Terror Spreads as Conversions Continue, 30 Christians Made 'Hindus' in Kerala

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quoted by sections of the media on the basis of undisclosed “sources” as having asked his ministers and party to desist from spreading communalism. However, either he is not being seen as serious or has lost its clout as another nine Dalit Christian families were “reconverted” to Hinduism in Kerala by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad as part of its ‘ghar wapsi’ program.

Thirty Christians were made to embrace Hinduism in Alappuzha from Kanichanaloor village. This was done at a ceremony organised by the VHP at a local temple. The Congress led Kerala government has now ordered a probe into the incident.

BJP Kerala spokesman V V Rajesh was quoted in the media as saying, “Several Hindus had left the religion on account of the inhumane treatment they got. They were taken to Christianity under the influence of foreign money.Hence, many are willing to return to Hinduism. In Kerala, Christians are 19 per cent of the population as against the two per cent national average.

VHP leader Pravin Togadia also seemed to have ignored the reported instructions from Delhi and at a meeting in Bhopal made it clear that the aim was to make India “100 per cent Hindu”.

“We want to protect Hindus today and 1,000 years from now. We won’t let their population decline from 82 per cent to 42 per cent because then their property and women will not remain safe” he said. “When one Hindu is converted and one cow is slaughtered it means Hindus have no respect in the country,” he added. According to him “love jihad” was a conspiracy against Hindus. “When Sayeed marries Savita she becomes Salma. In 100 marriages involving Hindus and Muslims 50 Savitris become Salmas, why can’t 50 Salmans become Ram,’’ he said in a speech inciting communal hatred, and divisiveness.

The small community of Christians are worried and fearful across the country, according to their representatives in Delhi. “There is fear and we really do not know where all this is heading,” they told The Citizen.

In Aligarh the minorities---both Muslims and Christians are “terrified” even though at this moment the VHP claims to have called off the conversion ceremony scheduled for Christmas Day. The Christians were brought into the firing line in this backward district a few months ago where right wing activists tore off the cross of a local church and put up a poster of god Shiva, declaring it to be a ‘temple.’

The VHP and local affiliates then announced the decision for the mass conversion ceremony and fliers were distributed through the district announcing a ‘bounty’ of lakhs for each Christian and Muslim converted to Hinduism. Local leaders echoed what Togadia has said, that the ultimate aim is to ensure that Islam and Christianity cease to exist in India. There is deep fear amongst the minorities of escalated violence on December 25.

Different groups, many new and unknown, are speaking in different voices. One of these has now announced a conversion ceremony for February, keeping the sword hanging over the minorities in Aligarh district.

“They are feeling nobody can do anything to them because of Narendra Modi,” said Yusuf Dass, a pastor at Central Methodist Church in Aligarh told the media recently. He was quoted as saying, “They were saying this country belongs to Hindus and India should belong only to Hindus. I dont know who is misguiding them.”

John Dayal who is a member of the National Integration Council told The Citizen that the RSS pracharaks feel emboldened to act more freely than ever before as they feel they have support in the government at the centre. He said that hate crimes are committed every year---over a 150---against the Christians with pastors and priests being beaten, churches attacked and gutted, and copies of the Bible desecrated. “Smaller incidents are not even being reported in the media such as the attack on Carol singers in Hyderabad.