Yes, it’s true. During the British colonial period, missionaries working under the patronage of the East India Company were granted land across India on extraordinary 999-year lease agreements, often for a nominal rent of ₹1 per year. These long-term leases, framed under colonial land grant policies, effectively handed over public resources for centuries—with barely any public scrutiny to this day.

One striking example is St. Xavier’s High School & College in Fort, Mumbai, which stands on land acquired by the Jesuit Fathers in 1866. The lease was for a 200 x 160 ft plot—a central location in one of India’s most valuable urban zones—granted for 999 years at a token rent of ₹1 annually.

This wasn’t an isolated case. In 1894, additional land was leased to the Jesuits on Cruickshank Road (now Mahapalika Marg), and in 1940, another plot was granted at New Marine Lines for use as a playground—again, reportedly on similar terms.

And this is just Mumbai. Across India, dozens of such leases were handed out to Christian missionary institutions—churches, schools, hospitals, and seminaries—especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, West Bengal, and Northeast India. In many cases, prime land in cantonments, hill stations, and railway towns was given away for virtually nothing—often under the guise of “public service.”

What’s deeply concerning is that many of these leases have never been reviewed, renegotiated, or reassessed, even after Independence. These institutions continue to occupy vast urban properties with virtually no rent paid to local or central governments—while ordinary citizens struggle with sky-high land and property prices.

There are many such missionary infrastructures across India that were granted land in the same manner. Most of them remain hidden from public knowledge or buried under silence, despite being leased for just one rupee. The fact that such long-term colonial-era arrangements were never revisited or reassessed is deeply concerning and it continues even today.

In a time when land is among the country’s most valuable assets, why are these colonial-era contracts still allowed to stand unchallenged?

Shouldn’t we revisit these agreements, especially if the original purpose of the lease has long expired?

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The post Did You Know? Christian Missionaries Were Given Prime Indian Land On 999-Year Leases For Just ₹1! appeared first on The Commune.

The Hindu Munnani has strongly condemned and raised serious concerns over the silence of the Thoothukudi district authorities after temple land in the area was allegedly seized by Christian missionaries. The missionaries have reportedly erected structures that block access to local temples in Thoothukudi. Despite locals identifying the issue, the district administration has remained conspicuously silent on this matter.

In Sathankulam Panchayat, Palankulam village, the road leading to the Arulmigu Sastha Palankulamuthaiyan Temple has been encroached upon, with a wall being built allegedly by some Christian miscreants. When locals alerted the Hindu Munnani, State Executive Committee member Sakthivelan, Sathankulam Panchayat General Secretary P. Mayavana Muthusamy, and Thattarmadam Hindu Munnani Auto Association chief Muthu visited the site to investigate. Upon their inspection, they confirmed that the land had indeed been taken over.

Additionally, the locals expressed concern that Christian missionaries had plans to take control of the entire road leading to the Sastha Palankulamuthaiyan Temple. They also claimed that 2.5 acres of land belonging to the nearby Vinayagar Temple had mysteriously disappeared. In response, Hindu Munnani members have vowed to support efforts to recover the land.

The Hindu Munnani has now questioned the inaction of the Deputy Collector of Sathankulam, the District Collector, and other higher officials. The organization has called on them to speak out and intervene to resolve these issues, or to clarify whether they, too, will remain silent in the face of this growing controversy.

தூத்துக்குடி தெற்கு மாவட்டம், சாத்தான்குளம் ஒன்றியம், பழங்குளம் கிராமம், பழங்குளம் ஊரில் அமைந்துள்ள, அருள்மிகு சாஸ்தா பழங்குளத்தையன் திருக்கோவிலுக்கு போகும் பாதையை, சில கிறிஸ்தவ சமூக விரோதிகளால் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு செய்யப்பட்டு, மதிற்சுவர் போடப்பட்ட இடத்தை இந்துமுன்னணி pic.twitter.com/Pdqb7Jwl4x

— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) November 8, 2024

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The post Hindu Munnani Slams Thoothukudi Authorities Over Encroachment Of Temple Land By Christian Missionaries appeared first on The Commune.

