Police in Jharkhand arrested 16 missiona-ries on June 8, on charges of converting tribal Adivasi by force to Christianity, the Press Trust of India reported.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), said that “In Jharkhand, extreme right-wing groups systematically persecute members of religious minorities, especially Christians.”
The arrests took place in the District of Dumka, after Ramesh Hembrom, village chief in Phoolpahari, filed a complaint.
Seven women were among those taken into custody. Police Superintendent Kishore Kaushal said that those arrested were part of a group of 25 “preachers” held hostage “by an angry mob of tribals living in the village.”
According to the policeman, the Christians were held for two days by residents in the Shikaripara area, who accused them of insulting a place of tribal worship.
The police did not disclose the names of the Christian missionaries involved in the case of alleged forced conversions. “We are verifying the allegations,” Kaushal said.
The officer noted that in his complaint, Hembrom claimed that the attempt to convert the tribals to Christianity had been going on for several months.
