By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, July 17, 2023: Attempts by the Madhya Pradesh police to profile Christian missionaries have kicked up a controversy in the central Indian state where religious conversion is a hot issue.
Father Alfred D’Souza, the newly appointed public relation officer of the Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh, told Matters India that the police department have sent notices seeking information about the activities of missionaries serving in the state.
The police department has asked its station head officers to gather detailed information about the working of priests and nuns the state.
The officers have to gather details on a 15-point questionnaire that seeks information such as a person’s bank account and specific activities in the past three months.
The police also want details of any non-government organization (NGO) associated with a missionary, foreign funding if any and the person’s association with the political party.
The department wanted to collect the details confidentially through the station heads, but the notices were also sent to priests and church institutions in Indore district asking them to provide such information.
One question is whether the missionary is involved in religious conversion or trying to incite people against the state.
The notice was leaked to the media, forcing Indore Commissioner of Police Makrand Deoskar to admit that the questionnaire was meant for internal circulation in the police department.
The police in Indore district have withdrawn the notices, saying it was shared by mistake.
However, people in Catholic dioceses such as Jabalpur and Jhabua said their priests and institutions have received similar notices.
Father D’Souza said they will consult senior officials in the police department “and, if needed, the minister concerned and will decide about the future course of action.”
Stating that a missionary works in public domain for the welfare of the people in the state, the priest questioned the way Christians are being singled out.
Madhya Pradesh is among 11 states in India where religious conversion is a criminal offense if done through allurement, force or coercion. Such an offense can invite a punishment of up to 10 years in jail.
In Indore, Christian organizations led by Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal met the Indore police commissioner and submitted a memorandum condemning the police notice. The bishop called the notice ‘unjust and biased.’
The community wanted to know why only Christians are being targeted. Christian organizations have operated in Indore district for years and they have never been subjected to such questions, the memorandum pointed out.
Daniel John, a Catholic leader in the state capital of Bhopal, termed as “very unfortunate that Christians are being targeted every now and then in Madya Pradesh.”
Christian institutions and those serving them are always in public, and “trying to profile them through police is not good in a democratic country,” John told Matters India on July 17.
The Christian leader condemned the police action and urged the top police official to clarify why such a profiling was initiated.
John also sought to know if the police still want to continue with the profiling.
Christians make up only 0.29 percent of the state’s 72 million people.
Very arbitrary.
But the Police there r ssud 2 have put out a message withdrawing the notice, claiming that it was s mistake. Ir is there something more 2 it?
Apparently, they r satisfied with the amount of harassment our community is already being subjected 2