Hindus accuse Christian agencies of conversion, demand an end to their tsunami relief efforts

Thiruvananthapuram – Hindu fundamentalist outfits have stirred up a row in Kerala, alleging that under the guise of providing relief to the tsunami victims, the Christian agencies are surreptitiously converting Hindus.

Angry at the local administration for allowing Christian organizations to participate in the reconstruction of homes for the tsunami victims, Hindu outfits like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have alleged that the church is using relief programs as a vehicle for converting Hindus, a charge that has been denied.

Last December, the killer waves struck the town of Alappad leaving around 150 people dead and destroying many houses.

The coastal residents of Alappad were also stripped of their livelihood as the waves destroyed their fishing–boats. Post–tsunami, many organizations, mainly Christian relief agencies rushed to their aid and built temporary shelters for the homeless.

But a few Hindu groups are unhappy at the relief work.

Kummanam Rajashekhar, leader of the Hindu outfit, Aikyavedi, (affiliated to the RSS) asked, “Why should Church organizations be allowed to reconstruct homes in Alappad?”

"Christian missionaries and organizations connected with the local Church are converting Hindus in the garb of providing tsunami relief," he said.

However, the local administrator, B Srinivas, has rejected this charge claiming that “thorough investigations” have revealed the claim to be “baseless”.

Father Romance Anthony of the Latin Catholic Church, who has been involved in relief operations, said the church and organizations connected with it had provided food and relief material to every tsunami affected family irrespective of their religion.

According to him, the problem was created by "extremist groups" connected with the RSS.

"We have not converted any Hindu in this tsunami affected area to Christianity,” he said. “Social service organizations do not believe in conversion”.

The Hindu group, Aikyavedi, alleges that the local administration is covertly allowing conversion by allowing the Christian agencies to rebuild homes for the tsunami victims. Though Alappad is home to a Hindu religious organization led by a spiritual leader, Mata Amritanandmayee, Aikyavedi alleged that the Christians, forming about 20 percent of the total population there hold greater influence.

Mata Amritanandmayee’s religious centre runs several charitable and educational institutions in the state and it was one of the first to reach out to the affected people and is still involved in providing relief material.

However, the offer of the Hindu organization of reconstructing shelters for all the tsunami victims were turned down by the local administration that decided to divide the reconstruction work among different organizations after being inundated with requests from both religious organizations and local charities.

One official said there was "clear logic" in allotting the reconstruction work to a local church organization in a part of the island which has a church and 110 Christian families.

"How could we give the entire island to Mata Amritanandmayee's centre to rebuild overlooking requests from church organizations and local charities," said an official in Alappad, wishing to remain anonymous.

For now, an uneasy peace prevails between the various religious groups and construction work is finally underway.

But one can only guess how long that peace will last.