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Chhattisgarh: 1,100 Christians converted to Hinduism in “ghar wapsi” ceremony, by BJP Sec

The Chhattisgarh state secretary is known to conduct such ‘homecoming’ ceremonies across the state

Sanchita Kadam 25 Jan 2023

conversion

Chhattisgarh BJP’s state Secretary, Prabal Pratap Singh Judev conducted “ghar wapsi” of over 1,100 persons in Basna and tweeted about it on Tuesday. He washed, with Gangajal, the feet of 1,100 Christians (believed to be converted from Hinduism) who returned to Hinduism.

Local news reports quoted the converts as saying that they had strayed away from Hinduism and had accepted Christianity but they have returned now that they have realised their mistake. Kathavachak Pandit Himanshu Krishna Maharaj administered the oath.

 

 

“It is a bigger and more important task to save Hindus and stop them from converting to other faiths. Whenever Hindus have been divided, the Hindu population has declined. Let us respect our ancestors. Hindutva is a symbol of nationalism, so let us join hands to create a Hindu Rashtra”, Prabal Pratap further said, as reported by Hindupost.

Judev has been carrying out such ‘ghar wapsi’ campaigns throughout the state. In March last year, he converted 1,250 people in Mahasamund district to Hinduism. Judev aims to continue the “ghar wapsi” campaign indefinitely until every person who has been a “victim of conversion” returns to “Sanatan Dharma”.

 

 

As per a Zee News report, in 10 years he has converted 15,000 people to Hinduism.

Here is a tabular representation of conversion to Hinduism touted as “ghar wapsi”, that has been reported in the media over the years:

S. No.

States

Year

Incidents

1.

West Bengal

2015

 

 

 

2018

“Ghar Wapsi”: At least 50 people from both Christian and Muslim communities were “re-converted” to Hinduism during the Virat Hindu Sammelan, justifies action saying conversion is service to Hindu samaj[1]

An Organisation called Hindu sanhati, led by Tapan Ghosh, organized “ghar wapsi” with 16 members of a Muslim family, who had “been re-converted to Hinduism”, being showcased on the dais of rightwing outfit Hindu Samhati.[2]

2.

Gujarat

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

144 tribal Hindus who converted to Christianity many years ago converted back to Hinduism in Dang district, Gujarat by the Agniveer organisation.[3]

21 families of Dharampur and Kaprada talukas reverted to Hinduism from Christianity in a program organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Vapi.[4]

3.

Andhra Pradesh

2019

The local cell of the Hindu nationalist party converts about 500 Christians back to Christianity in Andhra Pradesh, and convinced them to take an oath to the Hindu religion and to promise not to go to church anymore[5]

4.

Tripura

2019

98 Christian tribals ‘forced’ to reconvert to Hinduism by the VHP in Tripura[6]

5.

Kerala

2015

 

 

2015

About 30 Christian tribals were reportedly converted to Hinduism at an event organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Alappuzha.[7] 

35 people converted to Hinduism in Kottayam district. They were Dalit families who had converted to Christianity a few generations back.[8]

6.

Uttar Pradesh

2014

In 2014, 57 Muslim families with more than 200 members converted to Hinduism in Agra.[9]

 

So much is the desperation to force converts back to Hinduism, that in Remawand village of Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh a dead woman was converted to Hinduism before her last rites could be performed.

The “ghar wapsi” discourse does not find its place in the spectrum and scope of the anti-conversion laws. With several states enacting or modifying the already existing anti-conversion laws to make them more stringent, all of them have made conversion by marriage an offence, if not intimated to the administration. While the debate on violation of multiple rights is a separate one, the point to focus on in this case, is that even if conversion to other religions is punishable offence, conversion to Hinduism is not. Since “ghar wapsi” is such an ego boosting mega event for “Sanatani” Hindus, these BJP ruled states have specifically mentioned in their laws that no restrictions of religious conversion applied to those who are returning to Hinduism.

