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Forced conversions in jail?

Forced conversions in jail?

Author: GC Shekhar
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: April 1, 2002
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/010402/detNAT14.asp

The Pondicherry government has ordered an inquiry into alleged forced conversions of prisoners into Christianity, after six prisoners formally lodged a complaint with the state government.

Though there had been allegations that P David, the jail superintendent of Pondicherry Central Prison, was forcing prisoners to convert and was allowing Christian propagandists free access to the prison, this is the first time the matter has come out into the open.

Six prisoners serving varying sentences suddenly found themselves transferred to the sub-jail in Karaikal, an enclave located in Tamil Nadu. Protesting against this, they went on a hunger fast at the Karaikal prison compelling the local SP to hold an enquiry. They used this opportunity to file a formal complaint accusing David of torturing them at the Central Jail after they refused to be converted to Christianity.

A senior bureaucrat of the Pondicherry government admitted that many complaints against David had been received, especially the way he permitted Christian missionaries to enter the prison under the guise of distributing food and sweets. They had used this free access to carry on religious propaganda, which was against prison rules.

Another allegation against the jail warden is that he had allowed Sahayaraj, a lifer to jump parole, who is now running a Christian NGO in Warangal in Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister N Rengasamy said that the enquiry would be comprehensive and the prisoners would also be enquired.
 


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