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Christians, Hindus in 'reconversion' war

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

Christian missionaries in Orissa are planning to organise a 'reconversion camp' in tribal dominated Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts.

They are planning to hit back at Hinduvta forces, who had reconverted 70 tribal Christians into the Hindu fold a fortnight back at the communally sensitive Manoharpur village, where Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons had been burnt to death by a mob led by Dara Singh last year.

Sources said the camp will be held openly, to prove wrong Hinduvta forces' claims of forceful conversions. "We will organise a few camps in the state to counter the hate campaign of Hinduvta forces, that Christian missionaries are luring and forcing tribals to become Christians," a Christian leader said.

Christian missionaries are likely to organise a camp in Keonjhar today and another in the last week of the month. Besides, two camps will be organised in neighbouring Mayurbhanj district. "Over a dozen tribals are likely to embrace Christianity," the sources said.

Superintendent of Police (Keonjhar district) A K Roy told rediff.com over the telephone that Christian organisations are likely to organise a programme today, when they will reconvert some tribals. "They (Christians) have intimated the district collector about their programme, in which they will reconvert three-four tribals," Roy said.

He said the Christian organisations have informed the district administration about their programme in Anandpur. He admitted that Christian organisations have been organising such programmes regularly.

After the reconversion drive by Puri Sankaracharya, backed by Sangh Parivar outfits at Manoharpur early this month, where 70 tribal Christians were reconverted, three tribals of Haridabadi village in Keonjhar district, backed by Christian missionaries, filed affidavits expressing their desire to embrace Christianity.

Global Council of Indian Christians national convenor Sajan K George, after a visit to Manoharpur, claimed that only three of 70 reconverts had actually been baptised. That's why, the three tribals' intimation to the Keonjhar district collector comes after the mass reconversion of 70 tribal Christians, which indicates that Christian organisations are not in a mood to accept the reconversion drive of Hinduvta forces.

Just after the reconversion drive of the Sankaracharya of Puri at Manoharpur , sources said that four tribals from Keonjhar districts were reconverted to Christianity, at a church in Balasore town. "Fearing a backlash, Christian missionaries silently reconverted four tribals," sources said, but added that later it was decided to organise a reconversion camp openly.

Christian leaders have alleged that a reconversion function at Manoharpur was held under the patronage of the Orissa government. "The authorities of the state government and various central agencies were involved in persuading Christians to join the Hindu fold. The government and Sangh Parivar members hatched a secret plan to convert Christians,'' they alleged.

The Anandpur Dhama Jagaran Samiti, a newly formed local Hindu outfit, said more reconversion drives would be organised in tribal dominated Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj. It has vowed to reconvert all tribal Hindus who were converted to Christianity in the last four decades.

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