Hindutva mob attacks Christian prayer meeting in Dehradun
A Christian prayer meeting was violently disrupted on 14 July when a Hindutva mob forcefully entered a residence in Dehradun’s Nehru Colony.
The mob, led by Devendra Dobhal, a self-proclaimed former Army soldier and RSS worker, accused the participants of conducting mass conversions, despite no evidence supporting this claim.
The prayer meeting, organised by Pastor Rajesh Bhoomi, quickly turned into a scene of chaos. “They misbehaved with the children too. They slapped their heads and asked them why they participated in this prayer. They told them to never take part in Sunday prayers in the future,” Newslaundry quoted Bhoomi as saying.
“When they kept banging on our door, I finally opened it and asked them what’s the matter. And without even talking to me, they just barged inside and started accusing us of religious conversion…I told them whatever problem you have with us, we can sit and discuss it. But they did not listen to me. Instead, they started shouting at us. They said that people from our faith drink blood and our women do not apply sindoor. I told them that whatever I do in my personal life is none of your business…after that, they vandalised our house.” Complaint registered by Bhoomi’s wife, Deeksha Paul, read.
The mob made derogatory remarks against the Christian faith and physically assaulted the attendees, including women and children. One of the women, who was holding her child, was asked where her sindoor and mangalsutra were.
“They (Christians) are targeting poor Hindu families, lure them with bags of rice, and force them to get converted to Christianity,” one of the attackers said in a video that has since gone viral.
The violence did not stop at verbal abuse. The attackers vandalised the prayer room and bedroom, destroying furniture and a laptop. A video of the incident shows the men vandalising a cross podium and musical equipment, further escalating the violence.
Pastor Rajesh Bhoomi’s brother-in-law and father-in-law required medical treatment following the attack.
Dehradun’s senior superintendent of police, Ajay Singh, confirmed that no religious conversions were taking place during the prayer meeting.
“No religious conversion was taking place at the house. People from Hindutva outfits have misbehaved with the family members and vandalised their house,” Newslaundry quoted Satbir Singh, the investigating officer at Nehru Colony police station, as saying.
An FIR has been filed against 11 individuals: Devendra Dobhal, Bijendra Thapa, Sadhir Thapa, Sanjeev Paul, Sudhir Paul, Dhirendra Dhobal, Arman Dhobal, Aryaman Dhobal, Anil Hindu, Bhupesh Joshi, and Bijendra Singh.
They have been booked under several sections, including voluntarily causing hurt, rioting, outraging religious feelings, destruction of property, trespass, threat, and intentional insult. Despite this, no arrests have been made yet.
Deeksha Paul, reflecting on the incident, shared, “They did not answer anything and vandalised our prayer room. They threw our laptop on the floor and then entered our bedroom and vandalised it too…then they thrashed all of us, especially women…all this in front of children. My daughter is just one-year-old and my son is six. Children of my tenants were also present there who are just two and five years old.”
The Christian community has condemned the attack and called for strict action against the perpetrators.
“We condemn the attack and urge the government to take strict action,” said A.C. Michael, national coordinator of the United Christian Forum.
“Incidents of violence against Christians have increased this year.” Michael highlighted that between January and June, 361 incidents of violence against Christians were reported, and 237 Christians were arrested over religious conversions during the same period.
Eleven Indian states, most of them ruled by the BJP, have enacted sweeping anti-conversion laws. These laws are often used to accuse Christians of illegal conversion activities.
On November 29, 2022, Uttarakhand passed the Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, which has more stringent provisions than the earlier law enacted in 2018.
The law bans religious conversion through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, or fraudulent means.
