Posted on 05/03/2005 6:41:37 PM PDT by nickcarraway
In a 'reconversion' ceremony, 567 Christians returned to Hinduism at Bijepur, a block headquarter town in neighbouring Bargarh district, on Sunday, VHP sources said.
The ceremony was organised by the VHP and an elaborate arrangement was made at a local school premises where the people, mostly belonging to scheduled caste, had assembled.
A 'yagna' was held to mark the occasion and the people reconverted were provided with new clothes.
VHP sources said that activists of the organisation had been in touch with these persons for a long time, counselling them to return to Hinduism.
Members of 169 families from seven nearby villages were expected to attend the ceremony but all had not turned up, the sources said.
Asked whether they had informed the district authorities about their intention to change their faith as laid down in the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act (OFRA), the sources said, "All of them had sworn affidavits in this connection, which were sent to the district authorities."
Contacted, the local police said over 700 affidavits sworn by those intending to reconvert had been submitted with the authorities.
Two sections of armed police and five officers had been deployed at the venue of the 'yagna' to ensure law and order but the entire procedure was completed on Sunday afternoon peacefully.
Dharma Narayan Sharma, VHP national secretary, Rohini Parmanik, national joint secretary, and Satyanarayan Panda, vice-president of state VHP were present on the occasion.
Were they proselytes, or just the labeled "Christians" who inherit the title as a cultural element?
bump
stupidest thing i have ever heard. you CANT convert to hinduism.
That's sad. I wish the Indian government would take more action against the Hindu extremists.
The chosen cannot deny God.
you are kidding right?
Why's that, exactly?
How is conversion extremism? If it was then christianity would be the most extremist religion in the Indian Subcontinent. But its not.
These people would've just converted so that they can avail the benefits/reservations for minority groups.
And as long as its happening out of free will, who cares?
Why can't you convert to Hinduism?
The seed fell on stony ground and the weeds choked it out.
They were forced to convert. It's what the Hindus are doing to Christians in India.
The only problem I have with hinduism- is that hindus believe you are born into a social economic group depending on your actions in the last life. That's where you get the caste system. Although it is not much different from the "Divine Right" Christian Kings used to to claim.
How do you know they were forced?
Ohh C'mon, christian missionaries have much more money and influence (they have a roman catholic controlling the government in power) than marginalized hindu right wing groups..
I'm right here. And I'm christian. Let me tell you forced conversions are happening both ways. Just let it be, we don't need to give all this attention to stuff that don't really matter.
Any such episodes of caste based discrimination are atleast as frequent or common as race based discrimination in US.
The caste system was abolished long ago. It was prevalent around 6-8 centuries, equivalent of the dark ages of Europe. Although it still exists in pockets, mostly its dead. Infact the "lower castes" receive the most benefits and reservations in India.
But either way, Hinduism is the religion Casteism was a social system. They aren't synonymous.
I thought you were a "brahmin" ;)
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