"The government has been pressurizing the Muslims to convert to the Hindu
religion or face eviction from their land"
Forced Conversion In Gujarat
By Shabnam Hashmi
17 September, 2008
Countercurrents.org
Today morning a battery of Forest officers and police descended on the village
of Nandapeda near Ahwa in the Dangs, Gujarat. They pulled out the doors and the
windows, pulled out the wooden ballis which support the roof; they pulled out
wood from the roof of the huts of the villagers. The forest department decided
late night that it was illegal wood and they must recover it.
The ATS meanwhile rounded up a few people.
Nandapeda is the only village with majority Muslim population in the Dangs
district, considered the poorest district in the whole of India.
The government has been pressurizing the Muslims to convert to the Hindu
religion or face eviction from their land.
Some of the residents of this village moved the Gujarat High Court against the
government's pressure of converting and changing their religion.
The families have been living in the village for over 100 years.
On June 13th 2008 a senior officer had called a meeting in Ahwa and asked them
to change their religion or vacate the land.
After this meeting police and forest officers had been harassing them. Police
have been searching old cases registered against any person of the community
and asking them to furnish bail papers. The police targeted 33 people against
whom some petty crime or a scuffle with the neighbors was registered.
Claiming that repeated representation before authorities for regularization of
their land has been in vain, petitioners requested the court to restrain the
government from pressurizing them to convert from their religion. Justice
Jayant Panchal had in July sought explanation in this regard from the secretary
in-charge, district collector and the village sarpanch.
After hearing all parties, Justice Anant Dave admitted the case on September
11, 2008 and ordered to maintain status quo on the disputed land.
On the next day the police captured approximately 80 villagers for transporting
cattle into Maharashtra and also apprehended some villagers who were going on
motorcycles using the reason of cow slaughter, though there were no cattle in
the tempo.
The villagers gathered. There was a clash between the villagers and the police.
People were beaten on both the sides. One policeman was also beaten up. Police
then opened fire and a number of villagers got bullet injuries. They were taken
to Ahwa civil hospitals. The relatives were not allowed to meet them. Police
apprehended eight villagers for beating a policeman and though a local lawyer
went for their bail, it was not given.
Next day the police came and in the name of combing operation attacked and
ransacked the village. Villagers were beaten up brutally including women and
children. All men fled to the jungles. The police not only took away all the
goods but before going they poured kerosene into the eatable good so that they
could not eat anything too.
VHP proposed a rally on 15th.
After a lot of pressure the VHP rally was stopped but they declared a Bandh on
16th.
The VHP gave a deadline to the collector it is heard to get the village vacated.
Today morning as already mentioned the forest department swooped in.
The villagers need urgent help and intervention. I have been personally
informing various state politicians and centre about the developments
http://www.countercurrents.org/hashmi170908.htm
"I am a living example, representing 2.5 million Manipuris, where my
forefathers were forcibly converted to Hinduism in 19th century, which is known
as PUYA MEITHABA (burning of Meitei Script) by Hindu missionary"
Who Really Does Conversion?
By Madhu Chandra
17 September, 2008
Countercurrents.org
Hindutva fundamentalists have chosen Conversion as a yardstick to kill
missionaries, rape nuns, and vandalize churches.
Who actually does fraudulent conversion? Charges are given to Christians and
made it as real to whole nation through saffron sponsored media. I am a living
example, representing 2.5 million Manipuris, where my forefathers were forcibly
converted to Hinduism in 19th century, which is known as PUYA MEITHABA (burning
of Meitei Script) by Hindu missionary. Ever since then, every Manipuri (Meitei)
has Singh at the end of every name, although many youngsters are abandoning it
by returning to indigenous Meitei religion.
The casteism and untouchability emerged after migration of Hinduism to the
Manipur society where caste or creed never existed earlier.
The saffronisation of Hindutva, which is purely the proselytizing movement,
does not end with my people there. The ongoing conversion of tribal communities
to Hinduism is still in full swing in different parts tribal dominated areas.
We have witnessed the saffronising of Dang district of Gujarat during Sabri
Kumbha Mela in 2006. The tribal of Jhabua in MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhan, Assam,
Arunachal etc are the example of saffronising propaganda of Hindutva forces.
In the land where anti conversion law is forcefully implemented, the tribal
Christians in Kandhamal district of Orissa are in night mire at the hands of
Hindutva forces. To be alive in the village, become Hindu otherwise get out or
get kill is the threatening almost every now and then to the tribal Christians
in Kandhamal. The law making machinery calls it freedom of religion.
Christians in MP, Orissa and other states where anti conversion laws exist are
accused for their involvement in forced conversion when they themselves are the
victim of forced conversion at the hands of Hindutva forces.
The Christian population in last twenty years has declined in India. Then how
and where comes the question of more people being converted to Christianity in
India?
The allegations of conversion is lie and hate campaign of Hindutva forces to
license themselves to rape, kill, burn and vandalize the Christian churches.
While all religions as per as the constitutions of India, welcomes everyone to
their religions. The force, fraud and fraudulent conversion carried out is none
other than Hindutva forces, that too totally against the will and wishes of the
individuals so as it was done to my forefathers in Manipur and its consequences
still suffer by the presently community.
http://www.countercurrents.org/chandra170908.htm
With Regards
Abi
