linked to anti-Christian violence, has condemned conversions of a "large number of Sikhs" in India’s northern state of Punjab to Christianity, according to comments obtained by BosNewsLife Thursday, October 6.
RSS Chief K. S. Sudarshan told supporters in the city of Jalandhar that "various Christian outfits had undertaken conversions in different parts of" Punjab, including in the Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur areas. "A large number of Majahabi Sikhs adopted Christainity," he said, without elaborating.
Punjab’s former state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal denied the accusations, saying that "no conversion of Sikhs had taken place in the state." Sikhism, was founded in Punjab about 400 years ago and is influenced by reform movements in Hinduism as well as Sufi Islam.
However in comments which leaders fear could lead to more religious tensions in the volatile state, Sudarshan called for a ban on minority status for non-Hindus. "Since 99 per cent . . . of Muslims and Christians have been born and brought up in India and are just converts, these two communities should not be given minority status,” he reportedly said.
RSS CRITICIZED
"Sudarshan’s comments on Indians who are Christians and Muslims, that they are not minorities because they were all once Hindus, are unwarranted and uncalled for," said Babu Joseph, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India in published remarks.
"The Constitution of India has recognized these two communities as religious minorities, and as such has granted them constitutional guarantees which must be respected by all, including Sudarshan," he told the Catholic oriented news website AsiaNews.
RSS official Sudarshan also condemned Christian activists who demanded a ban on his entry in the state, amid fears of religious violence. "Why? We are moving in our country Hindustan, the land of Hindu, not Esaistan or Christianland. Why should we be prevented from going to one place or the other," he said.
"POLITICAL GOALS"
Sudarshan added that "certain Christian and Jehadi Muslim outfits" were "engaged in achieving political goals in the name of Christianity and Islam."
His comments came after the Punjab Christian Movement (PCM), a political group, demanded a ban on the entry of Sudarshan in Jalandhar during protests which led to a clash with RSS activists here last week. Local authorities beefed up security around all churches in the Jalandhar area following clashes between PCM and RSS demonstrators in which several people were injured on September 26.
Five PCM members, including its president, Hamid Masih and representatives Freddy Joseph, Anil Kumar, Surinder Gill and Lal Chand were reportedly detained on charges of attempted murder. If convicted, they could be punished with imprisonment of up to 10 years and receive fines, analysts say.
MORE VIOLENCE
On the eve of the violence, September 25, Hindu militants reportedly stormed a house in Punjab’s Mukhtsar district where up to 50 Christians were praying. Four Christians, including pastor Amar Singh, were allegedly detained by police and beaten in jail before being released the next day. Two Christians were hospitalized following the incident with police, but a criminal investigation is underway, news reports said.
Analysts say Hindu groups fear to lose influence over especially impoverished groups in India, where Christian leaders have reported a growing number of churches and interest in Christianity. (BosNewsLife Chief International Correspondent Stefan J. Bos and BosNewsLife News Delhi Bureau Chief Vishal Arora contributed to the story).
