Uttarakhand cabinet approves draft bill to make forced religious conversions a non-bailable offence

The Uttarakhand state cabinet has approved the draft bill called ‘Dharm Swatantrata Adhiniyam’ under which forced and illegal conversions will be a non-bailable offence. The state government is aiming to curb the incidences of religious conversions by means of force, bribes or incentives and duping. Under this bill, a person, if caught with being involved in such practice will have to face a jail term from one year to five years. The minimum jail term will be two years if the victims belong to SC or ST category.

According to reports, if a person wants to convert voluntarily, he/she will have to submit an affidavit with the respective District Magistrate one month prior, in order to clarify that the conversion is voluntary and not forced.

Any conversions, if found not to have followed the above will be invalidated and considered illegal by the government. If a person wants to convert for the purpose of marriage, he/she will also have to submit the same affidavit.

The Trivendra Singh Rawat led state cabinet convened for four hours
on different issues on Monday in the state assembly. Under this bill,
even organised events for religious conversions will be illegal if not
notified to the government one month prior.

The government’s decision is in line with the order of the Uttarakhand High Court in November last year when the bench headed by Justice Rajiv Sharma had suggested that the state government should formulate the Freedom of Religion Act to check the practice of religious conversion for the sole purpose of facilitating a marriage. The HC had asked the state government to legislate a law on the analogy of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 1968 and the Himachal Freedom of religion act
2006.

A bench headed by Justice Rajiv Sharma had said, “It needs to be mentioned that the court has come across a number of cases where inter-religion marriages are being organised.

However, in few instances, the conversion from one religion to another religion is a sham conversion only to facilitate the process of
marriage. In order to curb this tendency, the state government is
expected to legislate the Freedom of Religion Act on the analogy of
Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968 as well as Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2006, without hurting the religious sentiments of citizens.”

Under the bill, the immediate family members of the concerned person who has been converted can register a case.

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Church calls for Jharkhand CM's ouster

New Delhi, Sept. 13: The apex body of Roman Catholic Christians in India today appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "curb the spread of hatred by CM Raghubar Das" a month after the Jharkhand government passed a bill restricting religious conversions on August 12.

In his strongly worded letter, Catholic Bishops Council of India (CBCI) secretary-general Theodore Mascarenhas said he was compelled to write to Modi as he was disturbed over the politics of hate unleashed in Jharkhand.

Mascarenhas said Modi had personally campaigned before elections in Jharkhand in 2014 on the inclusive plank of sab ka saath, sab ka vikas that "made Raghubar Das the chief minister of the state", but Das had begun "vitriolic attacks against the Christian community".

"If the chief minister is unable to control his ideological hatred, then it is time for him to go," he said.

Calling last week's effigy burning of Ranchi archbishop Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo by Hindu Jagran Manch his trigger for the letter today, Mascarenhas expressed apprehension that this hatred being spread against Christians could soon "turn into physical violence".

He reminded the Prime Minister that the whole nation "applauded" him when on Independence Day this year he said violence couldn't be allowed in the name of faith.

"Mr Raghubar Das and his advisors at least in the past few months have not shown affiliation to the ideology you are proclaiming. I appeal to you, honourable Prime Minister, with trust and hope to intervene and curb the spread of hate created by the chief minister of Jharkhand. Jharkhandis and Jharkhand deserves better," the senior cleric said.

Referring to full-page government advertisements released in papers a month ago before the anti-conversion bill - which hands out stiff prison terms and cash penalty to organisations and individuals forcing conversions - was passed by the state Assembly, Mascarenhas said it contained "a spurious quote of Mahatma Gandhi without naming the source to vilify the Christian community".

Calling it a first for any chief minister, the cleric said the state government ad accused Christian missionaries of converting poor Dalits and tribals who are described as "simple and mute as cows", and sarcastically asked if the Das government had come into power with votes from these simple creatures. The ad, in Hindi, also called Christian adivasis "rice Christians", he said.

The senior cleric wrote that the church had not responded to the provocations of the chief minister not because it was afraid or weak.

"We are not speaking about ourselves, we are speaking about the people of Jharkhand," he said, wondering why so much money was spent on full-page ads sowing hate when healthcare for children in the state lay in a shambles.

Mascarenhas also questioned if there was any hidden logic behind Jharkhand's new land acquisition amendment bill that was passed with the religion bill on the same day "in record time, practically without discussion".

"One wonders if the hatred-filled advertisement and the Freedom of Religion Bill were smokescreens for the real act of the amendment to land acquisition Act. Is there something more than meets the eye, especially since the governor had earlier refused to sign amendments to the CNT and SPT Acts," he asked.

Jharkhand is the eighth Indian state to pass a bill to restrict the conversion of a citizen's religion.

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Why Jharkhand’s anti-conversion bill is against Constitution and not necessary

It is a difficult time to be a part of the minority community in India today with threats of various sorts coming from different quarters. But a new assault on them is the approval by the Jharkhand Cabinet of a stringent anti-conversion law, titled in characteristic double-speak, as the Religious Freedom Bill, 2017. It contains stiff jail sentences and fines for converting people through “allurement” or “coercion”. 

A day before this Cabinet decision, residents of Jharkhand awoke to front-page advertisements with pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, and a toxic quote attributed to him attacking conversions by Christian missionaries. As a columnist wrote in an online publication, the words were pulled out of context and distorted. Gandhi must not be appropriated by an ideology that is violently opposed to all he stood far: An India with full religious freedom and equal rights. And it is intensely worrying that taxpayers’ money is used to foment hatred against a segment of people of the state.

Christians constitute a small 4.3% of the population of Jharkhand. The same tribal family may have adherents of the animist Sarna faith (comprising nearly 13% of the population), Christians and persons who identify themselves as Hindus. Left to themselves, tribal families and communities live with peace with this diversity of faith practices. But the propaganda of the Right-wing, now backed by the state government, aggravated by the draconian anti-conversion law, will tear apart these families and communities. 

The proposed anti-conversion law in Jharkhand has fostered enormous disquiet among Christians everywhere in India. The ultra Right-wing regards Islam and Christianity to be a “foreign” religion, and therefore requires its adherents to respect “Hindu” culture and practices. But to advance its political juggernaut objectives, it has built alliances with Christian community leaders in some parts of India, such as Kerala and north-eastern states. However, particularly in large tribal states of central India like Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the political strategy of choice has been to target, defame and intimidate Christians, with violence against their shrines, priests, nuns and women, and with laws that criminalise conversions to Christianity.

But it must be stressed that Jharkhand will not be the first government to pass an anti-conversion law if this is voted for by the state assembly. Anti-conversion laws were passed in Orissa in 1967 under a Swatantra Party government; in Madhya Pradesh in 1968 under the Samyukta Vidhayak Dal coalition (which included the Jan Sangh); and in Gujarat in 2003 and Chhattisgarh in 2006 under BJP governments. The Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu passed the law in 2002 but repealed it in two years after its passage in 2004. The only Congress government to pass such a law was in Himachal Pradesh in 2006. Rajasthan passed an anti-conversion law in 2006, but the governor refused to sign the law. Arunachal Pradesh passed such a law in 1978 under the People’s Party of Arunachal, but it was never enforced as rules have not been framed to date.

Members of the Constituent Assembly took great care to uphold the freedom of religious belief in India’s Constitution. After extended debate, it decided that this freedom should not just be to practise and profess one’s faith, but also to propagate it. KM Munshi declared that “under freedom of speech which the Constitution guarantees, it will be open to any religious community to persuade other people to join their faith”.

