Tamil Nadu police on the wee hours of Saturday (January 29) arrested a man identified as Ganesh Babu from Pudukottai district who had given a complaint about religious conversion happening in his area.

Ganesh Babu hails from Thimmiyampatti near Iluppur in the Pudukottai district. On 21 January 2022 at around 6 30 PM, two unidentified women had come to his home saying that they were from the church and had come to spread the ‘gospel of Jesus’, he had stated in his letter to the Pudukottai Superintendent of Police which has been accessed by The Commune.

The two missionary ladies had allegedly told him that his family would be ‘taken care of by Jesus’ if they convert to Christianity and had given them some Christian books. This was resisted by Ganesh Babu and his family. He told the ladies that they are Hindus and that their clan deity (kuladeivam) was the Malayadikaruppar asking the ladies to vacate his house immediately. A heated brawl ensued when the two missionary ladies had derogated Hindu gods as ‘stones’, ‘satans’, and ‘ghosts’, his letter to the SP read.

When Ganesh Babu had told them that he would inform the police, the missionary ladies had allegedly told him that ‘he cannot even pluck a hair’ as they have been doing this for a long time particularly in the nearby villages of Irundhirapatti, Mettupatti, Kattakutti, Irappoosal, Iluppur, Melappatti, Navampatti, etc. and none belonging to those villages could do anything to them. They had also allegedly threatened to kill him.

After they left his house, there was a commotion inside the village when he found that the missionary ladies had been going door-to-door and indulging in conversion activities. The two ladies were held by a few people belonging to the village as they had reportedly given chocolates and toys to kids in the neighborhood and spoke ill about Hinduism.

Ganesh Babu along with a few others from his village informed the Iluppur police and the two missionary ladies were handed over to Inspector Ushanandhini and Sub-Inspector Rex Stalin.

On January 27, when Ganesh Babu and members from the village had gone to ask the status of the complaint, the police had told them that they had received a complaint against them as well and asked them to give a written complaint from their side which they did on January 28. When Ganesh and his relative Kumar had gone to get the CSR copy, they were told to collect it the next day morning.

At around 1 AM on January 28, the Deputy Superintendent, Sub-Inspector, and Inspector along with 4 constables had come and taken Ganesh Babu in a jeep.

The police officials allegedly asked him to withdraw the complaint filed and even threatened to slap false cases under various acts including the Prevention of Atrocities against SC/ST Act.

Ganesh Babu had told that he would not withdraw the complaint and was ready to proceed legally with the complaints given against him. He was let go off but was asked to come the next day at 11 AM to withdraw the complaint. Ganesh Babu was later arrested in the wee hours of January 29.

In light of this, Ganesh Babu has written a complaint to the Pudukottai District Superintendent of Police pleading for action against the two missionary ladies and the Deputy Superintendent Arulmozhi Arasu and Inspector Ushanandhini for abuse of power.

In light of this, the people of the village along with Hindu organizations are protesting against the arrest of Ganesh Babu.

References:

thecommunemag.com - The Commune