‘Permit Christmas events only for those officially registered as Christians’: Why Hindus in villages of Dharampur and Kaprada are raising this demand
In several villages of Dharampur and Kaprada talukas in Valsad district, which locals allege are increasingly becoming hubs of illegal religious conversion and proselytising activities, applications have been submitted to the Mamlatdar’s office over the past few days. Hindu residents of these villages have demanded that permission to celebrate the Christmas festival on December 25 be granted only to those who are officially recorded as Christians in government records. Hindu organisations have raised this demand, citing apprehensions that such events could accelerate illegal religious conversions. Over the last few days, Hindu leaders from more than ten villages in the Dharampur and Kaprada talukas have submitted memoranda to the Mamlatdar’s office through various organisations such as Dev Birsa Sena and Adivasi Sanskriti Bachao Sena. The applications state that for the past several years, people belonging to the Christian faith have been organising large gatherings, peace festivals, seminars and similar events in different villages of tribal areas with the intention of carrying out religious conversions. Missionaries and pastors reportedly arrive during the month of December and organise Christmas programmes in various villages. The memoranda further claim that through these Christmas events, a conspiracy is underway to detach tribals from their original culture and traditions and to ultimately erase their indigenous identity, which the organisations describe as a serious matter. The organisations have clarified that they do not discriminate against any religion and respect all faiths and sects. However, they insist that only those individuals who are legally recorded as Christians in official government records should be granted permission to organise Christmas programmes. They have demanded that anyone seeking permission to organise Christmas events must first be asked to produce certificates proving that they are legally registered as Christians, and that permission should be granted only after proper verification. What are local Hindus saying? When OpIndia visited some villages in Dharampur to gather further details, several striking observations emerged. One notable point is that as one moves away from Dharampur town into more remote areas, the number of churches visibly increases. Churches have been constructed in many villages. It is also worth noting that in the past, several cases have come to light in these very areas where illegal churches were built on government land without any permission. A church located in a remote area of Dharampur Hindu leaders from Gadina village, located barely two kilometres from the Maharashtra border, have also applied to the Dharampur Mamlatdar’s office. Speaking to OpIndia, village leaders said that Gadina has a population of around 1,400, but not a single person is officially recorded as a Christian in government records. Despite this, a church has been built in the village, where programmes are frequently organised, and Hindu villagers are also made to participate. Local Hindus allege that initially, innocent tribal Hindus are included in such programmes. Later, missionaries and pastors offer inducements, claim to cure illnesses through miracles, promise money, and propagate the Christian faith, encouraging participants to bring others into the fold as well. Speaking to OpIndia, Gadina’s local leader, Pilubhai Chaudhary, said, “Most churches have been built illegally, without obtaining any permission. These churches then become centres for conversion activities. Once local Hindu tribals start going there, they are gradually persuaded not to worship Hindu deities, not to visit temples or traditional places of worship, and eventually, the individual becomes completely disconnected from their religion and culture.” OpIndia spoke to locals about the menace of conversion rackets operated by Christian groups Pilubhai further stated that if there is not a single person officially registered as a Christian in government records in a village, there is no justification for organising such programmes there. Even if permission is granted, authorities should clearly disclose how many Christians reside in that village. Village leaders also pointed out that in many villages, people are converted through inducements, but they continue to be recorded as Hindus in government records and keep availing government benefits. This, they say, explains why despite the mushrooming of large churches in many villages, the officially recorded Christian population remains negligible. Local Hindus fear that Christmas programmes could once again intensify proselytising activities. Therefore, they are demanding that permission be granted only to registered Christians. Not just Dharampur-Kaprada, the entire eastern belt of South Gujarat is affected This issue is not limited to a few villages in Dharampur or Kaprada. Over the past few years, ra
In several villages of Dharampur and Kaprada talukas in Valsad district, which locals allege are increasingly becoming hubs of illegal religious conversion and proselytising activities, applications have been submitted to the Mamlatdar’s office over the past few days. Hindu residents of these villages have demanded that permission to celebrate the Christmas festival on December 25 be granted only to those who are officially recorded as Christians in government records. Hindu organisations have raised this demand, citing apprehensions that such events could accelerate illegal religious conversions.
