Tribal outreach by Hindus a must to prevent conversion – Mahendra Rajpurohit, Agniveer, Navsari, Gujarat
There is a ploy by the Christian missionaries to convert the tribals. The missionaries provide financial assistance to the tribals to create a favourable impression in their minds. This is followed by conversion. These Christians go to the houses of the tribals and foster familiarity, learn and try to solve their issues. Hindu organisations don’t even reach the tribal areas and yet claim that ‘tribals and converted’. Every tribal family has a tulsi planted in front of their house, they wear the tilak. Each house has cattle. Despite this, if they are converting, then it is worth contemplating why. To prevent the conversion of tribals, Hindus have to go to the grassroot level and awaken Dharma in the tribals. We [Agniveer] reached out to tribal families to prevent their conversion. We organised mass marriages of tribal youths, sports for youth and tried to provide employment to women. So far we have reconverted 9 thousand tribal brothers and sisters. Mr Mahendra Rajpurohit of Agniveer (Navsari, Gujarat) said that we should be proud that our ancestors did not leave Hindu Dharma despite the Mughals and British atrocities. He was addressing the audience on Day 6 of the Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav (on 21.6.2023).
Inspire the youth to protect Hindu Dharma! – Prakash Sirwani, Paschim Vidarbha Sampark Pramukh, Bharatiya Sindhu Sabha
Practice Dharma if you wish to protect Dharma. You don’t see Hindu youth sporting a tilak. Our forefathers sacrificed their lives to protect the Janeu (sacred thread), Tilak and Shikha (tuft). But Hindu youth do not apply tilak to their foreheads. Youth should be inspired to protect Hindu Dharma. Sindhi brothers in Ulhasnagar close their shops after noon. Christians have rented these shops in the afternoon hours and started their work there. Christians started prayers in some houses here. We started satsangs in the houses of relatives of the Sindhis. Hindus should study their scriptures. Hindus will not convert if they study the scriptures, said Mr Prakash Sirvani. He was addressing the audience on Day 6 (on 21.6.2023) of the ongoing Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav here.
Ensure all documents are in order to legally validate the Ghar Wapsi! – Advocate Nagesh Joshi, Secretary, Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad, Goa
Ghar Wapsi (reconversion into Hindu Dharma) of converts are all functions under law. As per Section 25 of the Indian Penal Code, India being a secular country, any person is free to adopt a different religion. One is also free to propagate one’s religion. This law applies to Hindus as well as it does to Christians and Muslims.
Certain rules should be enforced along with the reconversion rituals. The identity card, election card, residence proof of the person who is embracing Hindu Dharma must be collected. The person should submit an affidavit that they are voluntarily embracing Sanatan Dharma after being attracted by its teachings. This should be followed by the actual rituals. The convert should then be asked to make a Gazette Publication (a statement in a newspaper regarding his conversion to Hinduism) when he adopts a new name. All this leads to a paper trail with ample documentation.
We noticed that there are documents related to Hindus converting to other religious, but scarce documentation on people who embrace Hindu Dharma. Therefore, it is important to collect documentation. This information can be provided to the government over time to make laws in this regard. Therefore, the purification process must be documented, urged Adv. Nagesh Joshi, Secretary, Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad, Goa. He was addressing the audience on Day 6 of the Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav (22.6.2023).
While giving guidelines to organisations involved in Ghar Wapsi Adv. Nagesh Joshi said,
1. After the Ghar Wapsi rituals, the person can be given a certificate from your trust / organisation.
2. By performing all the purification rituals according to Hinduism, a Dharmik sanskar (dharmik impressions) is created in the person. So they stay connected.
3. The birth chart, gotra, name etc. of the reconverts should be prepared.
4. Aadhaar card, residence proof, voter’s ID should be made afresh. The gazette copy should be retained by you and the convert.
5. He should be invited to public events. Charge him a nominal amount (for the process) and give him a receipt. It becomes a record.
No one can stop us if we work within the boundaries of our traditions.