Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, July 21
Former Bihar Chief Minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi is in a fix. Musahars, the community that consolidated his political position is fast depleting as the members are influencing towards Christianity.
With the reports of mass conversion of Musahars (rat eaters), Manjhi is rushing to Naili panchayat in Gaya district on July 25 to persuade the members of his community to return to Hindu fold. Manjhi, the first Chief Minister in India from the Mahadalit community of rat eaters, hails from Gaya.
All members of the three mahadalit colonies of Dubahal, Wazitpur and Belvadih had switched over to Christianity a few months ago during the Corona crisis. They had claimed priests from Bodh Gaya had come to their villages and blessed them with Holy water (Changai paani) and started weekly prayer meetings in a makeshift church at Wajitpur.
Manoj Manjhi, who had converted to the Christian religion, claimed his son and daughter were getting sick frequently. He got them treated with the help of village doctors,but failed.When priests visited them from Bodh Gaya and sprinkled water, they were cured.
Chinta Devi, another new convert, claimed she switched over religious loyalty due to fear of Ghost in the family. She claimed she had spent Rs 10,000 on getting rid of the Ghosts, but there was no relief. Due to the blessings of the priest from the Church, the ghost has disappeared, she claimed.
Urmila Devi, another Manjhi woman, said her daughter fell down from the roof top and villagers advised her to seek help from a priest from the church. She is better now.
Pooran Manjhi, a local priest of the community said women of the village do not use vermillion marks on their foreheads when they attend the prayers in the Church. According to him, more than 250 families have converted to Christian religion.
The Circle Officer of Gaya had visited the villages to investigate reports of large-scale conversions and after talking to the villagers claimed there was no forced conversion.
A team of Vishwa Hindu Parishad led by Premnath Teliya visited the Naili panchayat and distributed copies of Hanuman Chalisa to the new converts. On Wednesday, they distributed Hanuman lockets to the women and requested them to return to Hinduism. They also asked them to remove Cross symbols from their doors. VHP admitted this was the first case of mass conversions in Gaya.
