Team News Riveting
Raipur, July 21
The saviors of religious conversion in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district became the suspects, literally.
Last Sunday, activists of different Hindu organizations struck at a Church in Dev Baloda village under Charoda block in Durg district after getting reports of religious conversion. Local people have been reporting suspicious activities in the village that has a historic Mahadev Temple built in the 13th Century by the Kalachuris. They informed the matter to the Hindu organisations.
The activists had earlier intimated the matter to the local police station. The cops asked the villagers to alert them when the event was organized next time in the Church. On Sunday, activists of different Hindu organizations reached the village and lodged a strong protest against the religious conversion of five Hindu families.
The organizers involved in the conversion made a vain attempt to play down and entered into a debate with the activists. Amidst chaos, a Pastor who came from another centre escaped from the scene; leaving the vehicle on the spot. The police later shifted the vehicle to the station and took three women into custody but later released after interrogation.
The five families who were forced to embrace Christianity were later reconverted to Hinduism.
The chronology did not conclude. Ironically, it took another twist when reports appeared that teaching members of Saraswati Shishu Mandir, affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), were behind the conversion of Hindu families to Christianity. Consciously, it was covered with the picture of RSS Chief. Investigations however revealed it was a fallacy.
The three teaching staffers were Hindus when they joined the Saraswati Shishu Mandir. But three months ago, they embraced Christianity that was neither intimated to the authorities concerned nor the school management. They were not involved in the conversion activities as the villagers identified a lady who came from outside to preach Christianity and propel people to desert Hinduism. She had been visiting the village for the last few months, convincing people to convert.
The propaganda, according to the villagers, gained momentum during the COVID-induced lockdown.
