According to the latest reports, there has been a steady rise in the conversions of Hindus in many districts of Uttar Pradesh. In the last 3-4 days, Chhattispur, Nevada and Bijawal villages of Khanpur area of Ghazipur district have witnessed a conversion of about 30 Hindu families. After the Azamgarh, Jaunpur and Mau district in Purvanchal, the cases of religious conversions in Ghazipur district are constantly going up. Hindus in the region are being lured by Christian proselytisers for religious conversion.
The locals residing in these villages have stated that these people first joined the prayer meeting in Bhullanpur under the Chandvak of Jaunpur. Women were not able to go there due to long distances. There was a brawl after which the administration closed the prayer there. After this, people started conducting their prayer meetings in the 3 villages under Father Foster’s leadership. Every Sunday crowds began to gather for prayer meetings. The people of these villages have accused the missionaries of giving monetary bribes to the families of the Scheduled Caste, Pal, Rajbhar, Yadav Musaar and two other Kshatriya communities of these 3 villages in lieu for conversion.
However, Hindu families who adopted Christianity have denied any conversion and are resolutely refusing to speak about the matter. But the symbol of Cross is visible on many homes in these villages. Some locals have claimed that there were pictures of Jesus Christ hanging on the walls of the converted Hindus’ houses. As the conversion news spread like a wildfire, the district administration sprung into action ordering an inquiry. As per the reports, SO Khanpur has taken the lead proselytiser into custody. It is alleged that such conversions have been going on in different areas of the district for the last one and a half year.
Worried about the rising incidents of conversions, a delegate of Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha had reportedly submitted a letter to the Deputy District Magistrate, Kasimabad on Monday demanding immediate action to stop these illegal conversions. In the letter, they have asserted that the proselytisers are taking advantage of the poverty and illiteracy of Dalit slum dwellers for enticing them to convert to their religion.
It was also conveyed in the letter that an attempt was made to convert Dalits by organizing a program on November 6 in Khetabpur Gram Panchayat of Kasimabad Development Zone which was subsequently cancelled owing to the efforts made by the group.
Last year, a similar case of organised conversion was exposed when Christian preachers were deceptively converting the underprivileged children belonging to weaker sections of the society in Madhya Pradesh by providing them with inducements.
