Hindu extremists convert 2,000 Christians in India
by Dibin Samuel, Christian Today India Correspondent
Posted: Thursday, January 3, 2008, 11:03 (GMT)
A Hindu group claims to have converted 2,000 tribal Christians to Hinduism in Gujarat.
According to UCA News, the conversion ceremony took place late December, at Vyara, 1,300 kilometers southwest of New Delhi. The town is the headquarters of newly created Tapi district.
Hindu groups alleged through media that they converted some 2,500 tribal Christians at a public function. Jesuit Father Stanny Jebamalai, who works in the area, confirmed to UCA News that some 2,000 Christians had joined Hinduism.
Since 1998, when the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, tribal belts in the state have witnessed sporadic tension during the Christmas season.
Christian missionaries have been accused by the Hindu groups of exploiting tribal property and trying to forcefully convert people to Christianity promising money and jobs.
For the reconversion, "Hindu groups brought tribal Christians from Gujarat's Dangs and Tapi districts, as well as from neighboring Maharashtra state. In speeches at the gathering, Hindu leaders reportedly accused local Christians of joining with Maoists to fight Hindu landlords and convert more people to Christianity," reported UCA news.
Meanwhile, Tapi's deputy collector, NS Halbe told media that the function had government permission and that local authorities have confirmed the conversions.
Father Jebamalai told UCA News the "induced and forced" conversion of tribal Christians was aimed at creating "a sense of fear among Christians and prevent missioners from working in the area".
Christian leaders in the state say that Hindu radicals fear tribal and lower-caste people receiving an education because it may lead them not only to stop slaving for upper-caste Hindus but also to question the idea of high-caste superiority.
Christians in Gujarat have been persecuted, beaten and imprisoned in the state due to the growing presence of anti-Christian elements aiming to subdue Christianity.
In 2003 the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which rules Gujarat, adopted the Freedom of Religion Act, in reality making any conversions illegal. Violators face up to three years of imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 50,000 rupees (around £650).
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Have your say on this article
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Friday, July 11, 2008, 16:55 (BST)
I am a Hindu born and raised in England. If the Christians are acting like the Christians here do towards Hinduism then I can understand the backlash.
All Christians do is pick out the worst points of a culture and then paint every member of that culture with the same brush! Not all of us follow the caste system, not all of us walk around looking for an argument or feel the need to convert.(Like almost all Christians!)
We have morals (better then most Christians), but you would never know because you will always assume that Christians have a stronger connection to the creator. Christians are hypocrites! You are trapped in your one life one shot to heaven paradigm that all monotheist believers fall into. You judge yet cry when judged, you accuse yet cry when accused, you belittle and moan when belittled!
How about living your own lives and allowing others to live theirs without fear or mistrust?
Christians and Muslims appear to want the same thing, one world filled with clones who think the same and worship the same, except they just cannot agree on what name to call God. I'm not afraid of nuclear war, alien invasion or avion flu, I'm afraid of being attacked by white Christian thugs or brown Muslim thugs, I worry about my elderly parents when they go for a walk, I worry about my sisters kids when they go to and from school, why - because the world is full of religious lying monotheist violent rascist hypocrites who start wars.
Mr P, UK
Added: Wednesday, April 2, 2008, 17:14 (BST)
Why? Check out the following video link and you will get the answer:- There are three part of the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmj-_BB6zWY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dmwTuhmfEA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z6meEmZRog&feature=related
Stuart, Gujrat, India
Added: Saturday, January 5, 2008, 12:18 (GMT)
why they convert only christians? why not muslims? there r more muslims in gujarat than christians. and also christians do have a lot of charity and social refom works, showing love of God and they r peace loving community. christian population is only a small fraction . then why this injustice?
beena varughese, doha-qatar
