MUMBAI, India — Christian activist Anson Thomas has rescued scores of girls 18 years and younger from prostitution in Mumbai, India.
Recently, brothel owners accused Thomas of “unlawfully converting” Hindu sex workers to Christianity. When a report of the allegations appeared in The Times of India, activists from the Hindu political party Shiv Sena protested Thomas’ activities by gathering outside a local police station.
Law enforcement authorities warned Thomas to refrain from giving Bibles to Hindu child prostitutes. “Mr. Thomas is indulging in unlawful acts which could lead to religious and social trouble,” said Nawal Najaj, a deputy commissioner of police in Mumbai.
Thomas denied that he forced anyone to convert to Christianity. “By falsely giving a religious angle to my work, they are trying to stop me from organizing raids to rescue minor girls and those who are forced into the trade,” he said. Despite provisions of the Immoral Trafficking and Prevention Act of 1986, experts say 1.2 million children and adolescents are illegally involved in prostitution in India, many of them against their will. (TAB)
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