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disturbed the communal peace. Therefore, I do not want to go to police station. I
am afraid of the police station. 112
However, this does not mean that all cases were ignored by the Police. There have
been a few incidents of the police protecting Christians from dreadful attacks.
Also there were occasions when Christians were protected by local Hindus when
they were assaulted by militants. 113
Thus in conclusion, due to the nexus between religion and politics, especially with
the BJP, Pentecostals fear that they, with other minority religious groups, will
suffer the loss in the long run under the BJP government. They suspect that justice
and fair treatment will be denied to them. Many Pentecostals, along with other
Christian segments, see that the introduction of the Anti-Conversion Law is the
gravest consequence of such a religio-political nexus as this law was introduced
mostly in such states where BJP has been the ruling party.
4.5. The Issue of Conversion and Persecution
The issue of conversion and persecution is not new in the Indian milieu. However,
in recent years it has become a complex issue. Frykenberg describes it as ‘a bone
of contention, controversy, and confusion’ in contemporary India. 114 Kim’s work,
Religious Conversion in India, is a significant study on this subject. He finds four
major explanations in the literature ‘why conversion is problematic in India.’
112
Meera Bhai (pseudonym), interview by author, Udaipur, Rajasthan, 27 May 2007.
113
Even during the recent religious violence in Orissa, many persecuted Christians were protected
and taken care of by local Hindus.
114
Robert Eric Frykenberg, ‘Introduction: Dealing with Contested Definitions and Controversial
Perspectives,’ in Christians and Missionaries in India, ed. Frykenberg, 17.
209