Author:
Publication: The Telegraph
Date: January 29, 2001
Allegations have been levelled
against the Baptist Church in the state that it is forcibly trying to convert
Hindu tribal students in schools run by it.
The Baptist Church authorities in
Khumlung have allegedly made it incumbent upon Hindu tribal students in
a school near the headquarters of the autonomous district council to attend
regular prayer sessions in a nearby church. With this allegation, the growing
religious conflict between the National Liberation Front of Tripura and
the Hindu resistance groups over the issue of forced conversion drive by
militants has taken a new turn. The NLFT is backed by the Church.
The guardian of a student of the
residential school said on condition of anonymity that his son and other
students of the school were being "virtually forced" to attend prayer sessions
at the church in Khumlung. He said, "We tribals have our traditional religious
faiths and practices akin to Hinduism in many ways and this is very unfair
on the part of school authorities to force under-aged children to attend
prayer sessions at the church." He further alleged, "Their basic purpose
is probably to convert all students to Christianity."
Sources at Khumlung, the headquarters
of the autonomous district council, named ADC executive member (education)
Sridam Debbarma as "one of the patrons" of the move.
However, Sridam Debbarma, when contacted
over telephone, described the allegation as "completely false and malicious,"
asserting that he was a professional politician and not a religious preacher
keen to convert or reconvert people.
"India is a secular country and
anyone can pursue or practise the religious faith of his choice and I have
absolutely nothing to do with it," he said. Debbarma added that he was
already overburdened with his political and administrative work and there
was absolutely no question of thinking of such peripheral issues.
But official sources from Khumlung
alleged that the authorities of Khumlung's "Tanki Bazar Baptist Church"
are engaged in persuading poor tribal students belonging to the impoverished
jhumia (shifting cultivator) families to visit the church every Sunday
and attend prayer sessions.
The Khumpui Academy High School
had been set up by the ADC authorities, when a coalition of the Congress
and the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity was in control of the district council,
mainly to impart free education to poor tribal students in the English
medium. It than 500 students, half of whom are converted Christians.
Besides, there were large-scale
financial irregularities in the school, sources alleged. The guardian of
the students have brought the matter to the notice of the ADC authorities,
they added.