However, organisations like the RSS never reconciled to this fundamental guarantee of the Constitution. They rail against the “menace” of Christian conversions allegedly funded by big foreign money. It matters little that the facts don’t bear out their claims. Christians constituted 2.5% of India’s population in 1981, and 2.3% in 1991, 2001 and 2011. If large-scale conversions were indeed occurring, their numbers would have swelled. This sustained misinformation has resulted in profound and sometimes violent schisms between Christian and other tribal people.

In this divisive competition for the religious allegiance of India’s poorest and most vulnerable people, marked by stridency and hate, it is important to recall the gentle counsel of one of the world’s tallest public figures, the Dalai Lama: “It does not matter which God you worship, or even if you worship no God. What is important is to be a compassionate human being”.

Harsh Mander is author, Looking Away: Inequality, Prejudice and Indifference in New India

The views expressed are personal

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Hindu Extremists Beat Christian Pastor With Clubs, Leave Him Unconscious in Pool of Blood

A pastor in Madhya Pradesh state is recovering after Hindu extremists last month beat him unconscious and left him in a pool of blood, sources said.
About 20 Hindu extremists in Fattiguda, Jhabua on Sept. 10 kicked, punched and beat with a club pastor Ajmer Singh Damor of Shalom Church, after storming into a prayer meeting at the home of Tihiya Vasunia, church leaders said.
"Pastor Ajmer remained unconscious for about five hours, and the local doctors transferred him to the district hospital due to the severity of his injuries," area Christian leader Amiya Jal told Morning Star News. "He was treated in the hospital for more than a week."
Most of the Christians at the gathering scattered and escaped harm, but the Hindu extremists also abducted church member Dilu Katara and beat him before releasing him later that evening. Katara received hospital treatment for abrasions and internal injuries. The assailants also beat Pastor Damor's wife, Runita Damor, but she was able to flee with her 18-month-old baby, said the Rev. Sam Francis, an area Christian leader.
Yelling that all Christian worship meetings must cease, the assailants destroyed household items and slaughtered one of Vasunia's goats, church leaders said.
"They killed the goat of Vasunia that was tied outside as they continued to shout that no such prayer should take place in the village in future," Jal said. "It was a male goat worth about 6,000 rupees [US$92]. Vasunia is only a poor farmer, and he also lost most of his household items."

Police registered a First Information Report against the attackers after the intervention of area Christian leaders, but it does not include the damage to Vasunia's house and the killing of his goat, church leaders said.

Christians Attacked, Arrested
Christians in Madhya Pradesh have grown increasingly alarmed over recent violence and false charges against them.
Authorities in Barkhat village, Bagh block, Dhar, on Sept. 6 arrested 14 Christians after the village head, Chetan Singh, summoned a meeting and threatened to kill Pastor Dayal Davar of Gram Barkhat Church (GBC).
"At 9 a.m. on Sept. 5, the village head along with the Hindu extremists threatened to beat up Pastor Davar if he continued to conduct any kind of Christian meetings, told him that they will not allow him to stay in the village and threatened to kill him if he did not renounce Christ," GBC pastor Suresh Mandloi told Morning Star News.
Later that day at about 6 p.m., Pastor Davar and other area church leaders reported the matter to officers and sought police protection. Two hours later, police summoned Pastor Davar and ordered him to stop leading prayer meetings in the village; he was compelled to sign a paper stating that only he and his family would pray in his house.
The next day, however, before the pastor was able to notify the congregation not to gather forSunday worship, about 100 Christians arrived. Hindu extremists showed up and began beating the Christians.
"They beat up the congregation with their hands, clubs and footwear, including a woman, Sagar Bai, 50 years old, and tore up the clothes of one teenage girl, Bhawanti, and claimed that no Christian meetings should take place in the area," Pastor Mandloi said.
Officers took 14 Christians to the Tanda police station, including an 11-year-old boy who was later released without charges. The other 13 were charged under Section 151 of the Indian Penal Code for disturbing the peace.
The Christians also submitted a complaint against the attackers, but police have not filed First Information Report against them.
On the same day (Sept. 6) in Kesla Kala village, Seoni, police arrested Christians Sunny Oman and John Alexander after a villager filed a police complaint against them of forceful conversion.
"Oman and Alexander were visiting a friend in Kesla Kala when a mob surrounded them and took them to the police station and falsely accused them of forceful conversion," area church leader Rev. Jaykar Christy told Morning Star News. "The two were just visiting the village on the invitation of Chand Gedam, and there was no case of forceful conversion."
The Christians were charged under the state's "anti-conversion" law, the so-called Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, which prohibits forcible or fraudulent conversion. They were released on bail later that evening.
The previous day in Amjhera, Dhar, police arrested Pastor Paras Bilwal and two Christians after a Hindu extremist mob harassed them for their faith in Christ.
"Pastor Bilwal and two Christians, Raju and Roop Singh, were visiting some church members in the Nankhodara area when the anti-Christian people manhandled them, threatened them with dire consequences if they visited the village again and filed a police complaint against them of forceful conversion," said the Rev. Paul Munia, an area church leader.
The Christians were arrested under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of others, and under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act. They were released on bail after four days.
Area church leaders said the Christians had engaged in no forceful conversion.

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Bill seeking anti-conversion law tabled in Maharashtra assembly

The Maharashtra assembly on Friday admitted a private member bill by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar, seeking an anti-conversion law in the state.

The bill was tabled amidst pandemonium by ruling party and Opposition members, exchanging allegations and slogans.

Bhatkhalkar, who moved the bill, said, "There are various states including Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat where such a law has been enacted and court rulings in such cases have said that the state is within its rights to make such laws.”

Bhatkhalkar said there were several places even in Maharashtra, where conversions were being carried out forcibly or by offering bribes and so it was essential for the state to enact an anti-conversion law. The bill calls for imprisonment and a penalty against those who convert forcibly. The amount of penalty and the term of the imprisonment had not been specified.

After Bhatkhalkar mooted the bill, fellow legislator and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) city chief Ashish Shelar moved a note of dissent. He said he does not think there are instances in the state where conversion is carried out forcibly.

The bill was, however, taken on record. The BJP, while in the Opposition, was keen on getting an anti-conversion law enacted.

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Christian groups allege forced conversions in Bathinda

BATHINDA: Christian organizations have taken a strong note of forcible attempts of conversions of their community members into Hindu fold. They have asked the Union and state government to look into such misadventure against the minorities and stop Hindu groups from forcing minorities to convert.

Nearly 50 pastors, representatives of United Christian Welfare Association (UCWA), Pastor Fellowship Association and Punjab Christian Movement assembled in Bathinda on Saturday and denounced the efforts of conversions in the name of 'ghar wapsi' by some Hindu outfits.

Christian representatives termed 'ghar wapsi' as a planned attack on the minorities. They alleged the Christian missionaries were being stopped from spreading their religion whereas preachers of other religions were indulging in such activities openly.

UCWA president George C Masih said, "We have never taken any such step which could be termed as anti-national. We are being seen as anti-national and allegations are levelled against us that we lure people to convert to Christianity, which is vague."