This is one of the points of contention raised by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) in the two petitions filed before the Supreme Court which is due for hearing on January 30. CJP, in its two petitions has challenged the following laws:

  1. Chhattisgarh Dharma Swantantraya Adhiniyam [Freedom of Religion] Act, 1968 (as amended by the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2006)
  2. Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 (as amended by the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021)
  3. The Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2022
  4. Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2017, along with the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Rules, 2017
  5. Karnataka Protection of Freedom of Religion Act, 2022
  6. Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018
  7. Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021
  8. Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021
  9. Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019

 

Communalism Minorities

Chhattisgarh: 1,100 Christians converted to Hinduism in “ghar wapsi” ceremony, by BJP Sec

The Chhattisgarh state secretary is known to conduct such ‘homecoming’ ceremonies across the state

Sanchita Kadam 25 Jan 2023

conversion

Chhattisgarh BJP’s state Secretary, Prabal Pratap Singh Judev conducted “ghar wapsi” of over 1,100 persons in Basna and tweeted about it on Tuesday. He washed, with Gangajal, the feet of 1,100 Christians (believed to be converted from Hinduism) who returned to Hinduism.

Local news reports quoted the converts as saying that they had strayed away from Hinduism and had accepted Christianity but they have returned now that they have realised their mistake. Kathavachak Pandit Himanshu Krishna Maharaj administered the oath.

 

 

“It is a bigger and more important task to save Hindus and stop them from converting to other faiths. Whenever Hindus have been divided, the Hindu population has declined. Let us respect our ancestors. Hindutva is a symbol of nationalism, so let us join hands to create a Hindu Rashtra”, Prabal Pratap further said, as reported by Hindupost.

Judev has been carrying out such ‘ghar wapsi’ campaigns throughout the state. In March last year, he converted 1,250 people in Mahasamund district to Hinduism. Judev aims to continue the “ghar wapsi” campaign indefinitely until every person who has been a “victim of conversion” returns to “Sanatan Dharma”.

 

 

As per a Zee News report, in 10 years he has converted 15,000 people to Hinduism.

Here is a tabular representation of conversion to Hinduism touted as “ghar wapsi”, that has been reported in the media over the years:

S. No.

States

Year

Incidents

1.

West Bengal

2015

 

 

 

2018

“Ghar Wapsi”: At least 50 people from both Christian and Muslim communities were “re-converted” to Hinduism during the Virat Hindu Sammelan, justifies action saying conversion is service to Hindu samaj[1]

An Organisation called Hindu sanhati, led by Tapan Ghosh, organized “ghar wapsi” with 16 members of a Muslim family, who had “been re-converted to Hinduism”, being showcased on the dais of rightwing outfit Hindu Samhati.[2]

2.

Gujarat

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

144 tribal Hindus who converted to Christianity many years ago converted back to Hinduism in Dang district, Gujarat by the Agniveer organisation.[3]

21 families of Dharampur and Kaprada talukas reverted to Hinduism from Christianity in a program organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Vapi.[4]

3.

Andhra Pradesh

2019

The local cell of the Hindu nationalist party converts about 500 Christians back to Christianity in Andhra Pradesh, and convinced them to take an oath to the Hindu religion and to promise not to go to church anymore[5]

4.

Tripura

2019

98 Christian tribals ‘forced’ to reconvert to Hinduism by the VHP in Tripura[6]

5.

Kerala

2015

 

 

2015

About 30 Christian tribals were reportedly converted to Hinduism at an event organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Alappuzha.[7] 

35 people converted to Hinduism in Kottayam district. They were Dalit families who had converted to Christianity a few generations back.[8]

6.

Uttar Pradesh

2014

In 2014, 57 Muslim families with more than 200 members converted to Hinduism in Agra.[9]

 

So much is the desperation to force converts back to Hinduism, that in Remawand village of Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh a dead woman was converted to Hinduism before her last rites could be performed.

The “ghar wapsi” discourse does not find its place in the spectrum and scope of the anti-conversion laws. With several states enacting or modifying the already existing anti-conversion laws to make them more stringent, all of them have made conversion by marriage an offence, if not intimated to the administration. While the debate on violation of multiple rights is a separate one, the point to focus on in this case, is that even if conversion to other religions is punishable offence, conversion to Hinduism is not. Since “ghar wapsi” is such an ego boosting mega event for “Sanatani” Hindus, these BJP ruled states have specifically mentioned in their laws that no restrictions of religious conversion applied to those who are returning to Hinduism.

This is one of the points of contention raised by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) in the two petitions filed before the Supreme Court which is due for hearing on January 30. CJP, in its two petitions has challenged the following laws:

  1. Chhattisgarh Dharma Swantantraya Adhiniyam [Freedom of Religion] Act, 1968 (as amended by the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2006)
  2. Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 (as amended by the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021)
  3. The Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2022
  4. Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2017, along with the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Rules, 2017
  5. Karnataka Protection of Freedom of Religion Act, 2022
  6. Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018
  7. Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021
  8. Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021
  9. Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019

 

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