A former Congress Union Minister like Mr. Eduardo Faleiro who serves all people of India rather than the parochial interests of just one community or one religio-political point of view knows his facts about India much better than some random Goanetter. He was talking about recent times, not ancient history, in Kashmir and the tribal regions of India where religion and religious conversions and re-conversions have increasingly become one of the major factors contributing to conflict. Here are the facts described in articles related to this issue and the broader issue of the religious problem in Kashmir:
http://kashmirwatch.com/opinions.php/2011/12/28/discovering-the-reasons-of-conversions-in-kashmir.html http://www.kashmirdispatch.com/headlines/28017864-kashmir-over-20000-converted-to-christianity-since-1990.htm Here is a pertinent quote from it: QUOTE Over 20,000 Kashmiri Muslims are reported to have converted to Christianity since the inception of militancy in 1990. Information gathered from various sources reveal that Christian missionaries made their way into Kashmir in a big way soon after the armed turmoil hit the state and tried to reach out to what Christianity Today—an evangelical periodical—said (in a report on September 9, 2002) war-weary Muslims in Kashmir. The periodical put the number of neo-Christian then to 15000. The conversions are likely to have surged past 20,000 with over a dozen Christian missions and churches based in the US, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland operating in the state. Pulwama, Budgam and Baramullah besides border villages in Kupwara and Bandipora, upper belts of Srinagar, Ganderbal and Kangan are the prime targets of evangelists. UNQUOTE Here is a more comprehensive description that talks about the role of activists of all three religions in the Kashmir conflict in recent times: http://thevoxkashmir.in/2011/12/rethinking-religious-conversions-in-kashmir-2/ Here is a related news story from last November that Mr. Faleiro most likely had in mind: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2640084.ece Regarding North Eastern India, here are two articles giving a comprehensive description of the factual situation in this region, and the contributions of religion, religious conversions, and the resultant Hindu-Christian and tribal religious conflicts: Article 1 --- http://www.indiandefencereview.com/homeland-security/NE-Insurgency-The-Religious-Dimension.html Here is a pertinent quote on conversions after independence: QUOTE Until the end of 19th century, no significant progress in the spread of Christianity could be achieved in the hills. However, it began to make rapid progress from the beginning of the 20th century and picked up momentum soon after Independence. An integrated religionwise picture of the hills in 1961 furnished by the deputy registrar general of India is revealing. Among the Mizos in Mizoram, Christians were 96.95 percent, Hindus 1.37 percent, Tribals 0.07 percent and Buddhists 1.54 percent of the population. Among Cacharis 93.63 percent were Hindus and 6.16 percent were Christians. In Manipur, among Hmars 99.21 percent were Christians; among Mizos 99.98 percent and among Paites 88.69 percent were Christians. In Naga Hills 56.12 percent of the population was Christian, 3.62 percent Hindu and 27.15 percent was tribal.15 This indicates that the spread of Christianity has not been adversely affected after Independence. This also nails the allegation made by some missionaries that the community is being discriminated against in propagating the religion. UNQUOTE Article 2 ---http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers17/paper1700.html Here is a pertinent quote related to conversions during the British period: QUOTE The Christian missionaries followed the British and established their foothold in the region. Converting the tribes from their indigenous faith to Christianity, they robbed off their traditional identity and imposed on them a new socio-religious identity based on Christian traditions. Such socio-religious transformation was though contrary to their respective ethnic traditions, over the years the converted tribes accepted it as the generic identity. Christianisation and basic education helped some of them to get middle to lower level jobs in Church and British administration which gave birth to a middle class; a new social phenomenon in tribal society. This new class of people, who came into contact with the people outside their area - gradually developed identity consciousness. The social reformers of mainland India practically remained indifferent of this development and did not make any effort to counter it. Similarly, the leaders of freedom movement due to lack of rapport with hill people - failed to instill among them any emotional feeling towards India. Thus, in the absence of socio-cultural intercourse with the plains of India the isolated tribes developed a centrifugal tendency against mainland Indian sub-continent. UNQUOTE Regarding Orissa, here is an article in the Wall Street Journal describing facts regarding religious conversions and re-conversions causing conflicts: http://www.livemint.com/2008/09/04002155/Hindus-use-Christian-conversio.html Cheers, Santosh ----- Original Message ----- From: Marshall Mendonza <mmendonz...@gmail.com> Subject: [Goanet] Conversions, inciting sectarian hatred, and marginalisation (Eduardo Faleiro) > > Response: > The above statement is incorrect, false and misleading. It is not supported > by facts. So far as the North East is concerned, there are no religious > conflicts but ethnic conflicts. The north east which was forceably > integrated with India by the British has less in common with the Indian > sub-continent and shares more in common with south-east asia like Myammar, > Thailand, Laos. Unfortunately, after Independence, India's new rulers > inherited the colonial mindset and administrative machinery of the British. > The north east was treated as an outpost and punishment posting for > inconvenient officials. Regional aspirations were ignored. The army > administered the area with a heavy hand and created further unrest. Today, > the conflict has been largely contained with Mizoram and Nagaland more or > less normal. However, Manipur, Tripura and Assam are still areas of > trouble due of influx of economic refugees from Bangladesh and the demand > for greater Nagaland comprising of all naga majority areas. > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------