Author: From Our Correspondent
Publication: Organiser
Date: December 28, 2003
Introduction: All Orissa United
Christian Forum's view on tribal is misleading and is aimed at creating
divisions in Hindu society. Government should bring General Secretary B.K.
Muduli under the purview of POTA if Christian leaders would provoke me
that tribal are not Hindus. Their conversion should not be considered as
desertion of people from Hindutva that would further aggravate the already
hostile situation created by illegal conversion by Christian organisations
in many of the tribal pockets of the State. -Bipin Bihari Nanda, RSS Prant
Karyavah
Are Tribal Hindus? For B.K. Muduly,
General Secretary of All Orissa United Christian Forum (AOUCF), tribal
are not only non-Hindus but the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act (OFRA),
which prohibits conversion through inducement and allurement should not
be applied to those tribal who change over to other religions. Their simple
logic being tribal are not Hindus.
Christian missionary organisations
were on the firing line with several Hindu organisations for converting
poor tribal through fraudulent means in clear violation of OFRA. Perhaps
as a cover-up, Shri Muduli in an official press conference went on to explain
that at no point of time "tribal were part of Hindu religion". Newspapers
too came with news stories as Shri Muduli saying, "tribal are not Hindu".
However, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
and several tribal organisations forced Muduli to take back his words only
to contradict himself to say that he never said, "Tribal are not Hindus".
"AOUCF's General Secretary B.K.
Muduli is part of international conspiracy to destabilise India through
conversion", RSS Pranta Karyavah , Bipin Bihari Nanda said adding that
dharmantarikaran led to rastranrikaran in North Eastern States and that
gave rise to several secessionist movements in the States. Shri Nanda said
AOUCF's view on tribal is misleading and is aimed at creating divisions
in Hindu society. Shri Nanda went to the extent of demanding the Government
to arrest Shri Muduli under POTA.
Shri Nanda said that if Christian
leaders insist that tribal are not Hindus and their conversion should not
be considered as desertion of people from Hindutva would further aggravate
the already hostile situation created by illegal conversion by Christian
organisations in many of the tribal pockets of the State.
Quoting judgment of five-member
Supreme Court Constitution Bench headed by Hon'ble Chief Justice Gajendra
Gadkar that "Tribal are Hindus" and similar judgment in context of Orissa
delivered by Hon'ble Justice of Orissa High Court Shri Purna Chancre Mishra,
Shri Nanda questioned the Christian Forum's locus standi in raising objections
to Hindu origin of tribal in India.
Contrary to Christian Forum's declaration
that though they are opposed to OFRA, they would abide by the law till
it is in force, RSS Prant Karyavah said in November this year that there
had been seven mass conversion programmes in clear violation of OFRA in
the State.
While the conversion in Sunasahi
village in Dharmsala Block of Jajpur district was raised by several members
in the State Assembly, mass conversion in Barbara in Banpur Block of Khurda
district was reported in several local newspapers where 1780 people were
allegedly converted to Christianity in violation of OFRA. Apart from that
in Badchana Block of Jajpur district, Tilaibani Block of Deogarh District,
Jamankira and Dhankoda Blocks of Sambalpur district, Kasinagar Block in
Gajapati District conversation was taken place during the month in violation
of OFRA, Shri Nanda said.
Launching counter attack on missionaries
Shri Nanda said the tribal who had been converted to Christianity in violation
of OFRA on their re-conversion to their original faith, OFRA should not
be applied since technically they continue to be Hindus as per Government
records.
Saying that converted tribal have
no right to enjoy the reservation in jobs as guaranteed by Constitution
to tribal, the RSS Prant Karyavah urged the Government to take steps to
debar converted Christians from enjoying reservations.
