Pressurized to convert to Christianity, tribals file police complaint

The Dahod taluka police station registered an offence under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act after residents of Kharod village alleged that their religious sentiments had been hurt and that they had been pressurised into converting to Christianity.

The offence was filed by a resident of Kharod village Dariyasinh Vaadi on Monday. Vaadi has alleged that members of Christian community residing in his village had been pressurising him to convert to Christianity. Vaadi has claimed that to harass him and his community, part of a land that they use to perform the last rites of their community members was being tilled by the accused.

The first information report also alleges that tombstones, laid by the Vaadi community on the land, were being uprooted by the accused. “An offense was registered under sections 295 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code and the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act,” Dahod taluka police sub-inspector K G Chaudhary said. The offense mentions Eric Nisarta, his son Ramu, Shantilal and his son Ramesh as accused in the case.

Chaudhary said the dispute of land tilling had been raised by the village sarpanch earlier too in an application. “The ground used by Vaadi community to perform their last rites and that being tilled by the accused are both government property,” Chaudhary said.