Expressing concerns over reported change in population composition, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) on Friday urged the Odisha government to strictly monitor activities of all religious institutions in the State.
The ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded mosques and churches be brought under the purview of the Odisha Endowment Act which regulates financial transactions of temples and mutts in the State.
Addressing a press conference here, Samir Mohanty, Sangh Chalak of RSS, Odisha (East), alleged: “We need to maintain absolute transparency in transactions pertaining to religious institutions. When financial dealings of temples are subjected to minute scrutiny, nobody is bothered to keep tab on churches and mosques.”
Most of these religious institutions are being used as platform to perform religious conversion, he said.
As per RSS instruction of Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal, all State bodies have been directed to spread awareness on ‘severe demographic imbalance’ allegedly reflected in analysis of Census 2011.
“Although situation in Odisha is not alarming as in Assam, Bihar and West Bengal, the government need to be alert on issue of demographic imbalance which has potential to create rift among communities,” said Mr. Mohanty.
He added that in three Odisha districts -- Kandhamal, Sundargarh and Gajapati -- religious conversion has resulted in rise of Christian population. “In Kandhamal, the Christian population is 20.31 per cent, in Gajapati and Sundargarh, it is 37.98 per cent and 20.31 per cent respectively.”
“Often foreign funding to churches is used for conversion. After communal riots in Kandhamal, although the rate of conversion has gone down, it has been still going on under the nose of administration,” he said.
Mr. Mohanty said the RSS demanded curbing of infiltration from across the border and preparation of a national register of citizens. “Foreign nationals should be prevented from acquiring citizenship rights and purchase of land.”
Quoting the Census analysis, Mr. Mohanty said: “Christian population among three dominant religions has increased from 2.01 lakh in 1961 to 11.61 lakh in 2011 – a growth of 478 per cent. Muslims have grown by 323 per cent from 2.15 lakh in 1961 to 9.11 lakh. Compared to this, population of Hindus has made slow growth from 1.71 crore to 3.93 crore (129.52 per cent of growth rate) in the same period. In past 50 years, Hindu population of Odisha has come down from 98 per cent to 94 per cent.”
As per the information, RSS has 71,992 shakhas in the country, which is 8,297 more than last year, There are 1,352 shakhas in Odisha which is 5 per cent more than last year. The RSS targets to increase number of shakhas by one-third by 2018.
Published - November 07, 2015 12:00 am IST
