Between 30 and 40 recent Indian Dalit converts to Christianity have signed their names to a petition to re-affirm their decision and to seek police protection from intimidation by fundamentalist Hindu groups that want to bring the Dalits back to Hinduism. The petition claims that several nationalist groups have been intruding on their Christian hamlet in the Gaya district of Bihar state, in north-eastern India, threatening the new Christians they would be denied government benefits.
A Dalit named Shiv Shankar Masih told the Times of India that a member of Parliament representing his region offered Masih a government job if he would return to Hinduism. The MP denied the allegation to the Times.