Lure of Christianity divides Ulhasnagar Sindhis

Whether it’s due to losses suffered in business or traditional family ties breaking down,several thousand Sindhis in Ulhasnagar have found themselves drawn to Christianity. Some of them belong to Hindu scheduled castes and a large number are poor Sindhis.

Local politicians say the number of “converts” in Ulhasnagar is around 7,000. “But the real figure is closer to 25,000,” says Pastor Chawla,who runs a trust that owns a 2,000-sq-foot prayer hall in Ulhasnagar Camp No 3.

That growing number has now drawn a sharp divide in a town that was,until now,more homogenous than other parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

A large number of Sindhis fleeing Pakistan during Partition arrived in Mumbai’s suburbs,settling in Chembur,Thane (Kopri) and a large number of them in Ulhasnagar,on the banks of River Ulhas. As the area developed,Sindhis nurtured their culture,making Ulhasnagar synonymous with the Sindhi population.

Now,in a town set up by people fighting to preserve their religion,Ulhasnagar police records show growing tensions between Christians and Hindus,the latter accusing the former of missionary work.

“We do not convert anyone nor do we lure people with any money. They have converted voluntarily as they wanted peace of mind,” says Chawla. “Sindhis across the globe have converted to Christianity,” he adds,citing examples from India and abroad.

For Manish Ramchandani (39),a small-time fashion designer with a boutique in Ulhasnagar,life revolved around women and alcohol. His relations with his family were strained and his business was sinking. Three years ago,an assistant introduced him to the prayer house. “I committed adultery even after I started visiting the kalisha,but the crime pinched me hard and I was able to leave that path,” he says.

Ramchandani says this is no conversion. “We are not Christians,but believers of Christ. We have stopped idol worship,but we celebrate all festivals as it brings happiness,” he says.

Though authorities don’t have reports of religious conversion,clashes between Sindhis and Christians are reported once every few months. Last month,a pastor and seven others were arrested after a school in Vitthalwadi accused them of distributing the New Testament on the pretext of giving them literature to help cope with stress. In 2006,a local church was attacked. In 2007,a noted Sindhi builder was arrested for making provocative statements.

Sai Balaram,general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Sindhi Samaj,alleges a few people are luring others to change their faith. The Samaj,which controls 692 temples and mutts across the country,has decided to boycott these “converts”. “We will hold a meeting with the merchants’ community of Ulhasnagar and decide how to deal with them,” says Balaram. The Samaj also wants to organise a shuddikaran ceremony,or a reconversion or purification ritual,in October.