The Conspiracy Theories Around Mother Teresa — And Why They Don’t Hold Up to Scrutiny

 

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The Conspiracy Theories Around Mother Teresa — And Why They Don’t Hold Up to Scrutiny

Mother Teresa, canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2016, is globally recognized for her humanitarian work with the poor and dying in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). Yet in India — particularly among right-wing circles — she is also the subject of persistent conspiracy theories. These range from allegations of forced religious conversions to accusations of child trafficking and misusing donations.

Despite the lack of verifiable evidence, these narratives continue to circulate, fueled by social media, political rhetoric, and ideological hostility toward missionaries and NGOs. This article examines the most common claims made against Mother Teresa and contrasts them with facts, data, and independent investigations.

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1. Claim: Mother Teresa Was Running a Massive Conversion Racket

The Theory:

Mother Teresa’s work with the poor was merely a façade for mass conversions to Christianity. Some claim that the Missionaries of Charity (MoC), the organization she founded, exploited vulnerable people — especially Hindus — by converting them on their deathbeds.

The Facts:

• No credible evidence exists that the Missionaries of Charity engaged in forced or coercive conversions.
• The MoC’s facilities did not require patients to convert or adopt Christian practices. In fact, many people served by the MoC remained Hindu or Muslim.
• Prominent Indian figures such as Khushwant Singh, a Sikh agnostic and critic of religion, praised her work and never mentioned any evidence of conversion pressure.
• Indian government records and multiple court cases have never proven any systematic conversion activity by MoC.
• In a 2011 statement, the MoC said:
• “Our rule forbids us to convert anyone. Mother herself said: ‘Our job is not to convert. Our job is to love.’”

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2. Claim: She Was Glorifying Suffering Instead of Alleviating It

The Theory:

Mother Teresa allegedly believed that suffering brought people closer to God and, therefore, did not provide adequate medical care or pain relief to patients. Some critics argue that she was more interested in martyrdom than modern healthcare.

The Facts:

• This criticism originated from Christopher Hitchens’ book The Missionary Position, which portrayed her work as deeply flawed and ideologically rigid.
• While Hitchens raised concerns about hygiene and medical standards in MoC homes, independent journalists and investigators found no malice or agenda — rather, a lack of resources and medical training.
• The facilities were not meant to be hospitals. They were hospices for the dying, offering dignity and basic care to people who were otherwise abandoned by families or hospitals.
• In her time, Kolkata had limited infrastructure for terminal care. Her model filled a massive gap in public health, especially for the most marginalized.

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3. Claim: She Misused Foreign Donations

The Theory:

Critics argue that Mother Teresa received millions in donations but did not use them to improve healthcare facilities or expand her operations transparently.

The Facts:

• The Missionaries of Charity maintain a vow of poverty, and the organization is audited annually in accordance with Indian laws for NGOs.
• The money was reportedly used across 130+ countries, supporting homes for leprosy patients, orphans, AIDS patients, and the elderly.
• Indian government agencies, including the Income Tax Department and Home Ministry, have not found financial misappropriation in public audits of MoC.
• The organization does not hoard money; funds are deployed modestly to maintain a frugal model of service.

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4. Claim: She Was Involved in Child Trafficking

The Theory:

One of the most inflammatory conspiracy theories accuses Mother Teresa’s order of engaging in illegal adoptions or child trafficking.

The Facts:

• The 2018 adoption controversy involving Missionaries of Charity in Jharkhand involved two individuals, not the organization as a whole. MoC immediately distanced itself from the employees involved and cooperated with police.
• The case was used politically to attack Christian charities in India, but no link to Mother Teresa or her leadership was ever established.
• The MoC ceased all adoptions in 2015, citing bureaucratic red tape and ideological differences with India’s changing adoption laws, particularly those that mandated non-discrimination toward single or divorced individuals.

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Why These Myths Persist

• Religious Polarization: In a climate of rising Hindu nationalism, Christian missionaries are often painted as a threat to Indian culture, regardless of their actual activities.
• Political Rhetoric: Politicians like Yogi Adityanath and Subramanian Swamy have made public remarks alleging conversion motives, lending legitimacy to fringe theories.
• Social Media Echo Chambers: WhatsApp forwards and YouTube videos from pseudo-historical influencers often repeat the same falsehoods without citations.
• Western Critiques Misused: Valid criticisms from Western writers like Hitchens have been selectively misquoted or decontextualized by Indian right-wing groups.

