Anti-conversion din resounds at Sansad

AHMEDABAD, FEB 6: A wave of frenzy swept through the saffron ocean at the eighth Dharma Sansad over every utterance of a religious conver...

AHMEDABAD, FEB 6: A wave of frenzy swept through the saffron ocean at the eighth Dharma Sansad over every utterance of a religious conversion or Ram Janmabhoomi. And several of the speakers spoke in a language that may make the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party leaders squirm.

To begin with, the newly-ordained Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary Pravin Togadia made it clear that the VHP did not agree with the BJP-led Government on some issues. Referring to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee8217;s recent comment at Lucknow, that there was no forced conversions in the country, Dr Togadia said, 8220;Vajpayee may have depended on his information, but we have our own information that conversion is taking place through force, fraud and inducement, besides use of a lot of money power.8221; He added, 8220;Maybe because of lack of information, Vajpayee would have said that.8221;

Citing the Constitutional provision and a Supreme Court ruling on conversion, he dropped the ball in the Centre8217;s court by saying that itwas the responsibility of the State and Central Governments to stop conversions. 8220;The Governments should implement the law of the land,8221; he said.He also made it clear that the VHP8217;s agenda was independent of any Government at the Centre. The VHP or the Dharma Sansad did not support any political party, but were concerned about attacks on culture and society. Also, Togadia said that the VHP8217;s area of concern was the nation, culture and society; not the State or the Government. 8220;Governments would come and go, but our programmes will continue.8221;

He also stated that VHP activities were not tarnishing the image of the Vajpayee Government. 8220;We are engaged only in nationalistic activity,8221;he explained. But Mahamandaleshwar Mangaldasji of Gita Mandir, Ahmedabad, lambasted the Government for its alleged failure to protect Hinduism. 8220;They Centre are busy saving their own kursi chair. How will they save the religion?8221; he asked. He called upon the sants to 8220;pressurise8221; both the State and Central Governmentsto bring about a law to ban conversions. 8220;Do not wait for the Centre to do it,8221;he advised.

However, the most interesting speech by far was that of Ramchandradasji Maharaj from Ayodhya. Repeating the end of every sentence thrice with a movement of his hand, he said, 8220;We will construct Ram Mandir. We will not ask any Government. We will not ask judiciary.8221; He then added, a touch humourously, that Vajpayee and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh secretly supported the Ram Temple issue. 8220;But because their Governments are propped by coalition partners, they are not openly saying it. It is like a conservative Hindu wife, who does not mention her husband8217;s name.8221;