Tribal Christians under pressure to renounce faith in Indian state

A Catholic archbishop in the central Indian Chhattisgarh state has urged his Catholics to remain united in their faith amid claims by a Hindu group of having converted about 250 Christian families to the Hindu religion.

Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur told UCA News on Jan 29 that “it is time we should be united and firm in our faith as there will be attempts to divide people in the name of religion, caste and creed.”

A group of some 1,000 people from 251 families, two of them Muslim and the rest Christian, were welcomed into the Hindu religion, reported Organiser, a mouthpiece of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an umbrella forum of pro-Hindu groups.

The conversion ritual involves washing feet with water from the river Ganges. It was reportedly held on Jan. 27 in Raipur, the state capital, in the presence of Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, a Hindu seer, and Prabal Pratap Singh Judev, state secretary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Hindus who had once come under some pressure or greed, and joined other religions or sects… They are now coming back to the Sanatan Dharma [eternal religion],” Judev said.

Judev claimed that “large-scale conversions to Christianity have taken place in Chhattisgarh” and so “the Ghar Wapsi [homecoming] campaign will go forward with all might.”

The homecoming is a nationwide campaign initiated by hardline Hindu groups aligned with the BJP and its ideological parent RSS three decades ago. It aims to convert Christians and Muslims to the Hindu religion, claiming Hinduism is the common home and original religion of all Indians.

Though Christians comprise less than 2 percent of Chhattisgarh’s 30 million population, the Hindu groups claim the actual number is much higher.

Archbishop Thakur said such claims will be made by pro-Hindu groups to push their political agenda in the coming months.

“This is just the beginning, as the general election is due in another two to three months,” he added.

He said Christians in the state “should not be disturbed by it” but “be careful as such claims mislead” the people and cause trouble.Sunil Minj, a Christian activist in Raipur, said people should not be misled by such reports of reconversion appearing in pro-Hindu publications.

“They can say anything but unless it is proved [Christians embracing Hindu religion] there is no point in talking about it. Similarly, they can make any accusations [against Christians],” he said.

Christian leaders pointed out that the recently elected BJP government in Chhattisgarh is considering legislative or administrative actions to curb alleged religious conversions in the state.

Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao in an interview with television channel News18 on Dec. 20, 20023, said: “We have to stop the conversion of tribal population in the state. It is a crucial issue that has to be addressed. We will take whatever measures are possible in the legal framework to stop this.”

However, the alleged conversions were being used to target Christians and their institutions, including churches, schools, hospitals, old age homes and orphanages, said Christian leaders.

The United Christian Forum, a New Delhi-based ecumenical body that records Christian persecution across the country, has recorded 148 incidents of violence against Christians in the state of Chhattisgarh during the year 2023.

This article is originally published on https://www.ucanews.com/news/tribal-christians-under-pressure-to-renounce-faith-in-indian-state/103981