VHP'S Bathinda unit claims Sran expelled:

Division came to fore in the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Bathinda. Some VHP leaders of Bathinda assembled on Saturday and asserted that Sukhpal Sran, who claims to be state secretary of the organization, had been expelled. VHP Bathinda chief Sham Lal said Sran was not the state secretary as he had been expelled for not taking them into confidence for 'ghar wapsi (homecoming) programme, which proved to be a failure.

On the other hand, Sran claimed he was still the VHP state secretary and the district unit has no right to remove him. When contacted, VHP national secretary Khem Chand said, "Sran has not been expelled. The district unit has no right to remove a state office-bearer of VHP. Bathinda unit should restrain from indulging in such debate."

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VHP reconversions in Punjab a flop show

BATHINDA: Vishwa Hindu Parishad's much-hyped "ghar wapsi" function at Bathinda, aimed at bringing back Christians to the Hindu and Sikh fold, was a non-starter. With no member of the community turning up for the proposed conversions on Friday, the Hindu organisation put off the homecoming ceremony indefinitely.

The 'ghar wapsi' was on Thursday deferred by a day. The Hindu organization had been making efforts for the last many days for re-conversion of nearly 100 families.

"With only two families turning up for 'ghar wapsi', we have decided to defer it for an indefinite period. We are taking up the matter with our senior leadership, including central leader Khem Chand, for a new date," said VHP state secretary Sukhpal Sran. He alleged that the Akali leaders had asked the administration and police to foil conversion attempts due to strained SAD-BJP ties.

Sources said VHP activists made efforts to prevail upon some Christian families from Jangirana, Gobindpura, Raike and Naruana villages and Rampura Phul town, but none of them turned up. VHP also tried to rope in four pastors to convert Christians to Hinduism and Sikhism.

United Christian Welfare Front president George Masih alleged, "They are targeting not only Christians but Muslims also. A couple of Christian families had contacted me saying that they were being asked to convert but they had refused to do so." George said religious bodies must avoid the misadventure of forced conversions, and if someone wanted to embrace another faith, they had no objection to it.

Punjab cabinet minister Sikandar Singh Maluka denied that SAD-BJP ties had come in the way of conversions in Bathinda. He said, "There was no pressure against any family to convert or vice versa."

Bathinda senior superintendent of police Inder Mohan Singh said, "Police had no role in the conversion ceremony. We didn't put pressure on anyone to convert or not."

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Christians reject re-conversions in Bihar depite pressure

The much-hyped “ghar wapsi” event organised by the VHP proved to be a damp squib as none of the 42 converted Christian Manjhi families —who were provided adequate police security — turned up at the”purification” function on Monday.

Around 50 villagers, mostly OBC Yadavas who are already Hindus, attended the function that saw a havan amid chants of Vedic mantras and distribution of saffron scarfs and tulsi necklaces.

The VHP leaders, however, claimed some Christians attended the ghar wapsi event organised near Atiya village. Gaya BJP MP Hari Manjhi, who had visited the village on December 26 and was supposed to attend the function, stayed away because of “political reasons”.

VHP’s prant sanrakshak Uday Kumar Verma said the outfit would set up one-teacher school or ekal vidyalaya where the village students would also be taught about Hindu values.

The Gaya district administration, which had received complaints from some Manjhi families about the VHP leaders putting pressure on them to reconvert, had deployed adequate forces at Manjhi settlements and also succeeded in forcing the saffron outfit to organise the “ghar wapsi” at some distance from their houses to avoid clashes. The 42 converted families have altogether 198 members.

The police said it was only a complaint and there was no need to convert it into an FIR. A police picket has also been opened at the village.

Bodh Manjhi, Anil Manjhi and Vinod Manjhi, who represented the converted families before the local MP two days ago, stayed at their homes on Monday. Pastor Rajkishore’s family, who used to stay at village community hall, reportedly has left the area fearing backlash from Hindus.

One of the converts Vikram Manjhi said: “We are happy being Christians. We did not succumb to VHP pressure to reconvert. Once we have converted, there will be no looking back”.

Shivshanker Manjhi said the families were happy with “education and health services” being provided by missionaries. “For last three days, the VHP leaders had been after us for ghar wapsi. We told it to the police. We have nothing to do with the VHP function”, said Shivshanker, who spoke in broken English at times to make an impression. When asked about who provided handpumps, irate village women said it was “missionary, not the government”.

Those who took part in the “ghar wapsi” exposed the VHP’s claims on reconversion. Chandrika Yadav, a villager who attended the function, said: “I am very much a Hindu and attended havan because I did not find anything wrong with it. I am very much at home and where is question of ghar wapsi.” Though some Manjhis did attend the fumction, they were Hindus and from another area of the village.

As priests talked about importance of cow protection and Ganga cleanliness and chanted mantras invoking Hindu deities, a village youngster quipped: “Hindu ko hi Hindu bana rahe hai (they are converting Hindus to Hindus).”

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Tripura CM speaks out against RSS's forceful conversions

Agartala, Dec 29: Tripura's Left Front government would not tolerate any forceful religious conversions and would take strict action against any such move, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said Monday.

"The government would not tolerate any kind of forceful religious conversions in the state. We would take strict legal and administrative actions against forceful conversions," Sarkar said at a public meeting in Dhali district.

 

He said: "Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Jains are living together for decades in Tripura and there is absolutely no problems. The situation would continue in future too without any difficulties."

Sarkar, a politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, said if anyone was trying to upset the communal harmony in the state, the government would deal this with all out efforts. "Religion is an individual affair and right. But the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) chief Mohan Bhagwat said that if anyone wants to live in India, he should live as a Hindu," Sarkar said, adding this was "dangerous".

 

The chief minister said: "I have read Quran, Gita, Bible and Tripitok, nowhere told anything against each other, neither said about forceful conversions. The RSS and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) are trying forceful conversion."

"In the villages of Uttar Pradesh, people are being converted without their knowledge." Sarkar said when the opposition parties in parliament asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give statement about the "forceful" religious conversions in different parts of the country, Modi kept mum and indirectly supported the move.

 

The CPI-M leader asked the people to agitate against both the religious and economic attacks of the BJP-led central government. Ahead of four-day CPI-M's 21st state conference scheduled Feb 25-28t here, Sarkar has been attending divisional committee conferences and addressing the public gathering, especially in tribal dominated areas.

The politically important election to Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) is also scheduled mid next year. Various tribal parties ahead of the TTAADC polls have been raising various sensitive demands, including creation of a separate state curving out of the autonomous district council areas.

