மேற்கு வங்காளத்தில் பல கிறிஸ்துவர்கள் இந்துமதத்தை தழுவினர்

மேற்கு வங்காளத்தில் பல கிறிஸ்துவர்கள் இந்துமதத்தை தழுவினர்
வாழ்க வளமுடன்

VHP converts 19 Christians
11 Apr 2008, 0204 hrs IST,Subhro Maitra,TNN

MALDA: VHP has "brought back" 19 tribals to Hinduism at a ceremony on Thursday. The event, held at Bharat Sevashram Sangha's ashram at Tajpur, in Habibpur, kicks off a massive "reconversion" programme in the Adivasi belt, said senior VHP leaders.

The tribal belt of Malda-Dinajpur has seen many such reconversions by VHP and BJP in recent times. In August 2002, at this same place, six Christian families and one Muslim family were converted to Hinduism.

"We will intensify our programme to bring back people who had been lured into Christianity and Islam," said a VHP leader.

These 19 'reconverts' - including five women and five children of six families - hail from the backward tribal village of Bordanga. Swami Hiranmayananda was brought from Kolkata to conduct the 'purification' yajna in front of a crowd of hundreds, including local BJP leader Asit Sarkar and chief of Hindu Milan Mandir Swami Jibannanda.

The tribals were given new clothes, which they wore after taking a bath. Pulin Mardi, his wife Sanjini and son Tabi were the first to have converted from Christianity back to Hinduism.

"The Fathers and missionaries lured us with amenities. But we were duped. We realized this and decided to come back to Hinduism," said Pulin.

Hakim Tudu and Babulal Murmu, however, claimed they were Christians by birth as their father took to Christianity years ago. "It is our duty to rectify the mistake," the duo said. All the 19 got their affidavits from Malda court regarding the conversion.

Although VHP leaders kept mum on this issue, Sarkar found nothing wrong with the "reconversion". "Christian missionaries exploited the tribals' poverty and ignorance to convert them to Christianity. It was corrected today. There was no pressure on our part. Is there anything wrong in this?"

The administration, however, did not take any action saying. "There was no complaint of pressure, it was a voluntary," said an official.