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VHP reconverts 500 tribal Christians, 50 Muslims in Bengal

Arup Chanda in Calcutta

The first-ever mass reconversion drive organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in West Bengal took place in Malda district today as the Marxist government of the state watched helplessly.

Amidst fanfare, 500 tribal Christians and 50 Muslims embraced Hinduism as priests chanted mantras and performed the paraavartan yajna (reconversion ceremony).

Since yesterday, thousands of tribals had been converging on Popra village, 20km from Malda town, to participate in a mela (fair) organised by the VHP and the Akhil Bharatiya Sanatan Santhal Dal, a tribal outfit of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

According to journalists present at Popra, VHP leaders were jubilant at the successful conduct of the ceremony. In their speeches during the dharma sabha (religious conference), they openly spoke against tribals being converted to Christianity and urged them to "return to Hinduism" as "leaving one's religion means forsaking the truth".

In a veiled threat, they said, "The Christian strategy is clear to us. Many of the tribals who embraced Christianity retained their old Hindu names. We will not allow that anymore. Converts will have to use their Christian names."

This has created tension in the areas dominated by tribal Christians. According to Father Verghese of the Roman Catholic Church in Malda, "The VHP approached 11 tribal Christian families in Popra village, but they did not agree to leave Christianity. They are firm in their belief in Jesus Christ."

Commenting on today's ceremony, he said, "It is insulting to us, but we will restrain ourselves because the VHP is mighty and we will tell our people not to confront them."

"What happened today was nothing but magic performed on the tribals. The tribals are in the habit of eating beef and were never accepted by the Hindus. Which part of heaven is the VHP offering them?" he said.

The three-day VHP session, which witnessed religious meetings attended by thousands of tribal villagers, ended with today's paraavartan yagna.

The district administration, which had been alerted from Writers' Buildings in Calcutta, took all kinds of precautionary measures and deployed a large contingent of armed police at Popra. The top brass of the administration, including District Magistrate M V Rao, also camped in the village.

Rao, however, denied that any reconversion took place. He told Rediff On The NeT on telephone, "It was a big religious tribal festival. Yes, the paraavartan yajna did take place. But I did not allow the shuddhikaran yajna (purification ceremony) as it was injurious to health and unscientific."

Asked how he could say reconversion had not taken place when the paraavartan yajna was conducted and tribals participated in it, Rao replied, "I do not consider it reconversion since the agnipariksha (trial by fire) or the shuddhikaran yajna was not held".

Before the paraavartan yajna, those seeking to convert are supposed to undergo the agnipariksha and participate in the shuddhikaran yajna. But since these were not permitted, the administration's claim is that reconversions did not take place.

But VHP sources in Calcutta confirmed that 500 tribal Christians embraced Hinduism through the paraavartan yajna. They claimed that once a person performs this yajna, he gets purified.

The 50 Muslims who were supposed to have come from Dinajpur, an adjoining district, were not brought to Malda but were reconverted in Dinajpur for "security reasons".

The reconversions coincided with Ram Navami. The venue was teeming with plainclothesmen. But even in the presence of the large police contingent, VHP workers continuously shouted slogans like "Jai Sri Ram, Jai Durga, Jai Bharatmata."

Along with Hindu gods and goddesses like Ram and Sita, tribal gods like Tulsi were worshipped. VHP workers shouted "Gomataki Jai" as a cow was worshipped.

A VHP leader observed, "This is true jaagaran (awakening) among the Christians who are returning to their own fold."

They claimed that over the last few months more than 1,000 persons have been reconverted in West Bengal and thousands more will join the fold in the days to come.

According to a state government official, "It is not possible to stop conversions or reconversions if no force or coercive methods are used. Under the law, if a person is willing to change his religion, it is his prerogative."

Today's reconversion came as a bolt from the blue for the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) as it had never thought such an exercise could be implemented by the Sangh Parivar in the state even though its influence in the border districts has been growing over the last decade.

At least three members of the West Bengal assembly expressed concern at the reconversions. Congress legislator Sultan Ahmed, CPI-M MLA Robin Dey and nominated member from the Anglo-Indian community Rosemary Gellian Hart raised the matter in the House during mention hour and condemned the VHP for its action. They also demanded that the VHP be banned.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jyoti Basu appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace and order on the occasion of Id-ul-Zoha on Monday, March 29.

"The administration has been instructed to keep a strict vigil. All communities have their responsibility to preserve the atmosphere of harmony and amity," Basu said.

(Additional reporting by UNI)

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