Activists and members representing the Christian community take part in a peaceful protest rally against what they claim as an increase in hostility, hate, and violence against Christians in various states of the country, in New Delhi on Feb 19. (Photo: AFP / UCAN files)
A Christian orphanage in a poll-bound central Indian state has been closed down, citing attempts to convert children to Christianity.
The children housed in the orphanage were moved to government-run facilities on July 26 following a surprise raid on the orphanage by the child rights officials of Madhya Pradesh state.
The orphanage housed 73 children, 38 boys and 35 girls. It was managed by a Christian tribal group called Adivasi Sahayada Samiti (council for helping tribal people) Jobat in Alirajpur district.
The orphanage failed to comply with the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act as it “did not have a valid registration,” said Omkar Singh, who headed the inspection team.
The inspection team also accused the orphanage managers of working for religious conversion after seizing copies of the Bible from some Christian children.
Kalpana Daniel, president of the tribal council and a member of the Church of North India (CNI), said she sought time to register the orphanage and get licenses. But officials closed it down.
Some 30 children, who are orphans, were moved to government facilities in the state. Children of single parents were sent back to their houses.
The tribal council has been working for the poor for the past three decades. "It is duly registered,” Daniel told UCA News on July 27.
“Until now, nobody, including the district child welfare committee, informed us about the need to separately register the orphanage,” Daniel said.
“We will soon apply for the registration and continue with our work,” she added.
The council runs an old-age home on the same premises for 13 elderly people.
Pastor Emmanuel Dawar, a former member of the tribal council, told UCA News the conversion allegation "is totally false."
"It is politically motivated as the ruling pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party lost most of the seats in tribal-dominated areas" in the 2018 state elections.
The ruling BJP blamed Christians for the defeat and "has been harassing us by filing false cases of conversion against us,” Pastor Dawar said.
State polls in Madhya Pradesh along with elections in the neighboring Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan this year will be a prelude to next year’s national elections where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term in office.
Madhya Pradesh amended its more than five decades-old anti-conversion law in 2021 with more stringent provisions.
Several Christian schools, hostels, and orphanages have witnessed flash raids. Several cases were also filed against them, accusing them of violating the anti-conversion law.
Christian leaders say the law is often used to target Christians in tribal-dominated areas, where missionaries offer education and healthcare.
"It is their plan to polarize voters" ahead of the assembly elections by the year-end, Pastor Dawar said.
Christians make up a mere 0.29 percent of more than 72 million people in Madhya Pradesh, a majority of them Hindus.
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