By Nikita Jain
Aarti Devi (name changed on request) sits in her half-constructed home in a small village in Hazaribagh District. Her neighbors have isolated her due to recent events concerning her faith.
Devi, 40, said that she voluntarily converted to Christianity in 2019. “It was faith that brought me here. My sister introduced me to a local pastor when I was really unwell. No one forced me. But after accepting the faith, my life became better,” she told Maktoob.
The woman said her life improved as she continued to find success after her conversion. Originally belonging to the Mahto community, which falls under the Other Backward Class (OBC), Devi left her Hindu faith.
However, she has since faced continuous harassment. “The village members were not happy with the conversion, and when they couldn’t persuade me to return, they started threatening me,” she said.
Devi’s house was to be converted into a small church, as people from neighboring villages came to pray with her. “In October, some local men, along with outsiders, forcefully entered my house while we were praying. They started beating everyone,” she said.
Activists and lawyers said there is massive influence of Hindu right-wing groups like Bajrang Dal.
During the incident, Poonam Devi was hit on the head with sticks. Devi’s 70-year-old mother, who was also present, sustained serious injuries from being hit on her legs and other parts of her body and later died.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.