Jhabua fuels VHP anti-conversion mission

RSS district chief Vaibhav repeats charges that have become the truth here even though a visit to Amkut shows facts are on the contrary. ‘‘Amkut was a symbol of Christian atankvaad (terror). A procession of Hindu sadhvis was attacked by the Christians…the laws should be implemented and conversion should be stopped, the padris will leave automatically. But it is only if the padris leave that conversion will stop.’’

This seems to be the aim behind several incidents that have taken place ever since Uma Bharati came to power. The warning signs were clear enough. The first attack took place in Antervalia, 10 km from Jhabua, on December 30. The same house was attacked on January 13 and a priest was assaulted. The attack was focused on a new church being built by a Pentecostal Sewak Pursan.

‘‘We all become believers due to Changai. This whole family suffered from disease that was cured. Others seeing such cures have also joined the faith,’’ Pursan’s wife, Meera, said. The Changai programmes are public examples of faith-healing. Vaibhav counters: ‘‘This public healing through the application of copra oil is particularly reprehensible. Moreover, there are laws in this state that have never been implemented. Every convert has to be registered with the Collector, every new Church must be built with permission from the Collector. None of these was followed in Antarvelia.’’

Father Pradeep Cherian of the Catholic Diocese of Meghnagar believes the opposition has been misleading. ‘‘Catholics, Protestants and Pentecostals are all branded together. The Catholics have been working here for over 100 years as have Protestants. The Pentecostals are a different case and are active in evangelisation. Those attacked in Jhabua were Catholics, in Amkut, Protestants.’’