Authorities in India fined two American residents for allegedly violating the conditions of their tourist visa by preaching and carrying out conversions — a claim their host refutes.
Local media outlets were notified by the Superintendent of Police of the Sonitpur district of Assam state that James Michael Flinchum, 73, and Matthew Jon Boone, 64, had been taken into custody from the Baptist Christian Hospital at Tezpur’s Mission Chariali.
Their Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) papers permitted Flinchum admission starting in October 2023 and multiple entries to Boone starting in December 2023. They were allowed to interact in “Recreation/Sight-Seeing” activities under their tourist visa, which Assam state police alleged were illegal.
They were charged with engaging in religious activities at several locations by the federal government.
On Jan. 31, the 2 men went to the Baptist Mission Complex in Tezpur for the opening of the North Bank Baptist Christian Association. After that, on Feb. 2, they were taken into custody on the hospital and fined.
While media reports claimed the duo were arrested, Sushanta Biswa Sharma, the Superintendent of Police of Sonitpur District, told media outlets that the police hadn’t arrested the 2 foreign nationals but had detained and fined them $500 each. Sharma also alleged that the 2 men had deliberately violated their visa terms and so the police had been following up with authorities to blacklist them.
Speaking to Christian Today, the overall secretary of North Bank Baptist Christian Association (NBBCA), Chowaram Daimari denied the detention of the 2 visitors.
“They were neither detained nor deported but were fined. After the superb was paid, they were asked to carry-on their tourism freely as planned,” said Daimari.
The allegation of conversion
Flinchum and Boone has stayed on the Baptist Christian Hospital campus upon their arrival to Tezpur on Jan. 31. Flinchum was the ex-associate director of Baptist General Conference (BGC), the organization that founded the Baptist Christian Hospital, Tezpur in 1954.
Daimari from the NBBCA told Christian Today that he refuted accusations by authorities that the 2 men had led conversions on the hospital compound.
The Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Sonitpur district, Madhurima Das, was quoted by media outlets as claiming: “A Baptist association had held a constructing inauguration function in Tezpur and Baptist leaders from different parts of Assam had gathered there. The two U.S. nationals were also present there. The constructing itself is incomplete, it’s half-done, so now we have to say that they’d come for conversion activities. Since they were within the country on tourist visas, they can’t take part in any religious meet.”
Daimari explained that the proposed office of the NBBCA is within the hospital compound, and as Flinchum and Boone were staying on the campus, they attended the inauguration function, which was held on Feb. 1.
“Flinchum was once closely related to the hospital, hence we requested him to wish and share his thought on the constructing,” said Daimari. “There is no doubt of ‘conversion activities’ happening as stated by some media outlets, since all of the participants attending the inauguration function were Christians,” he added.
Furthermore, he told Christian Today that the constructing’s construction is 90% complete and that the contract was given nine months ago.
“It is flawed to say that the constructing is half-done. It is fully complete inside and just some painting portions remain outside. The contractor had agreed to complete the paint job before the inauguration which he couldn’t finish. We had already sent all our invitations for the inauguration and thus we didn’t change the date,” clarified Daimari.
The NBBCA, in co-operation with the Baptist General Conference, released a press statement on Feb. 10, that said:
“After the function was over, two men got here from the police station and asked concerning the function. I (Daimari) explained to them what was happening. On the following day, Feb. 2, while they (two Americans) were visiting Kaziranga National Park, the identical police personnel asked for photos of the inauguration function. After receiving the photos they got here and met the tourists at hospital once they arrived from the national park. Their passports and visas were checked. After a while they were informed that they needed to pay $500 each for violating tourist visa norms. There was no detention or deportation.”
Flinchum and Boone left Tezpur on Feb. 3 for Guwahati and left India about three days later, in line with Daimari.
The Assam government in October 2022 had instructed all of the districts in that state to observe foreigners who arrive and keep a detailed check on them in the event that they bask in “conversion activities,” which is in violation of visa norms. They were also instructed to observe religious gatherings and check the travel documents of the foreigners who’re found attending any religious gatherings.
Shocked on the inauguration function being called a spiritual gathering, Daimari concluded, “Praying in a constructing inauguration doesn’t make it a spiritual function. I feel that they’re interpreting the law in line with their understanding.”
