370 of IPC against the 10 members. The 10 members named in the FIR were identified as the organization’s president Dr Vivart Lall, secretary RD Lall, Sheela Lall, Manjula Varnwas, Sanit Lall, GK Henry, Ernest, Vivek Lall, Injila Lall and Dr Ajai Lall.
Reportedly, no appropriate action has been taken against the accused named in the case. Bishop Dr Ajai Lall sought anticipatory bail in the case which the Damoh Court rejected on November 17, while Dr Vivart Lall is still absconding in the case. As reported earlier, Dr Ajai Lall was also awarded on August 15 this year at the hands of Minister Govind Singh Rajput for his ‘social service’ activities. He was nominated for the award by Collector S. Krishna Chaitanya in the year 2021 when one of the former’s NGOs was under scrutiny.
Bishop Dr. Ajai Lall has maintained good relations with the district administration including Damoh Collector S. Krishna Chaitanya. The collector’s wife looked after the accounts of one of the FCRA-licensed NGOs which belongs to accused Bishop Dr. Ajai Lall. She was also engaged in NGO activities for around one and a half years until the Centre launched an investigation into the financial transactions of the NGO. The Centre in the year 2021 stated that the organization was engaged in evangelism-related activities and had violated the FCRA laws.
Notably, one of the IBC24 reporters named Jitendra Gautam who exposed the relations between Bishop Ajai Lall and Damoh Collector was issued threats by Collector’s PRO Y Qureshi.
For exposing Bishop Ajai Lall n @CollectorDamoh relations; IBC24 reporter Jitendra Gautam threatened by DC PRO Y Qureshi!
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) November 17, 2022
Woman Dalit complainant in fraudulent Christian conversion case threatened by Bishop’s goons but @SP_DAMOHMP refused to act; @drnarottammisra is HM or Bishop? pic.twitter.com/h2KgRfXSjR
In the current case, Dr Vivart Lall, President of Mid India Christian Society was awarded at an event titled ‘Pride of Central India, 2022’ organized by Dainik Bhaskar in Delhi. He was awarded for his ‘remarkable social service’ in Damoh region of Madhya Pradesh. 55 other social workers from Madhya Pradesh were also awarded at the hands of Union Minister Scindia at the event on December 1.
During the program, Scindia said that all the awardees at the event were the ‘jewels and navratnas’ of Madhya Pradesh. He said that the country’s economy has reached number 5 in the world, but if the country has to be taken to the top 3 economies of the world, more such ‘navratnas’ would be needed.
