Monday, September 15, 2008

Don`t indulge in forcible conversion: Karnataka CM

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Don`t indulge in forcible conversion: Karnataka CM

Bangalore, Sept 15: Karnataka

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday urged Christian missionaries not to go for forcible conversion saying there is no room for such actions in a democracy.

"There is no room for forcible conversion in democracy. No one should indulge in it", he said.

Yeddyurappa appealed to people to maintain calm and asserted that action would be taken against those responsible for the attacks on churches in Mangalore, Udupi and Chikmagalur.

His remarks came in the wake of attacks on prayer halls of Christians in Mangalore and Udupi districts.


Yeddyurappa held a meeting with state's Home Minister Dr V S Acharya, Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao and top officials of the Home Department to review the situation in the trouble-hit districts.

Parts of Mangalore have been witnessing violent protests with Christians allegedly indulging in stone-pelting to protest the attack on churches and prayer halls on Sunday.

Bureau Report

I think it would be more correct to call it 'temptation conversions' rather than 'forcible conversions'. Force is not a tactic the Christian missionaries use to convert majority communities. They offer all sorts of temptations and inducements and financial and material assistance, capped by religious allurements - like a gate-pass entry into heaven by believing in Jesus. Forcible conversions take place in places where they are already a majority - in the North East, for instance, where their tactic is violent denationalization of communities already reduced to minority through previous efforts of inducements.

Whatever the Christian tactic, the Hindus have to realize the threat Christian missionaries and Islamic Mullahs pose. Both are heavily subsidized in their activities by the secular ruling elite. Violence against the Hindus would end only if the Hindus demonstrate that they are not averse to violence to protect their demography.

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