70 children converted to Christianity in Madhya Pradesh – Where is the Media Furore?

Bhopal: Around seventy children of Saint Francis Sevadham, an orphanage at Shyampur in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, have been allegedly converted to Christianity. Name of Father Rogen Kristen, who administered the establishment earlier, has been mentioned in the column ‘father’s name’ of all 70 children.

The incident came into light after Onkar Singh, an RTI activist who works for the child welfare in Sagar, discovered that Rogen Kristen was being mentioned as father of these orphanage’s children.

The children in the orphanage also confirmed the allegations of conversion. Many children have forgotten their original identity including their names.

Meanwhile, the district administration is investigating how this happened. Though Father Rogen has left Sevadham, his replacement father Sanju has dismissed the allegations of forceful conversion but he admitted that he teaches children to practise Christianity.

Juvenile Justice Act clearly states that in such organisations, neither the name or the caste of the residing children can be changed.

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