Fr Jebrass further said that he would not participate in the Ishara Parishad organised by the Minorities Forum in Peth on Sunday to extend support to Christian tribals, as he was not in favour of politicisation of the issue. The Parishad is being organised by the RPI and among others, Leader of Opposition in State Assembly Madhukar Pichad , is to address the tribals.Fr Jebrass said that he had been working in the Peth region since 1984 and that over the past 14 years, had converted 16 tribal families from Sadapada, 41 families from Bhuvan and 50families from Borda to Christianity. He said that the tribals converted not because he had extended any allurements to them, but because he helped them quit alcohol and gave them medicines. He said that in all three villagers, tribals had constructed kutcha churches for daily prayer meetings. In 1955, the churches in Hanumantpada-Bhuvan and Borda were converted to pucca structures, while the one at Sadadpada was constructed in 1996.

He said converted tribals used to participate in traditional tribal rituals and everything was normal till 1997, when the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram (a Hindutva outfit) started a dispensary at Bitondi village, offering medicines at just Rs 2. He alleged that the Hindutva volunteers then started creating a rift among tribals. He said that on August 4, 1998, there was an altercation as Hindus insisted that pictures of their deities be kept in the church and converted tribals fast on Tuesdays. On August 25, an agreement was reached between both parties in Peth police station, wherepolice officials said that a citizen had the right to profess any religion.Fr Jebrass further said that in May last year, Christians were isolated during a marriage ceremony and others refused to eat with them. Further, the Christians' cattle were isolated during grazing from the other livestock. On October 14, Hindu groups held a meeting in Peth, and at Sadapada the following day, they allegedly instigated tribals against the converts. On October 16, the Christians were attacked and their church damaged.

Fr Jebrass pointed out that none of the 37 tribals who were publicly reconverted to Hinduism by the Shankaracharya of the Karveer Peeth Vidhyashankar Bharati at the Vishal Hindu Sammelan at Peth on January 5 this year, were Christians. He said that all the tribals who had converted to Christianity over the past 14 years were still ``within the fold''.

He pointed out that the converted tribals of Sadapada had refused to contribute to the traditional tribal festival last October, only because they wereisolated and beaten up by the villagers. Fr Jebrass categorically stated that he had no objection to Christian tribals participating in their traditional rituals. He demanded that the Maharashtra Government rebuild the church damaged in Sadapada. He alleged that his telephone was being tapped. Interestingly, the telephone exchange is in a structure owned by Bhaskar Gavit, the taluka chief of the Shiv Sena.

He said that allegations that Christian tribals were not respecting the national anthem and the national flag were totally baseless. He pointed out that all national festivals were being celebrated at the hostel run by him in Peth. The hostel accommodates 76 tribal boys who are students up to Class XI. The hostel is being run by Friends of Missionaries' Prayer Bank attached to the Indian Missionaries Association based in Chennai. The hostel charges are Rs 300 per annum per students and the institution also gets donations from Indian citizens to subsidise the cost.

Fr Jebrass alleged that his telephonewas being tapped by someone. Interestingly, the telephone exchange in Peth is in a structure owned by Bhaskar Gavit, the taluka chief of the Shiv Sena.