HVK Archives: Christians seek security as ashram plans reconversion
Christians seek security as ashram plans reconversion - The Observer
Sanjay Sharma
()
February 13, 1999
Title: Christians seek security as ashram plans reconversion
Author: Sanjay Sharma
Publication: The Observer
Date: February 13, 1999
The Madhya Pradesh State administration is heading for an acid
test in the next few days with the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram
planning a 'mass reconversion drive' on February 14, and the
Christians preparing themselves for a five-day annual fair from
February 17.
Even as the situation is tense due to increasing attacks on
Christians all over the country allegedly at the behest of the
Hindutva forces, the ashram's efforts to re-convert about 2,000
people at Dindori in Mandla district will be an event to be
watched with interest.
The State Minorities Commission President, Mr Ibrahim Qureshi,
in a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, Mr Digvijay
Singh, demanded adequate security to village Betulpur in
Bilaspur district which would host the fair. Representatives and
priests of the community, also from abroad, would participate in
this fair.
The MP Christian Association wants that the State Government
should leave no stone unturned to ensure security to the
community, whose members have been receiving threat calls in
Bhopal also.
The Association favours an immediate ban on Bajrang Dal, Shiv
Sena and VHP, and has also urged for a commission headed by a
Supreme Court judge to look into the matter.
Besides adequate security to the Christian Community, it has
urged that all parties should rise above politics to stop the
recurrence of such Incidents and initiate measures in the
interest of the nation and the victim community.
While the Christian Association expressed grave concern over the
reconversion drive, the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, headed by the
BJP Rajya Sabha member, Mr Dilip Singh Judeo, has decided to
organise a mass reconversion drive at Dindori in Mandla district
under its famous 'Operation Ghar Vaapsi' campaign.
Eventhough the invitations issued do not have any mention about
reconversions under the programme termed 'Ekal Sammelan', the
Ashram sources in Bhopal have claimed that over 2,000 people are
going to be brought back to the Hindu fold on the occasion.
"It is an undeclared war against the missionaries who, like the
East India Company, were spreading their tentacles. They were
eager to gain majority and then rule the State. History
indicates that wherever Hindus were turned into minorities, that
portion of land has been cut off from the main national stream,"
Mr Judeo said.
During the first phase of the operation alone, ever 50,000
converted tribals came to the Hindu fold in April 1992 at the
Jashpur tehsil of Raigarh district. The second phase held in
October-November 1993 was also a success. Such new born tribals
after the third, fourth and fifth phase now number over 65,000,
claimed Ashram sources. The operation which began in Jashpur,
Bageecha and Tapkara earlier, gathered momentum in Western
Chhattisgarh and later in the entire Madhya Pradesh much before
the LS elections and this largely contributed to the victory of
the BJP.
Chhattisgarh, which spans seven districts, has a tribal
population of 60 lakh with 8.2 lakh - of which 2.2 lakh are
Christians - in Raigarh alone.
The maximum amount of foreign money pumped into MP goes to
Sarguja and Raigarh, with the result that out of a total
population of 2.50 lakh in Jashpur, 90,000 tribals were
converted Christians. As against the total population of 17
lakh of Raigarh, while the tribals are 48 per cent (eight lakh),
Christians are about 3 lakh.
Mr Judeo said, "These missionaries who get over Rs 5,000 crore a
year In white besides black money and things in kind from abroad
are responsible for the conversion of over 4.5 lakh Hindus and
till these missionaries do not declare 'No Conversions', the
fight with them will continue till it reaches a logical end."
The Jashpur tehsil of Raigarh district has been the centre of
activities of Christian missionaries. They also purchased land
from tribals in a big way at throw-away prices despite the Land
Revenue Code 70 (R) prohibiting purchase of tribal land by a
'non-tribal', the Ashram sources claimed.
While Kunkuri in Jashpur tehsil has the second largest church in
Asia, there are over 150 hospitals or dispensaries, 528 schools
and 122 other service centres, run by the missionaries in MP,
most of them located at Sarguja and Raigarh.
Out of a total of 11 missionaries working in Sarguja district,
six of them including Wostred (Belgium), J Soamers (Holland),
France Johan (Belgium), B E Getter (USA), Ms Shelly John Getter
(USA) and L D Rayate (Belgium) were served with expulsion
notices by the Central Government between July 1985 and December
1990.
It is learnt that the people present would also he apprised of
the report of the Justice Niyogi Commission constituted in 1954
to look into the activities of Christian Missionaries. The
report was prepared after considering the statements of 5,000
witnesses. Some RSS and VHP leaders are likely to participate
in the programme.
Though such an event is not being organised for the first time
by the Ashram, the administration is concerned over its
sensitivity due to its timing when tension Is already brewing
all over the country over the issue. The intelligence
department is reported to have submitted a detailed report to
the Home Ministry in this connection which in turn has directed
the district administration concerned to take full precautions.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Christian Association President,
Ms Indira Iyengar, said that for the past few years, Christian
missionaries and their educational, social and other
institutions were being targeted in a planned manner by these
communal outfits, who had become scared of the services rendered
by the missionaries.
Father Shah of the United Christian Fellowship said that he too
had been receiving threatening calls for the past few days. The
matter, according to the Association Secretary, had already been
brought to the knowledge of the state authorities including the
Secretary (Home). Mr Anil Martin said that missionaries all
over the state should be provided adequate security and
disruptive elements be dealt with strictly.
Refuting charges of 'forced conversion', Ms Iyengar said that
had it been so, the Christian population would have exceeded
manifold after Independence, but this was not so. She added
that the charge of utilisation of foreign aid for luring people
to convert was baseless. How was it possible when every
institution receiving any such fund files quarterly accounts of
funds utilised, under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act?
she asked.
As far as propagation of the ideals was concerned, Ms Iyengar
and Mr Martin said that everyone had this right under the Indian
Constitution and there were measures to deal with those found
guilty of forced conversion. "But how can you stop someone from
joining you if he wants to do so on being impressed by your
services and humanity?" they asked.
Father Anil Martin, who is also a representative of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) here, said that though the
Christians were secure, the RSS and its allies had unleashed a
reign of terror at several places near Betul, Chhindwara,
Shehdol, Sarguja and Raigarh.
Mr Martin claimed that the Bajrang Dal activists and others were
now constructing temples in front of Churches at several places
in the State in order to provoke confrontation. One such temple
is being brought up in front of the St John's Church,
Govindpura, Bhopal. Brother John of St Montfort Church said,
"We don't fight back. We can only appeal to the Government to
ensure our security. I personally feel that few individuals, by
acting in such a manner, were spoiling the reputation of the
majority community.
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