Author: GC Shekhar
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: April 1, 2002
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/010402/detNAT14.asp
The Pondicherry government has ordered
an inquiry into alleged forced conversions of prisoners into Christianity,
after six prisoners formally lodged a complaint with the state government.
Though there had been allegations
that P David, the jail superintendent of Pondicherry Central Prison, was
forcing prisoners to convert and was allowing Christian propagandists free
access to the prison, this is the first time the matter has come out into
the open.
Six prisoners serving varying sentences
suddenly found themselves transferred to the sub-jail in Karaikal, an enclave
located in Tamil Nadu. Protesting against this, they went on a hunger fast
at the Karaikal prison compelling the local SP to hold an enquiry. They
used this opportunity to file a formal complaint accusing David of torturing
them at the Central Jail after they refused to be converted to Christianity.
A senior bureaucrat of the Pondicherry
government admitted that many complaints against David had been received,
especially the way he permitted Christian missionaries to enter the prison
under the guise of distributing food and sweets. They had used this free
access to carry on religious propaganda, which was against prison rules.
Another allegation against the jail
warden is that he had allowed Sahayaraj, a lifer to jump parole, who is
now running a Christian NGO in Warangal in Andhra Pradesh.
Chief Minister N Rengasamy said
that the enquiry would be comprehensive and the prisoners would also be
enquired.