As UCA News reported on 27 June 2018, Jharkhand State has been advised by
legal experts that indigenous citizens who convert to Christianity make themselves ineligible for receiving benefits that the Indian Constitution guarantees for the social advancement of indigenous people. These benefits include job quotas, places in educational institutions and financial assistance for education. Christian leaders were reported as saying that any such move by the Jharkhand State government, run by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), violates the principles of equality and freedom of religion.
Rolf Zeegers, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, states: "This is one more blow in a whole series of serious issues affecting Christians in Jkarkhand. In May 2018
11 Christians had to flee their homes in Medhasai village, located in the Chaibasa district after they were accused of forced conversions (ICC, 1 June 2018); also in May 2018
four Christians were arrested in the district of Simdega on charges of conversion (CSW, 4 June 2018); in June 2018 ten
Christian families from Pahli village in Latehar district were severely beaten and driven out of the village (ICC, 3 July 2018); also in June 2018
five women working for a Christian missionary group were gang-raped in the largely tribal Khunti district (UCA News, 22 June 2018)."
Rolf Zeegers continues: "Jharkhand is currently one of the most problematic states for Christians in India. As the information above shows, it is not just a question of violent attacks. There is also a hostile government led by the BJP that installed anti-conversion laws in August 2017 and now wants to restrict benefits to converts. It looks like the future will hold more problems and violence for Christians as illustrated in a report by World Watch Monitor on 10 July 2018 on the
arrest of 16 Indian Tribal Christians accused of "˜conversion by inducement"."
