Madurai: Crowd Gathers Before Newly Built Church To Protest Forced Conversion; Alleges Harassment, Stone-Pelting

In Madurai’s Samayanallur, people gathered in large numbers before a newly built Church and held protests alleging that the Christian missionaries force locals to convert from Hinduism to Christianity in return of cash and gifts, and if they refuse, they are harassed. The locals also filed police complaints over the matter.

In an interview to the Polimer TV, a woman protester said, “We are nomadic fortune tellers, we live here for ages,” adding that the church functionaries were giving them troubles for refusing to convert to Christianity, even by pelting stones.

The woman said that the Church forcefully takes their kids to Sunday Mass when they go away for work. The missionaries also force the womenfolk to come to Church when their husbands are gone.

The woman further said that the Church tries to lure little kids with biryani, and makes money showing them as orphans. The woman added that when they refused their offer to convert, they pelted stones at them.

“We women were safe and even venture out in the midnight if there is an emergency but things have changed ever since this Church came here, we cannot go to hospitals or anywhere, they pelt stones at us from bushes. We do not want this Church here, save us and save Hinduism,” she said.