On 14th September 2024, activists from the Nepali branches of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, along with local residents, received information that around 100 people from Thuthibari town in Maharajganj were being brought to Nepal for conversion by a Christian group. The Hindu activists swung into action immediately and stopped the convoy of two buses that had been arranged to take them to Nepal.
During the confrontation, locals smeared black paint on the faces of those who came for conversion and beat up the pastor who had organised the conversion.
Reports suggest that the majority of the people taken for conversion were women and children, many of whom were from Dalit and Backward Classes. The accused pastor has been identified as Amos, who invited them to a church in Khairahani, Nepal, for conversion. The buses bearing Nepalese registration were parked at Maheshpur bus stand in Nepal, where the individuals had gathered to board the buses.
However, before they could board, local activists reached the location and protested against the planned conversions. The local residents misbehaved with those who had come from India to get converted and smeared their faces with black paint. Pastor Amos was beaten up by the locals for arranging the conversion programme. Following the protests, those who came from India were driven away and dropped off at the Indian border.
Local police were informed about the incident. The police recorded the names and addresses of the people involved, and they were released after being issued a warning against such programmes. Local administrative officials were also called to the spot. The police and local administration intervened to calm the situation and helped send the Indians back.
In a post on X, the Maharajganj police stated that the incident did not occur within their jurisdiction but in Nepal. The police are in touch with the Nepalese police regarding the matter. They appealed to the public not to spread misinformation that the incident took place in Maharajganj.
‼️कृपया भ्रामक खबर न फैलाएं‼️
— MAHARAJGANJ POLICE (@maharajganjpol) September 15, 2024
चर्च जा रहे लोगों से हिंदू संगठन के द्वारा की गई अभ्रदता के संबंध में जांच की गई तो पाया गया कि-➡️ ‼️उपरोक्त घटना क्रम जनपद महराजगंज से ना होकर नेपाल राष्ट्र से संबंधित है।‼️
उपरोक्त खबर को जनपद महराजगंज से संबंधित करके प्रसारित ना करें।#महराजगंज pic.twitter.com/MaBEiUg4to
Notably, this is not the first time such cases of conversion have come up in this area. On 31st August 2024, two pastors from Kerala were caught in the Nepalese border region where they were attempting to carry out conversions at a local church. They were handed over to the police by the locals.
Missionaries converting Hindus in Nepal at a concerning pace
Christian conversion in Nepal are happening at a concerning pace. In January 2023, OpIndia reported that the Christian population has possibly increased by 68% in Nepal in less than a decade, thanks to Christian missionaries, especially from South Korea. A report by BBC titled ‘Christian missionaries target birthplace of Buddha in Nepal’ explained how South Korea, in particular, has been sending a tsunami of evangelists to Nepal. As per the report, Nepal had 3,76,000 Christians in 2011 (census numbers), which has increased to approx 5,45,000 now, a jump of 68%. As per the latest census, the number stood at 5,12,313 which is fairly close to the estimate.
