Scarred and homeless, Christians begin to reconvert

Bhubaneswar, August 30: After days of violence, Kandhamal continues to be the battleground of conversions. In the last two days, reportedly over a hundred Christians have been re-converted to Hinduism. “I have heard that re-conversions are taking place and I am looking into it,” said Satyabarat Sahoo, Revenue Divisional Commissioner of the area.

“We have proof that Christians are being forcibly converted to Hinduism in Kandhamal. We have brought it to the notice of the authorities. The police and the state Government are not doing anything to protect them. According to our estimates, 50 Christians died in the recent violence in the state—we have forwarded a list to the state government,” said Sajan K. George, national president of the Global Council of the Indian Christians at Bhubaneshwar.

But Brahmachari Sha-nkar Chaitanya, who was made in charge of the Kanya Ashram in Jalespeta after the murder of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati, said the conversions were purely voluntary.

“If misguided people want to come back to Hinduism, they will do so and it is our duty to extend all necessary help and embrace them,” said Chaitanya, over the phone from Jalespeta.

A number of re-conversions have reportedly taken place in Raikia, Baliguda, Barakhama and others areas of Kandhamal. For instance, 20 families are said to have converted back to Hinduism in Sankarakhol on Friday.

On a day Chief Minister Navin Pattanaik visited Kandhamal district, violence spread to Jeypore town in the tribal-dominated Koraput district, where students clashed over a graffiti that allegedly slammed the Christian community. Curfew has been imposed in Jeypore. In Kandhamal, two more bodies were recovered today.

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