 

According to BJP's Tripura unit president Sudhindra Dasgupta, around 13 percent of the tribals, traditionally Hindu believers, have been converted into Christian over past decade. Tribals constitute a third of Tripura's 3.7 million people.(IANS) 

 

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A Community Under Attack? - Article by Outlook Magazine

A Sangh supporter flies a saffron flag atop a vandalised church in Muniguda, Orissa

christians & conversion

The Christian community is in mortal fear as the Sangh parivar steps up attacks over ‘conversions’

A Community  Under Attack?
Incidents involving Christians since April ’14

• Churches Vandalised
  Incidents of arson, stone-pelting, vandalism reported from Delhi; Bhilai, Durg (Jharkhand); Udupi, Chitradurga (Karnataka); Thrissur (Kerala); Jagdalpur, Mahasamund, (Chhattisgarh); Jaunpur, Bulandshahar, Aligarh (UP); Karur (TN); Mandla (MP).
• Pastors Attacked
  Reports of arrest/harassment by police from Dewas, Katni, Indore, Bhopal, Alipur (MP); Chitradurga, Karwar, (Karnataka); Tirunelveli (TN); Jashpur (Chhattisgarh); Mednipur (West Bengal); Patna (Bihar); Faizabad (UP)
• Diktat On Missionary Schools
  Union HRD minister announces essay competition on December 25 (dubbed “good governance day”), backtracks after protests. Schools in Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) asked to instal Saraswati statues, diktat to call principals ‘pracharya’ not ‘Rev Father’.
• Sunday Service, Carols Disrupted; Christians Banned
  Reports from Jaunpur and Agra (UP); Malappuram (Kerala); Bastar (Chhattisgarh). Entry of Christians ‘banned’ in 50 villages in Bastar (Chhattisgarh).
• Dalit Christians
  In a reply in the RS, government ruled out reservations to Christian and Muslim Dalits
• ‘Forcible Conversion’ Cases
  500 cases in MP alone in three months; incidents from Davangere (Karnataka); Satna (MP); Greater Noida (UP); reconversion of Christians reported in Bastar (Chhattisgarh).
• Refusal To Supply PDS
  Complaint of inadequate supplies to 52 Christian families for two months in Sirisguda, Chhattisgarh, June 2014

***

On the last day of November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a visit to Nagaland when he received a memorandum from church leaders seeking his intervention to put an end to the renewed attacks on Christians reported from across the country. In what seemed to be an act of defiance, the very next day the altar at the St Sebastian’s Church in the national capital was burnt to cinders. And no, it wasn’t a short circuit that did it. The incident triggered outrage and several thousand Christians gheraoed the Delhi police headquarters the next day to protest.
The brutal 1998 burning of Australian missionary Graham Staines under A.B. Vajpayee’s watch has faded into the rec­esses of the country’s short public memory. But in the year of the lord 2014, the installation of the Modi sarkar appears to have instantly galvanised sec­tions of the Sangh parivar into a sort of frenzy. Emboldened by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s pronouncement that all Muslims and Christians were basically Hindus, Union ministers and BJP MPs have been vying to outdo each other with outrageous statements dir­ected at the community.
The unkindest cut came from the PM’s close aide, HRD minister Smriti Irani, in the 50th week of the year: a completely unnecessary controversy over keeping schools and offices open on Christmas day and observing December 25 as ‘Good Governance Day’, the stars of the day apparently being Hindu Mahasabha leader Madan Mohan Malviya and Vajpayee, not Jesus Christ. Christians should feel happy, suggested a BJP spokesman on television, that the day has been chosen to highlight good governance.
As the Christian world celebrates a season of cheer, here in India activists estimate there have been as many as 71 incidents of attacks, arrests, arson, dam­age, disruptions, burglaries, landgrabs involving the peaceable community in just the first 200 days of Modi’s regime (see graphic). The icing on the cake came from RSS affiliates who tom-tommed plans to reconvert Christians on Chri­stmas at Aligarh and Meerut and hold up Parliament. Meanwhile, even as we go to press a pastor and 15 of his congregation from Banjara Bap­t­ist church in Hyderbad were beaten up by Sangh workers as they were singing Christmas carols.
“What next?” asks P.C. George, Con­g­ress chief whip in Kerala and a pre-ele­ction supporter of Modi. “Yes, I was an admirer of Modi’s development plans but what we now see is that it has been cast aside for this kind of divisive politics. What are they going to do next? We hear in the Northeast poor Muslim migrants coming across the border from Bangladesh have been asked to convert to Hinduism if they want to stay in India. This is plain cruel, a violation of human rights.” George still hasn’t given up on Modi, saying he’s probably being made the sacrificial lamb and it’s the RSS and Sangh parivar who are out to destroy the secular fabric of the country.

 
Forces deployed at Kalvari church in Ludhiana after Shiv Sena attack, Dec 11, 2014. (Photograph by Prabhjot Singh Gill)

 
Father Paul Thelakat, spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar church in Kerala, says, “Christians are fearful and anxious all over India as the BJP government attempts to suppress the rights of minorities. There has been compulsion to instal images of Goddess Saraswati in some Christian schools, to suppress Santa Claus for Christmas and to force Christians into Hinduism in many places in the country. At the World Hindu Congress 2014, they declared the biggest threats to Hindutva as Macaulayism, Missionaries, Mater­ial­ism, Marxism and Muslims (described as the Malicious 5),” he recalls.

“Anti-national forces are engaged in religious conversion. But we won’t allow it. The country needs a uniform anti-conversion law.”Brijmohan Agarwal, Chhattisgarh minister, BJP

Admittedly, some of these incidents have occurred in non-BJP-ruled states too and it would be a mistake to extrapolate them into a national phenomenon. Still, there is no denying that a growing mass of lumpen elements are enjoying the warm sunshine the Modi governm­ent provides by virtue of being a “maj­o­rity government”. Christian eva­n­g­elists, pastors and priests have increasingly come under attack. Even the national capital isn’t safe as Joby Thomas (name changed) found out in September. A prayer meeting was being held when some miscreants arrived and demanded that they cease and disperse. Most of the people dispersed but when the police came, they arrested some of the Christians and took them to the station. Joby and a few others followed to help those taken into custody. At the station compound, a crowd had assembled by then with even a TV crew in attendance. While they were walking to the station, someone called him from behind and asked if he belonged to the arrested group. When he said yes, he got a tight slap on his left ear. “I was literally seeing stars,” says Joby. With the situation volatile, he and his friends ran into the police station. Joby though was thoroughly beaten up. The police put the 12-13 of them also in the lock-up even as the mob outside bayed for their blood. The policemen even advised them to stand close to the wall so that they could not be seen from outside. Later, after the mob had dispersed, a police officer jokingly mentioned that “you were arrested pre­c­isely for singing and praying”.
Kirti Ratnam, a well-to-do Christian homemaker in Delhi who’s married to a Hindu, says that while she herself has not faced any discrimination, on almost every visit to the church she and others in the congregation hear requests to pray for someone or the other who has been attacked or abused. “I feel upset and angry at not being able to voice my outrage even in social media lest I jeopardise the safety of my family,” she exclaims.

    

Christians protest the church arson attack in Delhi with a candle-light vigil, Dec 7, 2014

That said, she’s lucky, she and other affluent Christians do not have to bear the brunt of the attacks taking place in large parts of the countryside. That has followed a familiar pattern, as descri­bed by Father Anand, national president of the Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh. “We are being harassed, and our activities are being curbed. Nowadays, the police feel free to raid any Christian congregation, claiming conversions are being done there,” he says. Fr Anand says, and not without a tinge of sarcasm, that while BJP leaders are keen to get their wards admitted to missionary schools in cities, they were allergic to missionaries working in rural and tribal areas.
What’s surprising is also the muted response from political parties in the opposition. Says Rev Abraham Mar Poulos, chairperson of the socio-political commission of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church, “No one’s talking. We had great expectations from the BJP government but some of the comments of the Sangh parivar and certain individuals in the BJP have brought us much grief. The recent incidents will be the real test of the PM.”
As in Vajpayee’s 1998, at the heart of the blowback against Christians is conversion, the belief that Christian missionaries are converting large masses of Indians, especially in the tribal areas, to Christianity. And this despite the fact—borne out by the 2011 census—that after 2000 years of Christianity in India, the population of Christians constitutes only 2.3 per cent of India’s 1.25 billion.
Right-wing Hindus, especially of the net-savvy kind, do not see the irony in Hindu evangelists converting people in western countries to Hinduism. Says Rev Pratheesh Joseph of the Salem Church in Kochi, “The number of foreigners flocking to the neo-Hinduism centres of Mata Amritanandamayi and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and converting to Hinduism goes unnoticed. There are hundreds of centres of these religious leaders in the West. But no Christian is worried about this kind of conversion.” 
Contrary to the belief in the media and among people, anti-conversion laws enacted by several state legislatures are not yet ‘laws of the land’, having yet to receive assent from the respective governors (including in states ruled by the BJP for long). The legislations have also been challenged in court and the final word is still awaited. But the fact is, the police in these states have been taking action under these ‘laws’, instituting cases against Christian pastors, even putting many of them behind bars. Some instances:

