By Suresh Unnithan
Proselytization is again in the headlines, thanks to the recent arrest of two Catholic nuns by the Chhattisgarh police on charges of human trafficking and forced conversion. Forced religious conversion has been a subject of contention ever since independence and the missionary sponsored and abetted conversion spree compelled the state of Madhya Pradesh in 1954 to constitute a committee- The Justice Niyogi Committee, officially known as the Christian Missionary Activities Enquiry Committee, to probe allegations of forced conversions and other controversial activities by Christian missionaries. The committee, chaired by retired High Court Chief Justice M. Bhawani Shankar Niyogi, submitted its report in 1956, which included recommendations to legally prohibit conversions not deemed “completely voluntary.”
The Niyogi committee in its report observed “Evangelisation in India appears to be part of a uniform world policy to revive Christendom, to re-establish Western supremacy and is not prompted by spiritual motives. The objective is to disrupt the solidarity of the non-Christian societies, with danger to the security of the State. Enormous sums of foreign money flow into the country, and it is out of such funds that the Lutherans and other proselytising agencies were able to secure nearly four thousand converts. Missions are in some places used to serve extra-religious ends. As conversion muddles the convert’s sense of solidarity with his society there is a danger of his loyalty to his country being undermined.”
The report has also pointed out, “A vile propaganda against the religion of the majority is being systematically and deliberately carried out so as to create an apprehension of breach of public peace.”
The Supreme Court of India has also repeatedly cautioned against forced religious conversions through coercion, fraud, or allurement is a serious concern. In a landmark judgement against forced religious conversion (Rev. Stanislaus v. State of Madhya Pradesh) the Apex court in 1977 ruled that the right to propagate religion under Article 25 does not include a fundamental right to convert others. In November 2022, a bench led by Justice M.R. Shah observed that forced conversions could affect national security and the freedom of conscience, and urged the government to take steps to curb such practices. The Court also clarified that while freedom of religion exists, forced conversions are not permissible. However, in a similar case in January 2023, the Supreme Court had clarified that not all religious conversions are illegal, emphasizing that individuals have the right to choose their religion voluntarily.
It is undisputable that there was a conversion spree in the tribal dominated regions of the country in general and the North-Estern states in particular, endorsed and encouraged by Christian church denominations and evangelical groups. The statistics on population endorses this claim.
It needs to be accepted, at the time of Indian independence in 1947, Christianity was already present in Northeast India, introduced primarily by Western missionaries in the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, its spread was limited compared to post-independence growth.
Take the instance of Nagaland, s state where I stayed for some time in early 80’s. In 941 this tribal dominated state has almost 0% Christians-around 200 individuals. In 1951, Christians constituted about 46% of Nagaland’s population. By 2011, Christians made up 89.9% of the total population. The post-independent surge in Christian population was inconceivable. According to evangelical data Nagaland is now the largest Baptist state globally, with over 90% of its population practicing Christianity.
Similarly Mizoram, saw unprecedented growth in the early 20th century, with the fastest rate of Christian expansion post-1947 among Northeast states. By 2011 Christians formed about 93.5% of Mizoram’s population, a sharp rise from earlier decades due to mass conversions among tribal groups.
Christian population has surged tangentially in Meghalaya, over the decades. In 1961 they were around 35% and by 2 011: By 2011 the Christians comprised 74.59% of total strength.
In Manipur the Christian population was below 2% in 1941 which shot up to 12% in 1951 and by 2011, Christians constituted 41.29%.
In 1961, Christians were only 0.51% of the population Arunachal Pradesh. By 2011 they grew up to 30.26%. This Rapid growth occurred post-1971, driven by missionary activity among tribal groups.
Another state that has registered considerable growth in Christian population is Sikkim. The state had less than 0.8% of the population in 1971 and in 2011 it reached 9.91%. The data shows, the most significant Christian expansion occurred post-independence.
In short, Christianity in Northeast India grew dramatically from 1947 to 2011, transforming states like Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya into Christian-majority regions and establishing significant minorities in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
(To Be Continued)
