Scores of Christian converts re–embrace Hinduism in Himachal Pradesh

At least 150 men, women and children who had converted to Christianity have re–embraced Hinduism in a ceremony, February 28, in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, where the State Governor, a few weeks back, had given his assent on an 'anti–conversion' bill paving its way to becoming a law.

According to local media, the people who reconverted back to Hinduism, were Dalits (outcastes or untouchables) who had embraced Christianity for as a result of the allurements by missionaries throughout decades of proselytism.

The re–conversion ceremony was conducted by the All India SC and ST Mahasangh (All India League for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes). People of different religions, including Sikhs, Buddhists and Hindus as well as supporters of Hindu nationalist outfits like the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had reportedly participated in the ceremony.

According to witnesses, temple priest Mahant Surya Nathji, Swami Lalji Maharaj, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Sriniwas Murti and many others welcomed the reconverts with open arms in Sanatan Dharam Mandir, an Arya Samaj temple in Shimla, and washed their feet.

After the conclusion of reconversion ceremonies, all were presented with images of Hindu gods and goddesses, apart from religious books and water from the Holy Hindu river Ganges.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Sewa Bharti and other religious and nationalist organizations supported the cause, the witnesses said.

According to Tarsem Bharti, president, All India SC and ST Mahasangh, the people who chose to reconvert "all belong to Scheduled Castes with fragile economic condition and were converted in to Christianity by allurements during past several decades. When their struggle to achieve equal social and economic status within the Christian community failed to yield results and they were just thrown away like used commodity, they realized the folly."

Braving heavy snowfall in all around Shimla on February 28, hundreds of people of all castes and faiths gathered at Sanatan Dharam Mandir to welcome their alienated brothers and sisters, the Hindu leader, who is a staunch supporter of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said. "There were Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Valmikis and Ravidasis apart from other Hindus to greet them. The persons who returned back to Hinduism included one senior Pastor Tulku Ram, one old and hapless widow Lajja Devi, two young sisters Sanam Samta and Safar Samta, two brothers Ashok and Kishore and one couple Vikas David and Anita David along with their families. Everybody had his or her own story of deception and cheating by those who once came to them as saviour in white cloak," he said.

Bharti prepared an "oath form" saying that those signing had been lured to Christianity but that they now wished to return to Hinduism. He took the signatures of the converts one by one. Asked if he could tell the names of the Christian organizations or individuals who "converted" these people, Bharti said he did not know.

"However, many were converted by the numerous house churches operating here," he said.

"I not only lost my young grandson Rakesh (28) but also my faith. The Pastor assured me that my beloved grandson, who was a serious patient of brain tumour, will be cured, provided we all bring belief in Jesus Christ. As he was the only earning member in my family of 15 and we had no reason to disbelieve the pastor, we all got converted to Christianity," narrated Dalit widow Lajja Devi, 62, a resident of Kasumpati area in Shimla. "The pastor also mislead us and threw the sacred Ganga Jal (water from the holy Hindu river Ganges) in the toilet and the idols and pictures of Gods and Goddesses were thrown in nearby nalla (drain). But after a couple of days, Rakesh died."

"After the death of Rakesh, the pastor demanded Rs. 2,000 from me to arrange for his burial and did not hesitate to demand Rs. 5,000 for making a magnificent grave so that the soul of my grandson could rest in peace. I know how I managed this big amount to give them after losing my beloved. Now three and half years have passed, leave aside a magnificent grave, even a pucca (permanent) grave has not taken shape. Having ruined me, the pastor left me to my fate. I am feeling relieved after coming back home (Hinduism)," Devi said, with tears welling in her eyes.

"I was literally cheated. In 1997, while I was doing my graduation, they (missionaries) contacted me and assured me a good job, provided I got converted. But after conversion, they sent me to Agape Bible College, Ludhiana, for one year training and then to GFA College, Kumbnad (Kerala) for further one year training. I had little options at that time because of my fragile economic condition. Having appointed as pastor, I started converting poor people, mostly ailing, by giving them assurance that they will be cured by bringing faith in Jesus and prayers," said Tulku Ram whose Christian organization 'Masihi Sangati' had converted more than 1,000 people in Himachal Pradesh.

"I spent nearly 10 years in Christianity and eight years as pastor, but my conscience never allowed me for that fake healing, although I converted about 50 people myself. I very well knew that nobody could be cured by that way and the Pope John Paul, who was suffering from Parkinson, was a great example before me. Now I was fed up with all these frauds and was ready to return to the fold of the faith to which my forefathers belong, when Mr. Bharti contacted me," he said.