• In Chhattisgarh, official records reveal that over 700 complaints have been registered under the Act in police stations in the last eight years. Preliminary inquiries led to 270 cases filed by the police. Over a hundred accused pastors were arrested but later enlarged on bail. Significantly, around 40 of them have since been acquitted by the courts, says Arun Pannalal of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum.
• In 2003, the Gujarat government pushed for the ‘Freedom of Religion Act’ which  mandated that if someone wanted to change his religion, he must necessarily seek the permission of the district collector. For the next five years, the state did not frame rules for the implementation of the law. They finally did so in 2008 and the constitutional validity of this law was challenged in the Gujarat High Court. The HC sent a notice to the state government but till today the latter has not responded to it, claims Father Cedric Prakash.
• The MP assembly amended the ‘Freedom of Religion Act’ in July last year without any debate. The amendment, which provides for stringent punishment, was pushed through despite the government’s past experience in 2006 when the amendment was sent to the President. A presidential reference was then sought from the solicitor-general and the governor refused to give his assent on the basis of opinion received.

The series of attacks against religious minorities has not gone unnoticed by western diplomats and observers either. However, the euphoria that Modi has created on reviving the Indian economy and opening up India as an attractive investment destination and market con­tinues to be the overriding factor for the West. Many western diplomats admit that for now India under Modi is being viewed solely through the prism of economics. “For the time being, everybody is just focusing and hoping for quick economic reforms in India,” says a western diplomat.

MP Dinesh Kashyap at a VHP Christian ‘ghar vapasi’ event in Bastar, Oct 2014. (Photograph by Suresh Rawal)

That said, many western countries have appointed ambassadors-at-large whose task is to collect information from different parts of the world on sensitive issues. Issues like religious persecution is top on their agenda. It may, therefore, not come as a surprise if in the coming days countries start raising this sensitive issue with the Indian government during discussions.
BJP sources say the prime minister has conveyed his displeasure over the activities of Sangh-affiliated organisations to Nagpur. Modi has also personally ticked off party MPs, asking them to exercise restraint. A message, sou­rces say, has also been sent out from the RSS leadership to its cadre to take it slow. But does that mean that the winter chill will see right-wingers burying their agendas? Highly placed sources say this is unlikely. Indeed, the reverse is possible with the saffron world stepping up propaganda through Goa-like conclaves and seminars.

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By Minu Ittyipe in Kochi, K.S. Shaini in Bhopal, Yashwant Dhote in Raipur and Mihir Srivastava in Delhi with Dola Mitra in Calcutta, Pranay Sharma in Delhi and Prarthna Gahilote in Mumbai)

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MHA getting ready to clear the Chhattisgarh anti-conversion bill, says, examining it

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is still examining the controversial anti-conversion Bill passed by the Chhattisgarh Assembly in 2006. The Dharma Swatantraya Adhiniyam Act, 2006, brought by BJP’s Raman Singh government in the state says the return of a person to his ancestor’s religion or own original religion shall not be construed as “conversion.”

The Bill also says that a district magistrate will have to be intimated 30 days prior to the conversion and he will be the final authority on the subject.

When the Bill was passed by the state Assembly in 2006, it drew sharp criticism from the opposition parties and several Christian bodies, which opposed it saying organisation involved in philanthropic activities will be deliberately targeted by the state government.

Former Chhattisgarh governors Lieutenant General Krishna Mohan Seth and ESL Narsimhan had refused to give an assent to the Bill. Narsimhan’s successor Shekhar Dutt, also appointed by the then UPA government, kept it hanging for three years after taking charge in 2010.

The Bill was finally sent by Chhattisgarh Governor’s office to the MHA for consultation. Officials said they were still awaiting response from Women and Child Development Ministry,ministries of culture, tribal affairs, minority affairs and law on the subject.

“The MHA is still examining the provisions of the Bill to check if it is at all in contravention with the Centre’s stand on it. We are legally examining it. However, considering that there has been a change of government at the Centre, the Bill could get clearance,” said a senior MHA official on condition of anonymity.

The previous UPA government had kept the Bill hanging and took no decision over it. The Bill says that anybody found guilty of contravening the district magistrate’s decision is liable to imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of up to Rs 20,000. It also says that violation of the provisions is a cognizable offence.

Why his govt Bill is controversial

Return of a person to one’s ancestor’s religion or own original religion shall not be construed as ‘conversion’.

DM will be the final authority on the subject and anybody guilty of contravening the DM’s decision is liable to imprisonment for up to 3 years.

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MP police book Christian convention organiser under anti-conversion law

A week after insisting that there was no evidence of conversion, forced or otherwise, the Ratlam Police has booked the organiser of a Pentecostal convention under the state’s anti-conversion law.

The convention, organised by the Indian Pentecostal Church of God and the United Christian Council (UCC) on December 12, at Ratlam was attended by ailing tribals from nearby areas who were promised free treatment.

Alleging that the organisers had promised the tribals jobs and money to convert them to Christianity, activists of Hindu Jagaran Manch informed the authorities and brought the convention to a halt.

Station Road Police Station in-charge Rajesh Chouhan told The Sunday Express that Jose Matthew of UCC and others had been booked after preliminary investigation and after recording statements of some tribals who attended the convention.

However, he said no one has been arrested so far. The police have booked Matthew, a resident of Bajrang Nagar, under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968.

The police were initially reluctant to register a case but the right-wing organisation threatened to stage protests if the police failed to act. The organisers had denied the allegations about conversion claiming that it was a spiritual event.

Ratlam-based RSS leader Dr Ratnadeep Nigam, who is Prachar Pramukh of Ujjain Vibhag, alleged that the police were acting under pressure from missionaries and had tried to dismiss the case but were forced to act after “honest statements by tribals” and solid evidence.

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Coverage from NDTV

Ratlam:  The police in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam on Saturday booked Josh Mathew, Secretary of the United Christian Council, for allegedly luring local tribals to convert to Christianity.

On December 12, the Indian Penticoastal Church of God, along with the United Christian Council, had reportedly organised a spiritual programme. Members of various tribal groups from interior parts of Ratlam were reportedly brought to the event.

Members of some right-wing groups, who reportedly reached the venue after they got to know of the programme, alleged that the organisers of the event were trying to lure the tribals to convert to Christianity with promises of miracle cure and jobs.

The police identified one Josh Mathew, who was allegedly part of the group.

"A case has been registered under the Freedom of Religion Act, Sections 3,4 and 5. We had received a complaint about an attempt to lure tribals to convert to Christianity. We have booked the organiser in the case and are trying to identify the other members who were part of the organising team. As soon as they are identified, we will book them and arrest them," Superintendent of Police, Ratlam, Dr Ashish told NDTV.

