Actor Joseph Vijay, now parading as a politician, loves to project himself as a messiah of morality. Like a typical DMK lackey, he has been trying to brand RSS as a “divisive force” in Tamil Nadu.
It is hardly surprising he speaks that way — after all, he, his party, and his inner circle all come from the same mould – be it his father, his advisor Aadhav Arjuna (son-in-law of Lottery Martin), his another advisor is Jhon Arockiasamy, or his association with Atlee.
But if Vijay truly wants to speak of divisive forces in Tamil Nadu, he need not look beyond the missionaries and evangelists of his own religion. For decades, their actions—cloaked in the garb of charity and faith—have fractured communities, grabbed lands, and stoked enmity.
Let’s take a look one by one.
Conversions: Preying On The Vulnerable
Missionary groups in Tamil Nadu have long been involved in aggressive proselytization, uprooting native people from their culture.
From Perambalur and Virudhunagar villages to Theni and Madurai, reports have shown evangelists luring poor children with gifts, coercing families with promises of healing, and exploiting vulnerable communities like the Narikuravars.
1. May 2022 – Devendra Kula Vellalar Family Harassed To Convert
A woman tried to set herself on fire in front of the Ramanathapuram District Collector Office demanding action against few people in her village for forcing her and her family to convert to Christianity.
2. May 2024 – Converting Children Without Knowledge Of Parents
Missionaries reportedly targeted young, innocent children in the districts of Theni and Madurai in Tamil Nadu, attempting to convert them to Christianity without their parents’ knowledge by promoting the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Hindu Munnani effectively halted this activity.
3. August 2024 – Bibles Given To Govt School Students
Christian missionaries were distributing sweets and Bibles to schoolchildren near Perambalur Government Higher Secondary School and the District HQ Hospital. Hindu Munnani activists intervened, accusing the missionaries of attempting to lure children into conversion.
4. January 2025 – Mass Conversion Attempt At Tiruchuli
Christian missionaries reportedly conducted a door-to-door campaign in villages of Tiruchuli Union, including Kulasekaranallur, Konapanendal, Manjampatti, and Madathupatti, aiming for mass conversions. The Hindu Munnani intervened, halting the alleged conversion efforts.
5. February 2025 – 27 Missionaries Apprehended For Denigrating Hinduism
Hindu activists and local villagers in Thanjavur’s Peravurani apprehended over 27 Christian missionaries accused of spreading religious propaganda and denigrating Hinduism among students and the public at the gates of Peravurani Government School. They were subsequently handed over to the police for further action,
6. March 2025 – Christian Nun Enters Govt Hospital To Convert
A Christian nun allegedly visited the Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital, and attempted to convert patients by claiming that “Jesus will cure your illness.” The Hindu Munnani raised concerns and called for legal action against such activities.
7. July 2025 – Missionary Converts Narikuravars In Trichy
Christian missionary Vincent was reportedly proselytizing the Narikuravar, a semi-nomadic tribal community, in Madurapuri panchayat. Upon intervention by Hindu Munnani activists, the local police issued a warning to Vincent and advised him to leave the area.
8. July 2025 – Group Arrested For Funding Of Conversion Activities
Three individuals, including a man from Tamil Nadu, were arrested for allegedly funding a religious conversion ring associated with a Christian missionary group. The police suspect that they received financial assistance from abroad.
These are not isolated missteps but a systematic attempt to weaken cultural roots and engineer demographic change.
These conversions don’t just divide communities but break bonds within the family as well. Those who get converted don’t stop at following their new religion but also go on to force their ideology onto other members of the family and the community. And once a large community gets converted, the real native identity of an entire community gets erased.
Church Planting And Land Grab
Church planting has increasingly become a front for systematic land encroachment, cultural erasure, and demographic aggression. What begins with a makeshift cross or a small prayer hall on common or sacred land soon balloons into a sprawling church complex, complete with claims over surrounding areas. From forest hills and poromboke lands to temple pathways and water bodies, nothing has been spared. These encroachments are not accidental—they are part of a calculated expansionist strategy by certain evangelical groups, leaving behind a trail of communal friction and legal battles.
