Conversion of Christians, FIR against Pravin Togadia in Bengal

IANS
Kolkata, January 29

An FIR was registered Thursday against Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Pravin Togadia and functionary Jugal Kishore for hurting religious sentiments following the alleged conversion of over 100 Christians in West Bengal, police said. The state’s ruling Trinamool Congress had alleged that the VHP conducted a ‘ghar wapsi’ ceremony at Kharmadanga village in Rampurhat in the district Wednesday during which nearly 150 Christians were ‘forcibly’ converted.
The VHP refuted the charges of conversion but claimed that a Hindu religious ceremony was conducted that was participated by over 1,000 people from the village, including Muslims and Christians.
“On the basis of a complaint by one Dhin Murmu, we have registered an FIR (first information report) against Pravin Togadia and Jugal Kishore on charges of hurting religious sentiments,” Koteshwar Rao, sub-divisional police officer of Rampurhat, told IANS.
VHP general secretary organisation (East) Sachindra Nath Sinha, Wednesday had denied charges of conversion claiming it was a Hindu religious ceremony and not a ‘ghar wapsi’ (home-coming) – a term now being used to describe a conversion ceremony.
Reacting strongly, Trinamool Rajya Sabha chief whip Derek O’Brien said the state government was ascertaining details and if there was “even a hint of coercion or forced conversion, the issue will be dealt in the strongest manner possible”.

More Christians converted to Hinduism

At least 50 people from both Christian and Muslim communities were “reconverted” to Hinduism during the Virat Hindu Sammelan, organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, at Khurmadanga village in Rampurhat on Wednesday. The outfit’s “ghar wapsi” programme was organised at the Banhat Panchayat area, dominated by tribal population and located near Bengal-Jharkhand border.
“Conversion is the root of terrorism…and terrorism would end when ‘ghar wapsi’ would happen. That is why we are against conversion. We are not committing any sin by bringing back our people to our own religion. This is a service to our country and we will continue with the ‘ghar wapsi’,” said VHP general secretary, Jugal Kishore. At least 45 tribal Christian members from 15 families and seven people from two Muslim families, mostly peasants, were “reconverted” to Hinduism in Khurmadanga, with the VHP also organising a “suddhi havan”.
Mansar Baskey, a resident of Luripahari village and one among the “reconverted”, said: “I was converted to Christianity a year ago with my son, wife and father. Soon after, my father died and I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I was told I have committed sin by converting to Christianity. Now, my family and I want to become Hindu again.” Baskey added that over a dozen families from his neighbouring villages had attended the programme. According to the church authorities, at least 1,000 people from 300 families were baptized in this region in the last one year.