Josh Mathew, secretary of the United Christian Council, told media personnel," During the festive season, we organise such spiritual programmes. That was just a spiritual upliftment programme. I do not have information about how the tribals came to the event. In such programmes, we just conduct prayers. We do not guarantee a miracle cure to anyone."

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Christians forcibly converted into HInduism by VHP in Bihar

Three of the dozen Hindus who converted to Christianity in two Bihar villages have returned to the Hindu fold after they were threatened with a social boycott, an official said Thursday.

Nearly a dozen poor Hindus, including women, were converted to Christianity at Barohiya village and Gangaldeh villages in Bhagalpur district, 200 km from here, early this week.

“Three of those who converted to Christianity have returned to Hindu fold at a ‘ghar wapasi’ (returning home) ceremony by the VHP,” police official Durgesh Kumar said.

He has denied that villagers threatened those converted and said that the village is peaceful.

“Police have been closely monitoring the situation in the village and will not allow any one to create trouble,” he said.

But a villager, who did not want to be quoted, said that those converted to Christianity were given an ultimatum of social boycott by the villagers.

Rakesh Sinha, a local Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader, said the three were persuaded by a VHP team to return to Hindu fold.

Right-wing Hindu organisations have alleged that Christian missionaries allured them to convert by promising them money.

Sinha said the VHP, Bajrang Dal and the RSS will protest against Hindus being converted to Christianity by allurement.

A probe began Wednesday after Bhagalpur District Magistrate Virendra Prasad Yadav had ordered to look into the conversions.

According to villagers, those converted had been suffering from some health problems and were suggested to follow Christian practices as remedial measures, and hence they converted.

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Press Statement by the Delhi Archbishop over controversy regarding Christmas day

COMMUNICATION / INFORMATION BUREAU
DELHI CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE
9-10, BHAI VEER SINGH MARG
NEW DELHI-110001

PRESS RELEASE

DELHI ARCHBISHOP DEEPLY CONCERNED AND EXPRESSES HIS ANGUISH OVER GROWING CONTROVERSIES REGARDING CHRISTMAS DAY

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 15, 2014

Delhi Archbishop Anil J.T. Couto has expressed his deep concern and anguish at reports of asking CBSE affiliated schools to organize events and competitions on Christmas Day as to mark it as ‘Good Governance Day’ and the surrounding controversies on the same.

The Archbishop also strongly condemns the conversion drives planned by the Hindu groups on Christmas Day and said “it is a violation of Constitutional rights and guarantees to citizens of India such as the Freedom of Faith and the freedom of movement, expression and association”.

Dharam Jagran Samiti plans to convert 5000 Christians into Hinduism on Christmas Day. This move by the above group who are now greatly encouraged, is a grave assault on the fundamental rights of individuals. It is nothing but hate campaign against the Christian community and the Christian faith, the Archbishop said. In the past, large scale violence against the Christian community had been preceded by such hate campaigns.
 
“Christmas Day is a day to celebrate and pray for peace and harmony in the country and world at large”, the Archbishop said.
 
Archbishop Anil Couto called for an immediate end to such malicious hate campaigns and intervention of both the State and Central government in the matter.
 
The community reserves its right to take legal action and approach the courts for stopping these conversion drives and hate campaigns as they violate the fundamental rights of every citizen of this country as enshrined in the Constitution of India.

Issued By:
Fr. Savarimuthu Sankar
Spokesperson Delhi Catholic Archdiocese
frsankar@gmail.com
9968006616/9717906441

Christian event in Ratlam stopped on alleged charges of “conversion”

A Pentecostal convention in Ratlam came to an abrupt end Friday after a group of right-wing activists brought the administration and police to the venue after accusing the organisers of converting tribals by offering money and other allurements.

Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) activists alleged that illiterate tribals from Bajna and Sailana were brought to a venue on Power House Road in Ratlam town with a promise to cure their ailments and promised jobs and money.

Called Changai Sabha’, the meet was organised by the local body and addressed by preachers from Kerala and Bhopal. The HJM said the organisers had arranged for food and accommodation of the tribals and told the potential converts that only Christianity can ensure salvation, not their old religion.

CSP P S Ranawat told The Indian Express that no evidence about the alleged conversions, forced or otherwise, was found in the initial probe by the police. He said the police had spoken to a few tribals but none confirmed the allegation. He said the police could not take statements of the organisers because there was tension in the air.

After the police assured them of action, the Manch said its activists would wait till Saturday for a case to be registered against the organisers or decide the next course of action after the deadline was over.

Ranawat said between 100 and 150 tribals participated in the convention addressed by five preachers. When told about the deadline given by the HJM, the CSP chose not to speak about it.

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Bearing the cross of insecurity

Rising incidents of violence and harassment have the Christian community anxious about its rights

