Massive Vedic Tribal Nam Kirtans in Orissa

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Mammoth Vanvasi rally in Chakapad, Orissa

Demand for central law to ban conversion

>From Sanjaya Jena in Chakapad

 

VHP International President Shri Ashok Singhal demanded total ban on

conversion. He accused Church of using all fraudulent means to convert

people especially in tribal areas.

 

Close to twenty-five thousand Vanvasis both men and women chanted and

danced to the tune of mahamantra—hare Krishna, hare Krishna, Krishna

Krishna hare hare, hare Rama, hare Rama, Rama Rama hare hare—with

sankirtan for two consecutive days with their traditional musical

instruments at Chakapad in the remote Vanvasi-dominated Kandhamal

district of Orissa, where five lakh enthusiastic people were part of

the state-level inauguration programme of the year-long

birth-centenary celebrations of the second RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri

M.S. Golwalkar popularly referred to as Shri Guruji.

 

Organised from April 8 to 10, in the Vanvasi heartland of Orissa, the

mega event, witnessed Vanvasis' religious fervour at the top of their

spirit. Thundered Vishwa Hindu Parishad International President, Ashok

Singhal: "When every person present here is well-versed with dharma,

then what's the need for Christians to teach them dharma, which is

already there in everybody's heart in this country."

 

Demanding a central legislation to put a total ban on the religious

conversions in India, the VHP leader said conversion is not only a

crime but is weakening the country as a whole.

 

The Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth, Puri, Swami Nishchalananda

Saraswati, chief of Swami Narayan sect, India, Swami Hari Prakash, RSS

Sarsanghachalak, Shri K.S. Sudarshan and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram

President, Jagdev Ram Oram attended the programme.

 

Swami Laxmananda Saraswati in his close to four-decade-long sadhana at

Chakapad has successfully awakened the spirit of Hindutva among the

Vanvasis and drawn them away from the clutches of missionaries. The

effect was demonstrated through the three-day inauguration programmes

of Shri Guruji's birth-centenary celebrations.

 

Puri Sankaracharya, who delivered his fiery speech as part of Gyana

Yajna programme, accused western countries of using handful of Indian

leaders for their benefit.

 

It has been the strategy of western countries to use Indians against

India as part of their long-term strategy, the Puri seer said. Sister

Nirmala, who took over Missionaries of Charity from Mother Teresa, was

from a Brahmin family.

 

Singling out challenges before the contemporary India, the

Shankaracharya said jehadi Islam, Maoist violence and conversion

activities of the Church have to be confronted with urgency and sincerity.

 

The Muslims in India are more secure, he said, than they are in any

Islamic country of the world. The seer urged them to shun

confrontationist approach with the majority community of the country.

 

Arguing that Indian Muslims are sons of soil, Shankaracharya said

during tyrannical Islamic rule in India large number of Hindus were

converted at gunpoint and the Hindus and Muslims have common forefathers.

 

Expressing concern over terrorist attacks on Indian religious and

cultural centres, Shankara-charya said our enemies should not be

allowed to take our softness as our weakness. They must be severely

dealt with an iron hand.

 

Accusing the Pope of being the most extensive violator of human

rights, the senior Hindu seer said throwing all human values to winds,

the Pope is advocating conversion, which needs to be condemned.

 

Describing Vedic culture as the best in the world, Shankaracharya said

its contribution to mankind is unparalleled. "Where modern science

ends, Vedic science takes over," Shankaracharya said making a point

for promotion of Vedas and Hindutva.

 

Shankaracharya announced that he as the representative of Brahma Teja

would like to work with Kshatra Teja represented by RSS

Sarsanghachalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan and VHP chief Shri Ashok Singhal

for the larger interest of our motherland.

 

RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan described Shri Guruji as man

with a vision. "When Hindi-Chini bhai bhai was the popular slogan,

Shri Guruji had warned against friendship with China," Shri Sudarshan

said.

 

Terming Shri Guruji as the man behind many leading mass organisations

in India like VHP ABVP and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA), Shri Sudarshan

said he toiled hard to strengthen the country's backbone—the Hindu

society. A strong foundation laid by Shri Guruji has gone a long way

in strengthening our nation, the RSS Sarsanghachalak said.

 

VHP International President Shri Ashok Singhal, who demanded total ban

on conversions in India, accused Church of using all fraudulent means

to convert people especially in tribal areas.

 

He urged the Orissa government to strictly implement the existing

laws, which have stringent provisions against religious conversions.

 

Orissa had passed Freedom of Religion Act (OFRA) in 1967, prohibiting

"conversion by the use of force or inducement or by fraudulent means."

 

Section 3 of the Act describes what constitutes a "forced" conversion

and Section 4 outlines the penalty for contravening Section

3—imprisonment for up to one year and fine of up to Rs. 5,000.

 

When the offence is committed against a minor, a woman or a person

belonging to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, the offender may be

imprisoned for up to two years and fined up to Rs. 10,000.

 

Most of the tribals are being converted to Christianity by inducement

or fraudulent means, in violation of OFRA provisions. "Administration

should take all necessary steps to implement the law," Shri Singhal said.

 

In response to a public interest litigation filed in the Orissa High

Court few months ago, which alleged that "forced conversions" by

Christian missionaries are rampant in Gajapati district of Orissa, the

judicial bench directed the district police to register cases of

alleged forced conversion under Sections 3 and 4 of OFRA. The district

officials said the charges are under investigation.

 

"The sooner Christians return to the Hindu fold, the better it is for

the country," said Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, working to prevent

conversions in the Vanvasi regions of the state with his headquarters

at Chakapad for close to four decades.

 

The Swami is critical of the Christian organisations working in the

interior districts of Orissa saying that by converting the Vanvasis to

Christianity the missionaries are damaging the social fabric of the

state. "Once converted, the Vanvasis defy the traditions, thereby

creating tension and ill-will in the community."

 

As part of Seva Yajna, seven thousand Vanvasis underwent a health

check-up and were given free medicines. More than 400 doctors from

important medical centres participated in the mega health check-up

camp. People from Kandhamal and nearby districts took advantage of it.

 

Earlier eight raths dedicated to as many goddesses reached Chakapad on

April 8 marking the beginning of the three-day inaugural celebrations.

These raths include Bimala Rath from Puri, Chandi Rath from Cuttack,

 

Biraja Rath from Jajpur, Tarini Rath from Ghatgaon, Samaleswari Rath

from Sambalpur, Taratarini Rath from Ganjam, Patenaswari Rath from

Patnagarh and Manikeswari Rath from Malkanagiri.

 

>From most of the villages of the state water and soil from the places

of worship of village deities were carried by those chariots. The

sacred soil and water thus carried were used in the yajna and

installation of temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

 

During the inauguration programme meetings of religious leaders of

various panths and Vanvasi communities were organised.

 

Lakhs of lamps were lighted and kalashas were installed in the

celebration. RSS swayamsevaks collected Rs. 11 for each lamp and Rs.

101 for each kalash from general public.

 

"Samajik samarasata is the guiding principle of this celebration and

we would strive to unite all matts and panths in the broad framework

of Hindu society in the year-long celebrations ahead," said Gopal

Prashad Mohapatra, Birth Centenary Committee General Secretary.

 

Intellectual meetings, meetings of religious and social leaders of

various tribes and castes and conferences of students are planned to

be held right up to block levels.

 

The year-long celebrations will conclude on Netaji Subhas Jayanti on

January 23 next year with a ghosh procession at state capital

Bhubaneswar. More than 5,000 ghosh swayamsevaks would be participating

in the procession, Shri Mohapatra informed.

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