A group of 35 people on Sunday “reconverted” to Hinduism, as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) continues with its ghar vapsi programme despite criticism from various quarters.
The VHP said they welcomed back Dalit families who had converted to Christianity a few generations back.
The rituals for “welcoming” these people to “their original faith” were held at a temple at Uzhavoor, near here, said Aneesh Balakrishnan, a spokesman for the pro-VHP Kerala Hindu Helpline.
They belonged to 12 families of the Cheramar community, he said.
With these “reconversions,” 120 people had “returned” to the Hindu faith in the last three months from Kottayam district alone, Mr. Balakrishnan said.
The VHP organised “reconversion” programmes in Alappuzha and Idukki districts in the last three months.
He said the VHP, with the cooperation of other Hindu outfits, would organise ghar vapsi on all Sundays.
The conversion issue has been in the limelight in Kerala and was raised in Parliament in December with the Opposition attacking the government. The Central government had said that it had nothing to do with the campaign.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had earlier said that the situation in the State did not warrant any government intervention.
“There is no forced conversion or reconversion in the State. If somebody voluntarily takes a decision, what can the government do,” he had said. — PTI
The programme will be organised on all Sundays, says VHP