Vikram Verma, a Class XII student of a convent school in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, is worried about a 'whip' that has been issued instructing students to stop addressing the school principal as "father". Instead, they are supposed to call the Christian priest "sir", "pracharya" (Hindi for principal) or "up-pracharya". "I have always addressed the principal as 'father', how can I suddenly start calling him pracharya?" asks Verma (name changed). The instruction came after a written agreement between the Jagdalpur Catholic Diocese and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Following the agreement, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, the over two dozen Catholic schools that the diocese manages in the region will also have to put up photographs of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge.
Barely a week after this news, which was received by the Christian community with concern, St Sebastian's Church in East Delhi's Dilshad Garden was gutted in a fire. A special investigation team is now probing what the church alleges was arson. Already apprehensive, the community has been further alarmed by recent reports that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, plans to convert at least 4,000 Christian families, on Christmas no less, as part of what it terms as the ghar wapsi (returning home) programme to be held in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Yogi Adityanath will reportedly participate in the event that will be followed by similar events in Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Mathura, Ferozabad, Etah, Meerut, Mainpuri and Uttarakhand.
"After the attack on the church in Delhi particularly, people feel very alarmed," says P K Samantaroy, moderator of the Church of North India and bishop of the church's Diocese of Amritsar. The Church of North India is the biggest Protestant organisation with churches across India except in the southern states. "If this can happen in Delhi, it can happen anywhere." Incidents of attacks and coercion, the community believes, have been on the increase. Praveen Davar, a member of the National Commission for Minorities, says while he would not like to comment on the politics of it all, "We are equally concerned. A lot of incidents have come to our notice in the last few months." The commission has sought a "factual report" from the Uttar Pradesh government about the conversions that took place in Agra recently. "If we are not convinced with the report, we will send our fact-finding team," says Davar. He adds that more incidents are being reported from western Uttar Pradesh, "but that is also because western Uttar Pradesh borders Delhi and hence, the incidents come to our notice. Cases happening in remote areas of the country often go unreported." Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh have been other vulnerable areas. In September, for example, a church was set ablaze by some unidentified people in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district.
Denying that VHP or any Hindu organisation had a role in this, Surendra Singh, VHP's man in charge of Madhya Bharat, says, "We do not buy the idea of damaging even an unattended property, let alone a religious place. VHP believes in 'rashtra', that is 'country first'." He alleges that certain forces are trying to stonewall a "rashtrawadi" (nationalist) government through such propaganda. "I can firmly say that VHP and Bajrang Dal cannot undertake any task that will tarnish their image."
Intimidation tactics
Christians, meanwhile, say they are also being harassed with false cases. "In my own diocese, cases have been fabricated against church officials," says Samantaroy. Adds Anand Muttungal, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh: "In the last 100 days, as many as 500 cases have been registered against members of the Christian community for one reason or the other, particularly in the tribal belt of Barwani and Sendhwa in western Madhya Pradesh."
Such cases, says Makarand Deuskar, deputy inspector general of police, Jabalpur, are investigated under Section 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to hurting religious sentiments, and Section 153 (A), which deals with creating tension between communities. "We always try to allay the fears in the minority communities," he claims.
In Gujarat, there is anxiety that 'intelligence groups' are on the prowl gathering information about the activities of Christian organisations, some of which have also been directly asked to furnish details about their activities. "This is a well thought-out strategy to intimidate us," says Cedric Prakash, Ahmedabad-based Jesuit priest and human rights activist. "It is no coincidence that the incidents (in Uttar Pradesh) are taking place in December, close to Christmas," adds Samson Christian, national executive member and general secretary of the All India Christian Council. "We are being vigilant in Gujarat too."
If the need arises, the community will appeal to the state or the central government or even file a petition in the Supreme Court against actions that violate its right to practise and profess its beliefs. "We have faith that the judiciary will ensure miscreants do not disrupt law and order," says Christian.
A society polarised
In Uttar Pradesh, after the Delhi church was burnt, Christians held a silent protest march under the banner of UP Masihi Association (UPMA). The association has also sought appointments with the governor and the chief minister to seek security, says Rakesh Chattree, UPMA secretary and principal of Christ Church College, Lucknow. "Sporadic incidents of vandalism have also been occurring in the churches of some backward districts of Gonda, Basti and Bahraich," he says, adding that they are being targeted for alleged induced conversions. "We are against forced conversions," he says. As another member of the community wonders, if churches in India have been engaging in forced conversions, how is it that the Christian population has remained a low 2 per cent for so many years? (According to the 2011 Census of India, Christians account for 2.3 per cent of India's population). Chattree says while he is confident that the BJP leadership and RSS believed in peaceful coexistence, the local small-time leaders needed to be reined in.
The 4,000 Christian families identified for conversion in Aligarh belong to the Valmiki samaj, a Dalit sect of Hinduism. "The Valmiki samaj is the feet of the Hindu society. We are incomplete without them," said RSS regional pracharak Rajeshwar Singh in an interview to The Economic Times. And that is where the Hindu bodies intend to bring these poor people - back to the lowest strata of society, fumes P L Punia, chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. "Through these conversions, they will once again be reduced to a life of indignity where they won't even be allowed to enter the temples of the higher castes," he says.
By raising such hate issues, an attempt is being made to divide people, create an identity crisis and get every Hindu to start thinking like the Hindutva brigade, says Roop Rekha Verma, former vice-chancellor of Lucknow University who runs Saajhi Duniya that works for communal harmony in Uttar Pradesh.
Back in Bastar, a section of the Christian community feels that the agreement between the Catholic schools and VHP was made under duress. Arun Pannalal, general secretary of Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, fears the agreement will set a precedent and VHP will raise the same demands elsewhere. But, says VHP leader Suresh Yadav, "We raised some issues and the Christian community agreed without any reservation." The state authorities have decided not to interfere. "It is between VHP and the diocese. We have no role to play in it," says Brajesh Vajpayee, an education department official.
Meanwhile, there is a sense of insecurity in Odisha too. Conversion is a sticky issue in the state, says the pastor of a church in Bhubaneswar, requesting anonymity. The Odisha Freedom of Religion Act, which has existed for decades, lays down rules and procedures for a person to change his or her faith. "So no one can be converted forcibly or through allurement," reasons the pastor. But this argument is strongly contested. Says Ramakant Rath, state coordinator, Bajrang Dal, "While few have been officially converted under the Act, lakhs have been lured illegally into Christianity, particularly in the tribals areas through the offer of money, education or health services." He says in many cases, they have stopped such "conversion programmes, but in remote areas, where our organisation cannot reach, people sometimes take the law into their own hands, leading to violence, to vent their anger against conversion".
The Christians are looking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send out a strong message that will allay their fears. "Look at how the administrative machinery swung into action when the Prime Minister launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan," says Samantaroy. "The administration is bound to act on the Prime Minister's directive. But so far there has been no strong statement from him."

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RSS reconversion project

The late Dilip Singh Judeo, poster boy of the Bharatiya Janata Party for re-conversion of Christian tribals to Hinduism became the subject of a TV sting in 2003. He was shown taking a bribe, touching the wad of notes offered to his forehead saying, “Paisa khuda to nahin par khuda ki kasam khuda se kam bhi nahin (Money isn’t God. But by God, it’s no less than God).” Mr Judeo had spoken an essential truth for people suffering from acute economic deprivation, money indeed is no less than God.

The Hindutva activists, who so brazenly converted 57 families of poor migrant Muslims of Agra with the promise of Below the Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards and water supply to “return home” (ghar vapsi) to Hinduism are unlikely to be deterred by debates in Parliament.

The Dharam Jagran Samiti, an RSS body, is seeking donations for conversion Rs 5 lakh to convert a Muslim and Rs 1 lakh to convert a Christian to Hinduism. Its letter soliciting cash contributions claims that Christians and Muslims have become a “problem” for the country and says, “Bandhuwar (Friends), lots of money will be required in the ‘ghar vapsi’ because the work of conversion is increasing more workers and more people need to be covered.” In offering allurements for conversion how is it any different from the Christian proselytisers the RSS criticises?

Moreover, foreign funds for conversion are used just as Christian missionaries are said to do. The activities of the RSS in tribal areas have been funded by a US-based body, International Development Relief Fund (IDRF). According to the Campaign to Stop Funding Hate, also based in the US, 82 per cent of all IDRF funding goes to the RSS in India and 70 per cent of the monies are used for “Hinduisation/tribal/ education” work, aimed at spreading Hindutva ideology among tribals.

The main focus of the RSS had been the reconversion of Christians. Its prominent organisations which work among the tribals are: Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Ekal Vidyalaya, Sewa Bharati, Vivekananda Kendra, Bharat Kalyan Parishad and Friends of Tribal Society. Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Ekal Vidyalaya and Sewa Bharati have been implicated in the past in anti-Christian violence in Madhya Pradesh.

It might be recalled that the saffron terror accused Swami Aseemanand, currently inexplicably on bail, was associated with Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad (different from the Ashram), an affiliate of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, He organised forced conversion of Christian tribals in Gujarat besides plotting the Mecca Masjid bombing in Hyderabad. His organisation also received IDRF funds.

The re-conversion project of the RSS is not new. It believes that re-conversion would lead to, “national integration”. It also secures electoral gains to the BJP by increasing its influence in the tribal areas and by communally polarising the voters.

Conversion activities among Muslims have been around as well, especially in Rajasthan, but more low key and less publicised. Hindutva ideologues see Indian Muslims as fifth columnists and therefore the need to bring them back into the Hindutva fold.

The RSS formulation that India must be both “pitra-bhumi” (ancestral land) and “punya-bhumi” (holy land) makes Christians and Muslims special targets for conversion. They can never be truly Indian or “Hindu” for the RSS because the Christians have their Holy Land in Jerusalem and a large number looks to the Vatican for guidance, while the Muslims look towards Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Hence the re-conversion requires them to “confess” that their ancestors were Hindus and enables their return to the Hindu fold.