Over the last few days, Hindu leaders from more than ten villages in the Dharampur and Kaprada talukas have submitted memoranda to the Mamlatdar’s office through various organisations such as Dev Birsa Sena and Adivasi Sanskriti Bachao Sena.
The applications state that for the past several years, people belonging to the Christian faith have been organising large gatherings, peace festivals, seminars and similar events in different villages of tribal areas with the intention of carrying out religious conversions. Missionaries and pastors reportedly arrive during the month of December and organise Christmas programmes in various villages.
The memoranda further claim that through these Christmas events, a conspiracy is underway to detach tribals from their original culture and traditions and to ultimately erase their indigenous identity, which the organisations describe as a serious matter. The organisations have clarified that they do not discriminate against any religion and respect all faiths and sects. However, they insist that only those individuals who are legally recorded as Christians in official government records should be granted permission to organise Christmas programmes.
They have demanded that anyone seeking permission to organise Christmas events must first be asked to produce certificates proving that they are legally registered as Christians, and that permission should be granted only after proper verification.
What are local Hindus saying?
When OpIndia visited some villages in Dharampur to gather further details, several striking observations emerged. One notable point is that as one moves away from Dharampur town into more remote areas, the number of churches visibly increases. Churches have been constructed in many villages. It is also worth noting that in the past, several cases have come to light in these very areas where illegal churches were built on government land without any permission.
Hindu leaders from Gadina village, located barely two kilometres from the Maharashtra border, have also applied to the Dharampur Mamlatdar’s office. Speaking to OpIndia, village leaders said that Gadina has a population of around 1,400, but not a single person is officially recorded as a Christian in government records. Despite this, a church has been built in the village, where programmes are frequently organised, and Hindu villagers are also made to participate.
Local Hindus allege that initially, innocent tribal Hindus are included in such programmes. Later, missionaries and pastors offer inducements, claim to cure illnesses through miracles, promise money, and propagate the Christian faith, encouraging participants to bring others into the fold as well.
Speaking to OpIndia, Gadina’s local leader, Pilubhai Chaudhary, said, “Most churches have been built illegally, without obtaining any permission. These churches then become centres for conversion activities. Once local Hindu tribals start going there, they are gradually persuaded not to worship Hindu deities, not to visit temples or traditional places of worship, and eventually, the individual becomes completely disconnected from their religion and culture.”
Pilubhai further stated that if there is not a single person officially registered as a Christian in government records in a village, there is no justification for organising such programmes there. Even if permission is granted, authorities should clearly disclose how many Christians reside in that village.
Village leaders also pointed out that in many villages, people are converted through inducements, but they continue to be recorded as Hindus in government records and keep availing government benefits. This, they say, explains why despite the mushrooming of large churches in many villages, the officially recorded Christian population remains negligible.
Local Hindus fear that Christmas programmes could once again intensify proselytising activities. Therefore, they are demanding that permission be granted only to registered Christians.
Not just Dharampur-Kaprada, the entire eastern belt of South Gujarat is affected
This issue is not limited to a few villages in Dharampur or Kaprada. Over the past few years, rapid demographic changes have been observed across the eastern belt of South Gujarat—from Dharampur and Kaprada to Dang, Tapi, and even the northernmost areas of Surat district, such as Umarpada and Dediapada. Since converts often do not undergo legal religious conversion, they continue to be recorded as Hindus in government records, but the Hindu religion and culture gradually disappear from their lives.
Recently, OpIndia published a special report on the construction of an illegal church in Umarpada, indicating that this problem is slowly spreading from South Gujarat towards Central Gujarat.
Demographic changes have led to several other issues. In many villages of Dang and Tapi, followers of Hinduism have reportedly become a minority. Temples are disappearing from villages, and tribal sacred sites are either being destroyed or altered. For instance, in 2022, a case came to light in a village in Songadh where an ancient tribal sacred site was demolished and replaced with a shrine dedicated to Mother Mary.
For all these reasons, local Hindus say they have become alert ahead of Christmas this time and are raising their demands before the administration. What decision the administration and the government take on this matter remains to be seen.
OpIndia attempted to contact the Dharampur Mamlatdar for his response on the issue, but could not establish contact. The report will be updated once a response is received.
