Passing of Freedom of Religion Act-2006 and beginning of reconversion process remained the major achievements of Shri Guruji Birth Centenary Celebrations in the hills of Himachal Pradesh. The Congress government was virtually compelled to come out with a bill in the legislative assembly to check conversions by fraudulent means. Many issues of national concern, including national security and conversion were in the main agenda of Shri Guruji Janma Shatabdi Samaroh Samiti for its public programmes. Efforts to maintain peace, harmony and brotherhood among different castes, tribes and religions were intensified during the last one year. His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave his blessings and Professor Samdong Rimpoche, the Prime Minister of Tibetan government in exile, graced some of the functions by his presence. Sarsanghachalak of RSS Shri K.S. Sudarshan also made it a point to visit the state and guide the people during the centenary year.
The nationalist organisations, through the year-long mass contact programmes, exposed the nefarious designs of Christian missionaries across the state to convert innocent men, women and children by allurements or coercion. The main targets of missionaries have been the members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other poor people in villages and small towns. As a part of centenary programmes, total eighty-five Hindu sammelans were organised in all the twelve districts including the cold desert of Lahaul-Spiti, remote tribal areas of Kinnaur, Pangi and Bharmour and very far-flung subdivision of Dodra-Kwar where connectivity of road is still a dream. The religious leaders of different panths, other respected persons of different castes and tribes addressed the gatherings. In these sammelans about three lakh people directly participated and more than 75 per cent villages of the state were contacted. The people were made aware of the bad intentions of missionaries and were advised not to fall in their trap. The religious leaders also appealed to the people to do away with the ill practice of untouchability which was against the basic principles of our dharma.
These programmes had a great impact on masses and at many places Christian missionaries, indulged in conversions by fraudulent means, were caught red handed. The print media, particularly Hindi dailies highlighted the common man'sdemand to make a law to check conversions by fraudulent means. The Congress government came under tremendous pressure from various quarters including BJP, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other social organisations to act as per the will of the people. In these circumstances the Congress government had to go against the wishes of Smt. Sonia Gandhi and the result came in passing of Freedom of Religion Act-2006 with whole-hearted support of BJP. During the centenary year the process to return to their original religion also started. Many people earlier converted to Christianity and now inspired by dharmacharyas words in Hindu sammelans returned to the fold of Hinduism.
In Dharamshala, Sarsangha-chalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan met His Holiness the Dalai Lama and sought his blessings. Prof. Samdong Rimpoche, the Prime Minister of Tibetan government in exile, presided over the function organised by Bharat Tibbet Sahayog Manch to mark the centenary celebrations. Shri Sudarshan was the main speaker at this function. Former Union Minister Shri Shanta Kumar and former Chief Minister Shri Prem Kumar Dhumal were among the dignitaries who attended the programme. Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, also got an opportunity to listen to the speech of the Sarsanghachalak at a huge Hindu sammelan which was presided by Shri Bhag Ram Ghai, the president of local unit of Balmiki Sabha. In village Neri of district Hamirpur a seminar on the defeat of Alexander in India was inaugurated by Shri K.S. Sudarshan and the inaugural session was presided by Shri Kedar Nath Sahni, the former governor of Goa and Sikkim. Sahsarkaryavah Shri Suresh Soni also spoke at the function.
The other programmes during the centenary year included 88 seminars of intellectuals, 48 large meetings of college students, 45 sadbhavna meetings of different castes and panths, thousands of havans in homes across the state and two blood donation camps, with 101 donations, in Shimla. One essay writing competition and one question-answer competition on the life and works of Shri Guruji were also organised in the state capital by Matrivandana, the largest-circulated magazine of Himachal Pradesh. As many as 500 vistaraks of the Sangh devoted one week'stime to make these programmes a success. The main Pracharaks of RSS and other Hindu leaders who visited the state and addressed the functions included Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi, Shri Hastimal, Shri Hari Bhau Bajhe, Shri Indresh Kumar and Sadhvi Ritambhara.
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