Mother Teresa Charity Investigated for "Forced Conversions"

By Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa

On December 14th, local Indian police in Vadodara City began investigating accusations of forced conversion by the Makarpura facility for Missionaries of Charity (MOC), the charity famously started by Mother Teresa in 1950. The charity was started in Vadodara, in the Makarpura area of the state of Gujarat, which is also the home state of the Hindu Nationalist Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Hardline Hindus Attack Catholic School for "Converting Children"

On Monday, December 6, a mob of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members, two notoriously militant right-wing Hindu groups, attacked St. Joseph’s School in Ganj Basoda, India. The incident happened around 12:10 at noon when more than 300 protesters started gathering outside the school’s compound.

The attack happened while the school was administering exams for their grade 12 students.

Townspeople in India Try to Pray Potholes Away

A Tweet posted on November 30 by the user Rakesh Prakash showed people praying over a pothole in Bangalore city, Karnataka, India. They surrounded the pothole with flowers while two priests performed religious ceremonies.

#POTHOLE puja in #Bengaluru!

Mass Harassment From Hindu Nationalists Forces Comedian to Quit

On Saturday, November 27, Vishesh Dhuria, director and founder of Curtain Call, received a letter from the Ashokanagar police office. The police officers of the Ashoknagar in Bangalore city requested Dhuria and his production to cancel Munawar Faruqui’s show.

Indian Police tell Christians to Halt Prayer Meetings to Avoid Attacks

Christian groups in Belagavi City in Karnataka, India, were told by police to avoid meetings and gatherings for prayer until the end of the Winter Session. Belagavi will be hosting the Karnataka legislative session scheduled for December 13 to 24. A controversial anti-conversion bill will be discussed during the session, according to the police.

“Spit Jihad;” the Latest Anti-Muslim Accusation from Hindu-Nationalists

On Monday, November 15, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and several right-wing media shared a seven-second video of what they call “evidence of Thook Jihad.” Hardline right-wing groups in India are using the video and several other similar footages to accuse Muslim minorities of attacking Hindus by spitting on their food.

Hindu Extremists Burn Home of Ex-Minister Who Compared Them to ISIS

On Monday, November 15, a group of right-wing Hindus set fire to Salman Khurshid’s house in Satkhol Village, near the Nainital district in the Uttarakhand state. In October, Khurshid, the former Foreign Minister of India, published a book where he compares extremist Hindutva groups to Islamist groups like ISIS and Boko Haram.

500+ Hindus Threaten Mass Self-Immolation Over Comedy Show

In a tweet posted on November 14, LVC Comedy Club in Goa canceled Munawar Faruqui’s show schedule this week. The decision to cancel the already sold-out show came after the meeting with local police. The police claimed that more than 500 people threatened to set themselves on fire if the show continued.

Hindu Devotees Bathe in Toxic Yamuna River

On Wednesday, November 10, Hindu devotees flocked to the banks of the Yamuna river in New Delhi to observe Chhath Puja. Despite the foaming waters caused by various forms of pollutants dumped into the river, the devotees were unfazed by the danger. People stood knee-deep, reciting prayers; others submerged themselves completely.

Lawsuit Exposes International Human Trafficking in Hindu Temples

A lawsuit against a Hindu organization based in New Jersey has been amended with more plaintiffs and more respondents spanning five states. The case against Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a Hindu organization based in New Jersey, now includes temples in California, Illinois, Texas, and Georgia.