Christian missionary hospital in Vellore asks Hindu family to convert to Christianity in return for medical help

In another case of alleged aggressive proselytization by Christian missionaries, a Hindu family from Karnataka was asked to convert to Christianity and offer prayers at a church in Vellore, Tamil Nadu in exchange for free treatment for their 3-year-old ailing child.

According to a report in the New Indian Express, Iranna Nagur, a 34-year-old Dhaba (hotel) employee and resident of Basavana Bagewadi of Karnataka was struggling to pay for the medical treatment for his three-year-old son and had travelled over the border into Tamil Nadu seeking better medicial treatment for his ailing son.

Nagur had already spent over ₹3 lakh for his son’s treatment and when he visited a hospital in Vellore run by a Christian Missionary, they put conditions in exchange for free treatment for his son and one of the condition was Iranna and his family should convert to Christianity and offer prayers at a church for at least two months to get free medical treatment at the hospital.

Speaking to the media, Iranna said he had exhausted  all his money as he could not get any financial support from anywhere for his son’s treatment and his monthly earning is ₹12,000 per month and he spends half of his earnings on the medical treatment of his ailing son.

Iranna, went to the hospital in Vellore with a promise that all arrangements have been made, including ₹10 lakh for the bone marrow surgery of his son, with the condition of offering daily prayers at church.

“The talks were also held about the conversion to Christianity. I was determined to accept Jesus because the hospital authorities had promised to take care of all the medical expenses of my son,” detailed Iranna, who has three children, including two daughters.  

However, the BLDE Association in the Bijapur district in Karnataka has now come forward to help the family and extend help to the child suffering from Thalassemia preventing them from converting to Christianity.

(With inputs from The New Indian Express & OpIndia)

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