Conversion charge false: Missionaries of Charity on Gujarat case

The organisation, founded by Mother Teresa, has been booked under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, for allegedly “hurting Hindu religious sentiments” and “luring towards Christianity young girls” in a shelter home it runs in Vadodara city's Makarpura area.

The organisation’s management denied any forceful conversion. (Express photo)

The Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata has denied all allegations against them related to a recentcase of conversion filed against a shelter home for girls run by it in Vadodara, Gujarat. Sunita Kumar, spokesperson of the charity, told The Indian Express that the allegations are “not true.”

The organisation, founded by Mother Teresa, has been booked under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, for allegedly “hurting Hindu religious sentiments” and “luring towards Christianity young girls” in a shelter home it runs in Vadodara city’s Makarpura area.

“Like Mother [Teresa] always used to say, let’s pray for them. Such accusations are not true,” said Kumar.

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According to sources, a complaint was filed by District Social Defence Officer Mayank Trivedi who, along with the chairman of the Child Welfare Committee of the district, visited the home for girls run by the Missionaries of Charity in Makarpura area on December 9.

The FIR states that during his visit, Trivedi found that girls at the home were being “forced” to read Christian religious texts and participate in prayers of Christian faith, with the intention of “steering them into Christianity”.

Even as the management of the Missionaries of Charity has denied any forceful conversion, the police have initiated a probe after receiving the complaint.

“We have faced accusations over adoption issues too but there are so many children who have found love and family because of our organisation,” said a nun at the organisation who did not wish to be named.

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