Saturday, September 13, 2014

People Reconvert into Hinduism in Aligarh, UP

News reported in many newspapers like TOI [Link] tells that 72 people have joined Hinduism back, i.e. reconverted into their original faith in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh state of India. These Hindus had been converted into Christians in the year 1995 and this news speaks about a trend where people have been becoming more aware of the realities and the politics behind missionaries influenced religious conversions.

A purification ceremony was conducted for these people and afterwards there are news reports that the building which they were using as Church has also been converted into a Hindu temple with portrait of Lord Shiva installed in it.

Khem Chandra, Sangh pracharak and pramukh of Dharam Jagran Vivad in Aligarh said, "This is called ghar wapasi, not conversion. They left by choice and today they have realized their mistake and want to come back. We welcome them. We can't let our samaj scatter, we have to hold it tight. I have told them that honour comes from within the community and not from outside."

Anil, one of those who returned to Hinduism said, ".. We found ourselves in no better position among Christians. As Hindus we had no status and were restricted to doing menial jobs, but even after remaining a Christian for 19 years, we saw that no one came to us from their community. There was no celebration of Bada Din (Christmas). The missionaries just built a church for us in the vicinity where some of the villagers got married. That was all."

Another such person, Rajendra said, "While sleeping outside the church one day I suffered a paralytic attack. I found myself unable to move. It happened last year and since then I have been thinking that it may have been Mata Devi's punishment for abandoning my faith".


This news is good news and if this becomes a trend everywhere, where people who have been coerced into joining other faiths for whatever reason return to the faith of their forefathers, it speaks of developing self-confidence and increased awareness in our society. Let truth prevail!

No comments:

Post a Comment