Even as the controversy over ‘ghar vapsi’ is raging,
around 200 persons, mostly Christians, have been brought back to the
Hindu fold during the past few days by the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in
Kerala.
Indications are that a large number of
people would be brought back to the Hindu fold on Christmas Day, though
VHP sources said that no major events had been specially planned for the
day.
Sources close to the developments indicated
that preparations were under way for re-converting close to 300 persons
on the day at different centres, including Ernakulam and Idukki
districts.
Leaders of the Kerala unit of the
organisation said the re-conversion drive would go full-throttle in the
coming days and there were no directions from the national leadership to
put the campaign on hold.
While 80 per cent of the
re-conversions were from Christianity, a few incidents of Muslims
returning to the Hindu faith had also taken place. People who were
converted from Ezhava, and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
communities to Christianity had been mostly returning recently. Muslims
too had returned at functions held at some parts of Thiruvananthapuram
and Kozhikode, sources said.
Dharm Prasar, the VHP
organ focusing on re-conversion, is planning to bring back 250 families
by the year-end. Around 80 families have already returned to Hinduism at
regional events held at Thodupuzha, Mavelikara, Kollam, Kasaragod,
Thrissur, and Ernakulam. The events were being planned as low-key
affairs considering the likely resistance that may come up against
re-conversions, sources said.
VHP Kshetriya
Sanghatana secretary K.N. Venkiteswaran, when asked about the plans for
mass conversion programmes on Christmas, said if people came forward to
return to Hinduism on that day, the homecoming would be arranged.
The
VHP leader, who claimed that the drive had received overwhelming
response, said the organisation would facilitate people returning to
their original faith.
The helpline run by the VHP had been receiving close to 200 calls a day seeking support to return to Hinduism, he said.
The
re-conversion drive, an ongoing process, would continue in the coming
days and those willing to return to “Swadharma” would be given all
protection and guarded against any social discrimination, VHP leaders
said. Annually, around 2,000 people had been coming back over the years.
Fear factor was holding back Muslims from coming back to Hinduism, he
said.
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