The ‘ghar vapsi’ or reconversion “experiment” of the Sangh Parivar, which has created political controversy in several States, including the Prime Minister’s home State of Gujarat, is likely to find its way into Karnataka through the “communally sensitive” Udupi district in mid-January, according to Sangh Parivar leaders.
The “reconversion drive” will be undertaken by Dharma Jagran Vedike, a constituent of the Sangh Parivar. But, a final decision will be taken by the State leadership at a meeting to be held in Bengaluru in the second week of January.
According to Vasudev Bhat, convener of the Udupi city unit of the vedike, the State unit had decided to build its organisation from the village-level. The vedike has three objectives. They are prevention of conversion, reconversion, and prevention of cow slaughter.
“The reconversion will be taken up only if it is desired by the persons concerned. We will not be forcing any person to reconvert,” he said.
The formation of district-, taluk- and village-level units or committees of the vedike was in progress in all the 30 districts. Udupi district had 146 gram panchayats. So far, only nine units had been formed, he said.
'“Importance will be given to forming the committees in those areas or regions where the chances of conversion from Hinduism to other religions are more,” he said.
However, Baikady Suprasad Shetty, president of the district unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said the VHP had no such plans for reconversion in Udupi district.
According to writer K. Phaniraj, who is the vice-president of the district unit of Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike, the Sangh Parivar has a sizeable presence in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts and the atmosphere in these two districts is highly communalised.
“The ghar vapsi will further communalise the already polarised atmosphere in these two districts. It is nothing but a communal agenda,” he alleged.
“Another reason why these districts might have been chosen is that a religious conference was held in Udupi in 1969 under the stewardship of Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Math, which had for the first time endorsed reconversion to Hinduism,” Mr. Phaniraj said.
