Assam: 7 German nationals detained on charges of "religious conversion" in Kaziranga

Seven German nationals have been detained from a resort near Kaziranga National Park in Assam for flouting visa norms and indulging in religious activities on October 28. 

There has been an allegation that these people were involved in religious conversion through Assam police did not confirm if these charges are true.

"They were certainly involved in religious activities though I'm not competent to say if they were indulging in conversion or not. They came here on tourist visas. For taking part in religious activities, they needed to take missionary visas. For now, we have detained them, asked them to pay the fine for flouting visa norms and leave the country, as per the law," Special DGP of Assam Police GP Singh told India Today NE.

Singh claimed that police have retrieved video graphics evidence from the German nationals which prove their involvement in religious activities. 

The detained persons have been identified as Christian Reiser, Michael Erich Schaper, Merten Asmus, Cornelia Von Oneimb, Hinrich Luppen-Von Oneimb, Christa Olearius and Lisa Aimee Bloem.

Notably, along with the seven nationals, an Indian identified as Mukut Bodra from Jharkhand has also been detained.

All the seven nationals, who have come to India on Tourist Visa, have been detained under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act and will bear a penalty of $500 each and be released, failing which they will be arrested.

The difference between a tourist Visa and a missionary visa

Foreigners who visit India with Tourist Visa cannot engage themselves in any religious activity such as lectures or gatherings, as per Indian law.

Meanwhile, a missionary visa is one of the 18 types of visa issued by the Government of India to people seeking to enter the country for religious reasons, or to those willing to join a foreign organization in India doing Government of India-approved missionary work.

Missionary visas are issued for single entry to India, up to the duration allowed by the Government of India.

Earlier, on October 26, three Swedish nationals were also detained in Assam's Naharkatia on charges of violating tourist visa norms and indulging in religious conversions. They were fined and deported to their country of origin."We have been keeping a watch on such activities and that's the reason such violations are being detected," says Singh.

Here is what the resort's manager had to say: