A case of preaching and attempting religious conversion has appeared in Damoh of Madhya Pradesh. After recently exposed similar religious conversion attempts in the Ganga Jamuna School of Damoh, this is the second case surfacing in the area this month. A church-controlled institute named Aadharshila is embroiled in the controversy this time.
Hindu children were found reading the “Bible” at the Christian institution, run by the church which claims to work in the interest of children. When asked about their eternal traditions or Hindu customs, they knew nothing but the festivals of Christianity and the Bible.
A delegation from the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) reached Damoh on Sunday 11th June 2023 to investigate a complaint concerning a children’s home operated by Ajay Lal. The complaint alleges a case of sexual harassment of a girl by the children’s home staff member. On Sunday, members of the Madhya Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) arrived to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
Upon their arrival, Dr Nivedita Sharma and Onkar Singh, two members of the Madhya Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), discovered several grave shortcomings and an alleged conspiracy related to conversion within the children’s home. Additionally, they uncovered numerous objectionable flaws in the ongoing investigation. The Commission has duly acknowledged and taken note of these findings.
An earlier surprise inspection at the “Aadharshila” institute had also found several shortcomings and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanoongo himself came here and told the administration about the irregularities. He had even lodged an FIR against the concerned accused.
NCPCR Chairman Priyank Kanoongo has once again come forward to bring to the notice of everyone all the shortcomings found in this regard and the complaint of the “Aadharshila” institute. He tweeted, “In Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, a case of the sexual alluring a girl child by an employee of a children’s home run by missionary mafia Ajay Lal has come to the fore, some documents have also been found. A team of members of the State Children’s Commission has reached Damoh for investigation. It is worth mentioning that this Children’s Home is not registered under the prescribed procedure of the Juvenile Justice Act and has been told by NCPCR to the government in the past and an FIR has also been registered, but there was criminal negligence of duty of some government officials/employees. The result of this is that adolescent girls are becoming victims of grooming and sexual misconduct.”
दमोह मध्यप्रदेश में मिशनरी माफिया अजय लाल द्वारा संचालित बालगृह के कर्मचारी द्वारा एक बालिका को यौन प्रलोभन देने का मामला सामने आया है,कुछ दस्तावेज मिले हैं।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) June 11, 2023
राज्य बाल आयोग के सदस्यों की टीम दमोह में जाँच के लिए पहुँची है।
उल्लेखनीय है कि यह बाल,गृह किशोर न्याय अधिनियम की…
In another tweet, he wrote, “The government employees are conniving at many levels with people who execute illegal religious conversions. The employees of the department knew for 20 days that the girls were being sexually abused, but they did not tell the police, the whole matter was hidden. When talked on a phone call in this regard, Shaleen Sharma – an employee of the department – tried to intimidate me by recording the phone call.”
अवैध धर्मांतरण करने वालों के साथ सरकार के कर्मचारी कई स्तरों पर मिले हुए हैं।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) June 11, 2023
विभाग के कर्मचारियों को 20 दिन से पता था कि बच्चियों का यौन शोषण हो रहा था जो कि उन्होंने पुलिस को नहीं बताया पूरे मामले को छिपाया गया यहाँ तक कि इस बारे में फ़ोन पर बात करने पर विभाग के कर्मचारी शालीन… https://t.co/1W5duSqLBe
The commission’s team conducted a surprise inspection of the children’s home “Adharshila.” When asked about the inspection, they provided information about a criminal act committed by the institution. Dr Nivedita Sharma said, “When I went inside, I found all the girls reading the Bible. It is not right to tell the full name and address of the girls. Most of the children are from Jabalpur and Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh.”
Police verification of any teacher and other support staff has not been received in the “Aadharshila” institute. No one even has a joining letter, which can tell when they all have joined, and where they have come from. What is even more surprising is that they do not meet the essential educational qualifications, even the least qualifications associated with the necessity of teaching children.
Prima facie, it appears that children from Hindu or other non-Christian religious backgrounds are being retained and subjected to prolonged indoctrination. This action is a violation of Article 28 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits the imposition of religious practices on a child that are inconsistent with their own religious beliefs.
The SCPCR member stated that the “Aadharshila” institution lacks the necessary legal permission to operate a residential children’s home. During the investigation, it was discovered that a signature from an education officer had been obtained, but upon inquiry with the department, they denied granting any such permission. It is important to note that the Education Department does not possess the jurisdiction or authority to authorize the operation of residential children’s homes, particularly concerning children. Consequently, the potential involvement of government officials and employees colluding in this matter cannot be discounted.
Both boys’ and girls’ children’s homes are operating together in the “Aadharshila” institute which is not sanctioned by any legal statute. Government directives stipulate the operation of separate residences for boys and girls at a certain distance, in accordance with the law. However, a clear violation of these regulations has been identified in this case. The children residing in the homes exhibit resistance towards returning to their own families and refuse to engage with their parents. Their psychological well-being remains poorly understood, leaving many questions regarding their experiences within the institution unanswered. Furthermore, the individual whom the commission brought along to investigate the original complaint of sexual harassment has already been forced out by the managers of “Adharshila.”
In November of the previous year, Priyank Kanoongo, the chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, conducted a visit to Damoh. During this visit, he conducted an investigation into major institutions operated by Christian missionaries. Subsequently, an FIR was filed against 10 individuals for alleged conversion activities following the discovery of significant irregularities. The NCPCR had been receiving reports of irregularities and alleged conversions taking place in children’s hostels operated by various individuals, including Ajay Lal, Rajkamal David Lal, Vivart Lal, and JK Henry of the Christian missionaries, for a considerable period of time.
In Madhya Pradesh, there exists a law against forced religious conversions, which forbids practices such as conversion by coercion, force, misrepresentation, undue influence, inducement, fraud, and conversion through marriage. Additionally, the law prohibits individuals from inciting and conspiring for such conversions. However, it appears that those involved in Christian conversions in the state do not seem to perceive any fear of prosecution under this law.
Notably, Aadharshila is the second institute in Damoh that is in the middle of a controversy over allegedly forcing children into religious conversion. Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School in Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh, became embroiled in a significant controversy when allegations emerged that the school was compelling students to wear hijabs. The claims surfaced after an advertisement for the school, published on May 31, showcased accomplished students, including Hindu and Jain girls, wearing hijabs.
Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School is a private English-medium institution situated in ward number 4 of the Futera neighbourhood in Damoh. The posters featuring the names of exceptional students, both boys and girls, gained traction on social media. Among the eighteen students, four girls from the Jain and Hindu communities were depicted wearing hijabs.
On June 7, the police registered a case against 11 members of the school management committee, charging them under IPC sections 295 (pertaining to damaging or defiling objects considered sacred by certain groups), 506 (related to criminal intimidation), 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), as well as relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021.