"[Christianity is] no religion but business. [The Christian leaders and organizations] used hapless people like me as tool to collect a gathering and would take snaps of them. By sending those photographs to their mentors abroad, they would fetch a lot of money to spend for the welfare of neo–converts. But the fact is that they never spent that money on the purpose," Ram said with bitterness in his tone.

The stories of two brothers, Kishore, 46, and Ashok, 49, and two young sisters Sanam and Safar Samta are not much different from the story of the former Pastor Tulku Ram. They have all claimed to have embraced Christianity after being duped by fake healers. In 1988 Kishore and Ashok got converted along with other members of the family by one Sister Soni who assured them that their younger sister Indu, who was suffering from stomach ulcer would get cured by prayers. However, even after 19 long years have passed, the patient is still suffering, Ashok said.

Moreover, even after conversion, their social status did not change and they were still being mistreated and discriminated several times, even within the Christian community, he added.

According to Sanam and Safar, their grandmother was seriously ill and "fake healers in white cloak" took advantage of that and got the whole family converted. However, the condition of that old lady did not improve by prayers in the Church, they said.

Others who reconverted had similar tales of woe. Be they promises of free education or job, none of the promises was kept. "Now they all, after coming to their original home, are feeling good," said Tarsem Bharti, adding, "It is a question of human rights because they were basically cheated and left at the mercy of those who are known for their crafty designs."

However, the Christian community has another story to tell.

According to Bishop Gerald Mathias of Shimla diocese, it is the anti–conversion law that came into effect on February 21, which has prompted Hindu extremists to arrange the re–conversion program.

"This is the fruit of the new law on religious freedom. Since its approval, extremist groups feel they have the right to carry out these re–conversions. It is a dangerous situation for all Christians of Himachal Pradesh," he said.

Condemning the anti–conversion law which is being touted as a 'freedom of religion' law, Bishop Mathias said, "This is a means to block the missionary and social activity of the Church, which helps the most vulnerable people in society with its health care centers and schools."

Noting that the law penalizes anyone found converting members of tribal communities or women by 'allurement' or 'force' with imprisonment and/or stiff fines, the bishop explained that the law was essentially anti–Christian in its purpose and objective as, ironically, the law remains silent on "re–conversion ceremonies to Hinduism."

"For centuries this area has been very resistant to any form of Christian witness. And now, just in the last few years it's suddenly very open to the Gospel. So many conversions to Christianity are happening that it really has the Hindu leaders worried. So, they have made this a stated objective," said Dave Stravers, president of Mission India of Grand Rapids, Michigan, US.

According to Stravers, the ceremony amounted to "forced re–conversions." "All the Christians were rounded up, surrounded them and basically threatened them to be basically beaten or killed if they did not agree to undergo the ceremony," he said.

"When we pray for new Christians in India, we pray that the Lord would give them courage and the Lord will help them to be discipled in their new found faith. It's very possible that a young people would be intimidated or convinced to leave his faith," Stravers explained.

However, Stravers added that such incidents are not common and hardly made a dent in the millions of Indian people that have turned their hearts to Christ.

The Rev. Dinesh Chand, a leader of the All India Christian Council (AICC) in Himachal Pradesh, also said he had learned that most of those said to be "reconverted" had never received Christ in the first place.

"A majority of them would go to a church or prayer meeting once in a while, but the [Hindu] organizers told them that they had become Christians," the Rev. Chand said. "When they denied it, he asked them to come to the temple for 'purification' and declared their 'reconversion.'"

The Rev. Chand has termed the "reconversion" event as "politically motivated" and for "personal gain."

According to Dr. John Dayal, AICC secretary general, what Hindu extremists call "reconversion" is in most instances "a case of mere conversion at best, and forcible or coercive conversion at worst."

Dayal said that, according to a Supreme Court decision, Hinduism is not a religion but a "way of life."

"How can one possibly convert out of or into Hinduism, when conversion is from one religion to another, according to the various anti–conversion laws?" he asked. "Reconversion is an oxymoron. It is a false term used sinfully by political Hinduism to convert tribals to their aggressive brand of Hinduism."

Tribal people of India practice ethnic faiths, mainly animist, and do not practice Hindu rituals. Many social scientists and researchers object to the inclusion of the tribal people in Hinduism for census purposes, ironically terming it a "mass conversion" to Hinduism.

Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), also said that the very idea of "reconversion" as practiced in India is flawed, being the result of religious intolerance and bigotry.

"It is dishonoring of persons when they are paraded as those who have been allegedly coerced to a faith and now they are persuaded to return to their 'original' religion," he said. "More often than not, the so called reconversions are nothing but political gimmicks played to the galleries."

Fr. Joseph added that it was condescending to treat some sections of society as inferior and incapable of independent decision because of their weak economic status, "while the well–heeled have all the rights to their decisions."