1,130 Christians Reconvert to Hinduism in Mumbai
Over a thousand Christians were reconverted to Hinduism at a ceremonial function in Mumbai, India.
According to a trusted source, about 1,130 Christians recently adopted Hinduism during a function at Kalyan in the district of Thane.
The conversion was solemnized by Jagadguru Narendra Maharaj, a Hindu saint spearheading a religious campaign vying to reconvert Hindus as well as Dalits and tribal people into Hinduism.
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The ceremony was held in the presence of a thousand devotees who chanted hymns and indulged in ritualistic practices.
Jagadguru told reporters after the event that Christian missionaries are involving in massive conversions and most of the time "fraud, force and inducement" is applied to attract the gullible.
He argued that if this trend continues, Hindus would soon become minorities in their own land.
To counter this, he urged Hindu saints and organizations to conduct mass awakening programs to prevent Hindus from converting to other religions. This, he said, would be possible by inculcating the teachings and principles of Hinduism.
With elections around the corner, Jagadguru also appealed to Hindus to vote for a party that is concerned and will work for the welfare of the Hindu community.
He also said the government should give reservations to people with poor socio-economic status and not on the basis of religion.
In a similar event last April, over 1,700 Christians were alleged to have converted to Hinduism in Borivili, Mumbai.
The event was held under the guidance of Sadguru Narendra Maharaj Sansthan who claims to have brought a total of 42,220 people back into the Hindu fold, including 1,793 people on April 27, 2008.
The issue of conversion has been the most controversial religious topic in India as thousands of Hindus are urged to wage war on Christians on erroneous allegations.
Christians, meanwhile, insist that they are not involved in forceful conversions, which they say is against the teachings of Christianity. They also point that the official Christian population in the country still remains stagnant at 2.5 percent - a figure that was registered in the 1947 census.