The new-found aggression of the RSS organisations in re-conversion is their understanding that under the Narendra Modi dispensation, their time for expansion has begun, which they refer to as “Vistaar ka samay” an expansion which is not only political but also social and cultural.

The political expansion of the BJP seems for the moment unstoppable. It has made deep inroads in some of the states where it was virtually non-existent. In West Bengal, the BJP is giving Mamata Banerjee sleepless nights. In Jammu and Kashmir, the party is set to make major electoral gains. It has also found toe-hold in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the BJP, having done exceptionally well in the Lok Sabha elections, is set to expand its electoral base further.

Those who make a distinction between the so-called “moderate” face of the BJP identified with its current undisputed leader Mr Modi and the frothing fringes in the Hindutva family, need to understand that the RSS deploys horses for courses. While elections are won by moderate voices, more extreme elements have also been rewarded with ministries in the government. They include Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, who referred to all non-BJP supporters as “illegitimate”, Giriraj Singh, who asked all opponents of Mr Modi to go to Pakistan and Sanjeev Baliyaan, who stands accused of communal riots in Muzaffarnagar. Only Yogi Adityanath with his allegations of a “love jihad” has not been accommodated as yet.

A flotilla of RSS organisations protects the mother ship the RSS and its Hindutva ideology. They are autonomous yet linked by a command structure of RSS functionaries, sent to keep them to the straight and narrow.

This structure allows some to indulge in re-conversion, some to foment communal violence, some to rewrite history and tinker with the education system and yet others to claim to provide good and inclusive governance.

It is part of the ideological expansion of Hindutva politics that we are witnessing in the banning of German from school curricula and making Sanskrit compulsory in some states and schools, providing a historical “date” for the Mahabharat war and demanding that the Bhagavad Gita be declared a national scripture.

The response to the RSS expansion has been tremendous, with everybody and his uncle trying to project some real or imaginary family connection to the RSS. Spearheading this expansion of Hindutva ideology are men who wear non-Vedic khaki short-pants and broad military style belts, borrowing their militaristic ideology from the Brown Shirts of Mussolini, clearly a product of Kalyug.

The writer is a journalist based in New Delhi

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BJP Lawmaker From Chhattisgarh Attends 'Conversion' Ceremony

Bastar, Chhattisgarh: Yogi Adityanath is not the only BJP parliamentarian to take a keen interest in conversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism. In October, BJP Lok Sabha MP Dinesh Kashyap presided over a ceremony that saw 33 Christian families being converted.

A cellphone video NDTV has accessed, shows Mr Kashyap not only attending the event - organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad - in Madhota village of Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, but also performing rituals. And he is unapologetic about it.

"Yes I attended and it was not a conversion ceremony but a reconversion ceremony. Those people were lured by Christians to convert and we welcomed them back. The ceremony that I attended was not like what happened in Agra. Here people voluntarily reconverted," said Mr Kashyap.

"In face of the vociferous Opposition attack in Parliament, the BJP has distanced itself from the conversions in Agra earlier this week. We are also committed to secularism. Law and order is a state subject and the state should act," BJP parliamentarian Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had said. But Yogi Adityanath has warned about a bigger programme in Aligarh to be held on December 25.

Mr Kashyap said religious conversions are still big problem in Bastar, his constituency, where tribals are either lured or forcefully converted to other religions. To check forceful conversions in state an anti-conversion law bill was passed. The Centre is considering a stricter law to stop forceful conversion and the Chhattisgarh government has welcomed it.

"If there are more provisions added to the anti-conversion bill it is good. I feel all parties in Lok Sabha will accept this. The stricter the law the better," chief minister Raman Singh had said on Saturday.

The central government, earlier this week, tried to turn the tables on the Opposition, reiterating a long-held Sangh Parivar view of a nation-wide law to stop conversions. The BJP now has put the ball in the court of other parties to decide the future path of the anti-conversion bill.

In Raipur, BJP president Amit Shah yesterday said, "Our parliamentary affairs minister put up the issue in Parliament and have appealed to all parties to come forward and discuss how to take the anti-conversion bill forward. Now it is for political parties to decide whether they want to do something about forceful conversions or not."

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RSS body seeks donations to fund Christmas ‘conversions’ in Aligarh

ALIGARH: Dharam Jagran Samiti, an RSS offshoot, has distributed pamphlets in Aligarh seeking donations for converting Christians and Muslims to Hinduism. The pamphlet says it costs Rs 2 lakh to convert a Christian and Rs 5 lakh to convert a Muslim. It has set December 25 as the date for a major conversion ceremony and put down an annual target of 2 lakh conversions — 1 lakh Muslims and 1 lakh Christians.
The pamphlets, carrying the letter head of the Dharam Jagran Samiti, pashchim chhetra (western UP, Braj prant, Meerut and Uttarakhand), have found their way to many houses in Aligarh. It proposes a fund for a grand "ghar vapsi" (homecoming) of Christians and Muslims, who are a "samasya" (problem) in the country.
The letter addresses recipients as "bandhuvar" (friends) and says: "Lots of money will be required in the 'ghar vapsi' because the work of conversion is increasing — more workers and more people to be covered. Please contribute money so that all arrangements are in place."

Asked why are Muslims and Christians a "samasya", Kanshinath Bansal, a key member of the Samiti, said, "Because Christianity is a samasya. Muslim (sic) is also a samasya. One worker needs that much money to work on a samasya every year."

This came even as Yogi Adityanath, the firebrand BJP MP from Gorakhpur, confirmed his visit on December 25 to Aligarh for an event that aims to convert 5,000 Muslims and 1,000 Christians at the local Maheshwari College.
Adityanath told TOI, "The administration and media have given it an exaggerated look. People are willingly converting themselves in 'ghar vapsi'. The event will happen as scheduled and I will be there."
He added, "When Hindus convert to Islam or to Christianity, nobody comes in for a check. Why is this being done when they want to convert back to Hinduism? There are many other issues that the administration and media should concentrate on rather than this. Muslims in Agra had also written a letter asking for a mandir. The situation went out of control because of the interference of media, administration and sundry religious leaders."

The district administration, already anxious, said it is not taking any chances. J Ravinder Goud, SSP Aligarh, said, "There is no question of giving permission for the 'ghar vapsi' that is being planned in Maheshwari College. The issue has already flared up. We are not allowing it and if in case there is a violation, we will deal with the situation accordingly."
Not long ago, the Hindu outfit had taken over a small church on the outskirts of Aligarh, replacing the cross with a Shiva picture. Then, too, it had conducted a 'ghar vapsi' for 72 Valmikis, all of them Christians.
Christian and Muslim groups reacted with anger and caution. Community leader Vincent Joel said, "Ever since the church incident in Asroi, Christians have been praying for the dawn of achche din, where the country is not divided on the basis of religion or caste. We are praying to the Lord to grant the perpetrators of such mischief some wisdom."

Members of the Muslim community hold a protest meeting in Agra against the "forceful conversions" of some families of the community into Hinduism in the city.
Muslim organizations Millat Bedari Muhim Committee and Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis condemned the "open and public call for conversion". Professor Razaullah Khan, president of both the outfits, said, "It is very disturbing to see how publicly they call for ghar vapsi. (UP) elections are slated for 2017 and now this gathering is being done to polarize society and divide votes. We should not let it happen."

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