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Conclusion: A Legacy Larger Than Rumors

Mother Teresa’s legacy, like that of any global religious figure, is not without complexity. But most of the conspiracy theories that surround her are based on ideological discomfort with her faith, not evidence of wrongdoing. Her life’s work — serving the dying, lepers, orphans, and abandoned — filled a vacuum left by the state and society.

Criticism is healthy. But distortion is dangerous. It’s time we examine her legacy with clarity, not conspiracy.

How Western Far-Right Conspiracy Theories Have Infiltrated the Indian Right Wing

 

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How Western Far-Right Conspiracy Theories Have Infiltrated the Indian Right Wing

In the past decade, the Indian right wing has undergone a significant ideological shift, increasingly absorbing conspiracy theories and narratives that originated in the far-right ecosystems of the West — particularly the United States. While these theories often begin in fringe spaces like QAnon forums, right-wing YouTube channels, or Telegram groups abroad, they’ve found new life in India, adapted to local cultural and political contexts.

Here are some of the most notable Western conspiracy theories that have taken root in Indian right-wing discourse:

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1. Bill Gates — Vaccines and Population Control

The conspiracy theory that Bill Gates is using vaccines to control or reduce the global population has been a staple of American far-right rhetoric. In India, this theory has found fertile ground, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gates’ philanthropic efforts in India — whether in polio eradication, Aadhaar infrastructure, or agriculture — have been recast by Indian conspiracy theorists as covert attempts to experiment on or surveil the Indian population. Right-wing WhatsApp forwards and influencers paint him as a symbol of Western tech overreach and neocolonial control.

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2. George Soros — The Global Puppet Master

In the global far-right imagination, George Soros is the ultimate bogeyman — a billionaire orchestrating liberal revolutions from behind the scenes. This narrative has been enthusiastically adopted by Indian right-wing circles.

When Soros publicly criticized the Modi government and expressed support for “open societies,” Indian right-wing influencers and politicians went into overdrive, accusing him of funding anti-national media, anti-CAA protests, and civil society groups aimed at destabilizing India. Soros has since become shorthand in India for “foreign-funded interference.”

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3. Mother Teresa — A Saint or a Conversion Agent?

Mother Teresa is revered around the world for her humanitarian work, but in sections of the Indian right wing, she is viewed with deep suspicion. A recurring theory is that her missionary work was actually a front for mass conversions to Christianity and, in more extreme versions, child trafficking.

These claims, though widely debunked, have been repeated by politicians like Yogi Adityanath and amplified on social media. This mirrors older colonial anxieties and aligns with global right-wing skepticism of religious charities and NGOs.

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4. Deep State and the “Tukde Tukde Gang”

While the American far right talks about a “deep state” sabotaging Donald Trump, the Indian right has its own version: the “Tukde Tukde Gang.”

This label is used to describe an imagined anti-national coalition of leftists, secular intellectuals, human rights activists, and journalists. From JNU to Bollywood, this supposed cabal is accused of conspiring against India’s unity and sovereignty — similar to how American right-wingers talk about universities, Hollywood, and the media.

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5. Climate NGOs and the Anti-Development Agenda

Some segments of the Indian right have begun embracing Western-style climate change skepticism. Global environmental NGOs are accused of trying to halt India’s development by weaponizing environmental concerns.

The narrative goes that these organizations, often funded by foreign donors, are stalling infrastructure projects, mining, and industrial growth in tribal and rural areas — not to protect nature, but to keep India poor and dependent.

This aligns closely with conspiracy theories pushed by Western oil-funded think tanks that label climate activism as a covert anti-growth agenda.

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Final Thoughts

These conspiracy theories are not just fringe ideas anymore — they are shaping policy debates, media narratives, and public perception. As global digital ecosystems converge, it’s becoming harder to draw clear lines between what’s “imported” and what’s “homegrown.” But understanding where these ideas come from — and how they morph in the Indian context — is crucial to confronting them.

If India’s right-wing discourse is being shaped by American paranoia, it’s worth asking: Whose vision of nationalism are we really following?