In a recent unsettling incident in Tamil Nadu, a woman was found reading the Bible inside the Kapaleeswarar Temple, situated in the heart of Chennai, during daylight hours. This incident occurred against the backdrop of a recent ruling by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, which ordered the restriction of non-Hindus from entering the Palani Murugan Temple. This decision sparked controversy, with the Dravidian factions questioning its validity. Additionally, HR&CE Minister Sekar Babu declared intentions to counter this ruling, shedding light on the reasons behind such decisions.

The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department had earlier prevent Hindu Munnani members from chanting “Om Namashivaya” and submitting a “pradhu” (prayer petition). Netizens now raise concerns about why the department seemed to overlook incidents like the woman reading the Bible in the Kapaleeswarar Temple.

Recently, Pon. Manickavel, former Idol Wing Officer and known for bringing ancient idols to their rightful place at temples, was denied entry into a temple, yet the filming of distasteful item songs was permitted.

So what exactly happened at Kapaleeshwarar temple in Mylapore? A woman has been consistently reciting “Paava Arikkai,” a confessional prayer seeking forgiveness from “The Lord Jesus,” within the Kapaleeshwarar Temple. This practice has been ongoing for several days, raising concerns as she considers the deity and mode of worship within the temple as “false” and “sinful,” while seeking forgiveness from her “One True Lord.”

When questioned, she identifies herself as a Hindu but rejects the application of Vibhoothi or Kumkum, and questions the purpose of others going to church for confession, implying she can do the same in the temple for reciting Paava Arikkai.

This situation is problematic on various levels. Within the sacred premises of Kapaleeshwara, an individual who perceives this deity and form of worship as deviating from the correct path seeks forgiveness from their chosen deity. Netizens appreciate the devotees who took a firm stand against such inappropriate proselytization within the temple and express concern that the HR&CE department may attempt to downplay the incident.

In a recent landmark judgment too by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, it was declared that individuals of other religions should not enter the temple beyond the Kodimaram (The sacred flagpole), a directive that should be prominently displayed by the department near the sacred flagpole. The temple is not considered a “public place”; only devotees of the deity should be granted access, emphasizing the importance of setting clear boundaries. The Paava Arikkai is not a benign, universally accepted prayer.

Reflecting on the passages within the prayer:

“O Lord, Our Father, we have transgressed against you in thought and speech.
We have not loved you with complete devotion.
We implore your mercy.
Remove our sinful impurities and cleanse us.”

Consider why the recitation of such lines within temple premises should be scrutinized and restricted.

Exemplar Paava Arikkai Jebam: “Almighty and compassionate Father, we have strayed from Your path like escaped sheep. We have followed the desires and thoughts of our hearts. We have violated your sacred commandments and engaged in forbidden actions. We are unwell. Yet, in accordance with the promises made by God through our Lord Jesus Christ to humanity, show mercy to us, the unwitting offenders. Be patient with us as we confess our transgressions and guide us in correcting our sorrow for our sins. Most Merciful Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, grant us the grace to lead a life of godliness, righteousness, and clarity of mind, bringing glory to Your holy name. Amen.

God our Father, we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. Our love for you is not wholehearted. We do not treat our neighbor with the same love we have for ourselves. We earnestly seek your mercy. Purify us by removing the stains of our sins. Aid us in overcoming our transgressions. We offer this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

One person was reading Bible inside Kapaleeswarar Temple and caught. While the @tnhrcedept is very keen on not allowing Bhakthas to even sit and speak or even chant "Om Namashivaya", how do they keep their eyes closed on such issues? Recently Sri. Pon. Manickavel was stopped… pic.twitter.com/xmHHuz4et1

— Dharmic Indians (@dharmic_indians) February 25, 2024

Atrocius.

This lady has been reading "Paava Arikkai" , a form of confession "prayer" that asks for Forgiveness from "The Lord" for falling away from the true path like a lost herd of sheep.

Not an isolated incident, she's been reading it for many days within the Kapaleeshwarar… https://t.co/nBRwtD8oHQ

— Tamil Labs 2.0 (@labstamil) February 25, 2024

A Hindu woman began recording a woman reading the Bible and reciting a confession of sin prayer within the temple premises. She promptly alerts the authorities. As they try to find out who the woman with the Bible is, they find out that the woman in questio nwas actually reading the Paava Arikkai. It was found that the woman doing so had been doing this for quite a few days but it was assumed that she was studying something else. Upon confronting the Christian woman, she said, “If you don’t want us to come and ask for forgiveness, let it go, we won’t come and ask.” When asked if the deity was whom she followed, the Christian woman said, “This is our god since childhood.” She further adds, “You can come here and tell me not to say about sins, but you have no right to say that I should not come to the temple for that”. When the Hindu woman insisted that non-Hindus were not permitted inside the temple, the Christian woman replied, “I am a Hindu since birth,”but she refused to accept Vibhuti from the Hindu woman. Later the Christian woman claimed, “Your people come to church to confess their sin,”

Subsequently, the temple authorities counselled the Christian women and requested her to leave.

