Christian Dalits 'reconvert', cops on alert in Orissa village

After a gap of three years, Kilipala hamlet under Tirtol block in
Orissa has again hit the headlines following reports that two Dalit
Christian families reconverted to Hinduism at a ceremony organised by
Vishwa Hindu Parishad a week ago.

Three years ago, 27 Dalits, including 15 women and 12 men from seven
families, had converted to Christianity at the behest of three persons
Gouranga Mallick, his brother Prafulla Mallick and pastor Subash Samal
of Kilipala near Kanimul village.

The incident had created a clamour across India. The converts fled the
village and took shelter in a Bhubaneswar church and on 10 February
2004 a group of local villagers assaulted the converts and tonsured
eight women who had embraced Christianity.
Acting on pressure from various quarters mainly Christian
missionaries, the police registered two cases one against the unruly
villagers and against pastor Subash Samal who had influenced them.

Later the police picked up six persons for violating Orissa Freedom of
Religions Act 1967 [OFRA] and for the first time in the State the act
was enforced against the violators at Kilipal conversion incidents in
2004. Later police arrested Sita Kandi and her associate Chakradhar
Bhoi who performed tonsuring of the women in 2005.

After living months away from village the alleged seven converts
families had returned home on 9 August 2004 and elaborate police
arrangements were made to provide security to converts in the village
against the antagonised Hindu villagers.

The alleged converts had accused the Hindu fundamentalists and their
organisation including villagers that they were beaten up and tonsured
the baptised women and forced them to reconvert to Hinduism. On the
other hand, the locals had complained to the police seeking action
against the Christian missionaries who were illegally converting
innocent scheduled caste people promising lucrative financial
benefits.

The police had registered cases and normalcy returned to village as no
conversion or re-conversion was reported so far. Meanwhile, officials
report said one Gouranga Das and five persons embracing Christianity
had moved to legalise their conversions under OFRA when the district
collector brought them to book and prosecuted them for violating
section 4, 5, 6 of OFRA 1967.

Surprisingly two years after VHP organised Gita Yajna to reconvert the
Christians in Kanimul last week where two converts Nrusingh Mallick
and Shyam Sundar Mallick families reconverted to Hinduism, VHP central
Marga Darsaka Laxamanananda Saraswati and local VHP leaders had
organised the purification ceremony and convinced them to return to
Hinduism.

While reports say after the re-conversions incident Kilipala the Hindu
fundamentalists organisation are on a bid to organise another
re-conversion ceremony. The police are on high alert at the village to
prevent any incident. The villagers still socially ostracise the
converted Christians.

Dr. Sajan George, National President, Global Council of Indian
Christians state that the Dharma Jagarana Samiti is organising such
reconversion ceremony and the poor and illeterate Dalits are helpless
against their muscle-power.

GCIC condemns the actions of many Hindu fundamentalist organisations
in the eastern state of Orissa are who on a daily basis aresubjecting
Christians , Dalits and Tribals to intense harrassment as statistics
of anti-Christian violence are spiralling upwards in the state.

Dalits are tonsured for the 'CRIME" of drawing water from a well.
Fortunately, GCIC co.ordinators bring such incidents against the
Dalits to the notice of the National President and immediate and
concrete steps are taken to alleviate the humiliation and sufferrings
of our Dalit brethren.