1. Vajragiri Hill Encroached
Large swathes of Vajragiri Hill near Chengalpattu, home to a 1,500-year-old Shiva temple, have been encroached upon by Christian missionaries, who have built a church, erected crosses, and painted “Long Live Mary” across the sacred site. Devotees have been obstructed from accessing the temple as ancient paths were blocked with barricades and rubbish. Despite repeated complaints, the Forest and Revenue Departments have failed to act, forcing locals to protest. With nearly 60 acres of forest and poromboke land under illegal occupation, Hindu Munnani has now petitioned the Supreme Court seeking eviction of the encroachers and restoration of the temple’s sanctity.
2. Pathirakaliamman Temple Vs CSI Church
A four-decade-long land dispute between the Pathirakaliamman Temple and a CSI church in Subramaniapuram, Vembar, escalated when members of both sides demolished a wall marking the boundary. The police booked 27 individuals under various sections, with the dispute recently settled in favor of the temple.
3. Cuddalore Devanathaswamy Temple Encroached
St. Joseph Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Cuddalore was found to have occupied land legally owned by the historic Devanathaswamy Temple for over five years, despite clear directives from the Madras High Court to vacate.
These are instance that highlight how they eat into Tamil Nadu’s hills, villages, and heritage—slowly redrawing boundaries not just on the map, but in the cultural soul of the state.
Hate Speech By Pastors
If grabbing land is how missionaries seize territory, then hate speech is how their pastors poison minds. Figures like Ezra Sargunam, Mohan C Lazarus, George Ponnaiah, and Bishop Sam Esudoss have made it their life’s mission to spit venom at Hindu gods, mock centuries-old traditions, and brand native culture as evil—all under the garb of preaching. This is not spirituality, it is a calculated campaign to humiliate and divide.
Mohan C Lazarus
Mohan C. Lazarus, the controversial Christian preacher behind Jesus Redeems, has repeatedly targeted Hinduism with hate speech. In 2018, he referred to Tamil Nadu temples as “in the clasp of Satan” and “habitats of devils,” and mocked Hindu deities, prompting FIRs under IPC Sections 153A and 295A from BJP and VHP functionaries. In 2021, the Madras High Court quashed criminal proceedings against him but warned that his extreme rhetoric could incite hatred, violence, and bloodshed, emphasizing that religious expression must not harm the rights or sentiments of others. In 2022, Lazarus publicly called other faiths “evil” and urged people to turn away from them, with journalists covering these statements receiving threats from his assistants.
Ezra Sargunam
Ezra Sargunam, the late founder of the Evangelical Church of India (ECI), was known for his provocative and often inflammatory remarks against Hinduism. His speeches and actions have sparked significant controversy and backlash over the years.
In a viral video, Sargunam called Hinduism “an artificial religion” created under British rule and urged followers to physically attack anyone defending it, saying they should be “punched until they bleed.” His statements drew widespread condemnation for inciting violence and threatening communal harmony.
Sargunam allegedly made derogatory remarks about the Vanniyar community during an event in Chennai. The Perambalur court summoned him in connection with these comments, which were deemed offensive and degrading
George Ponnaiah
Father George Ponnaiah, a Catholic priest in Tamil Nadu, was arrested for allegedly spreading hate and enmity between religious groups through his speeches
He said that the Tamil Nadu government provides us with free footwear so that we do not get rash or scabies from stepping on Bharat Mata, and that Bhuma Devi is a dangerous woman.
He warned Hindus saying, “We (minorities) were 42% once and now we are 62% of the total population in Kanya Kumari. Soon, our population will cross 70%. We will continue to increase our population and no one can stop it. We tell this as a warning to Hindus. We do not fear BJP or RSS. You cannot stop us.”
He further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s and Home Minister Amit Shah’s final years will be miserable. “If the God we believe in is still alive, we shall watch Amit Shah and Modi being devoured by dogs and worms”, he had said.
Last Word
Will Joseph Vijay have the guts to call out the very forces that his own religion shelters? The real agents of division in Tamil Nadu are the missionaries and evangelists of his own faith—spreading hate, enforcing conversions, breaking families, and splitting communities. From Mohan Lazarus urging Hindus to be humiliated, to Ezra Sargunam inciting violence, and church-backed land grabs that swallow sacred hills, it is Vijay’s cult that undermines social harmony.
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