The Kapaleeshwarar temple was recently in the news after an arson attack took place near the East Mada Street gate of the temple.

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The post Christian Woman Found Reading “Paava Arikkai” Inside Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Devotees Confont Her & Chase Her Out appeared first on The Commune.

A shocking incident in Karnataka has come to light in which a Christian missionaries have attempted to forcibly convert an economically backward community and intimidating those resisting the conversion with goons.

The Shikkaligaras are an economically disadvantaged community in Karnataka. It was reported that there was a fight between a married couple of this sect as the wife coerced her husband into becoming a Christian. Sampath who lives in Old Hubbali Shivshankar Colony with his wife was allegedly coerced by her to convert to Christianity. She had threatened to not have a family with him if he didn’t convert.  Sampath did not agree to this and appealed to the leaders of the Shikkaligara community. Subsequently, the locals along with community leaders and Hindu organizations went to the Huballi police station to file a complaint. They laid seige to the police station protesting that Christian missionaries are forcibly converting people belonging to the Shikkaligar community through enticements and intimidation.

Sampath was quoted saying in a report, “Some pastors visited our relatives’ homes and forced us to attend the prayer meeting. Christian organizations engage in proselytizing activities targeting the Shikkaligara community. They target us because we are economically backward. Rowdies are used by Christian organisations to threaten those who refuse to convert.”

It is alleged that the missionaries are taking the help of local rowdy sheeter Madan Bugudi to intimidate people to convert to Christianity. Madan Bugudi on the other hand has claimed that he is a Hindu and hasn’t converted to another religion or converted others.

Sampath’s wife Bharati has denied the allegation and said that she isnt forcing anyone to convert to Christianity. She said that she has not converted to Christianity but goes to a church due to her “personal belief”. She has claimed that her husband left her 13 years ago and she lives at her parents’ house and hence there is no question at all of her forcing her husband to convert.

Kannada publication Udayavani has reported that Christian missionaries have converted around 30 families to Christianity by preying on their vulnerabilities. They reportedly resort to enticiment, miracle healing meeting and other superstitions to convert.

The Christian missionaries primarily target the women of the community who are pitted against their own families. They reportedly insist on converting the entire family to Christianity threatening to severe ties if they refuse to. The missionaries have been going door-to-door and indulging in proselytization.

The police, who have registered a case in this regard, are interrogating 15 people, including Madan Bugudi.

Earlier in October 2021, a forced conversion incident was reported in Hubbali region. A pastor named Somu Avaradhi, allegedly lured him a Scheduled Caste person to convert to Christianity for over three months and had even abused him for sporting vermilion.

(With inputs from Dinakaran, Udayavani and Daijiworld)

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The post Karnataka: Christian Missionaries Accused Of Using Goons To Convert People appeared first on The Commune.

Foreign-funded NGOs have repetitively asked the central government to relax the FCRA regulations related to foreign funding. In this regard, the NGOs who attended the meeting organized by NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant, urged him to write a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah to relax the FCRA norms.

According to the Legal Rights Observatory, this includes some NGOs with prominent, suspicious backgrounds. These NGOs have been accused of taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to engage in proselytizing activities. The Legal Rights Observatory has said it will not allow this to happen.

#Sensitive In a meeting of NGOs held by @NITIAayog CEO Amitabh Kant, many NGOs with dubious background urged him to write letter to @AmitShah ji to ease up stringent #FCRAViolation norms to help #COVID19India. We won't let it happen as these vultures would use it for conversions+ pic.twitter.com/owILyM6ySP

— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) April 26, 2021

The LRO has also said that it will submit a counter representation against the NGOs’ request. Pointing out that missionary organizations have converted more than 1 lakh people using the coronavirus pandemic, the LRO has warned that giving freedom to NGOs would be detrimental to India’s national security.

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