Dharma Jagran Samiti organised a Hindu Sammelan at Karadabani under Dhenkanal district of Orissa on January 10 to protest against illegal conversions by church funded NGOs. More than 5,000 villagers from three nearby districts participated in the Sammelan.
Chief guest at the Sammelan was Braj Prant Pramukh of the Samiti Shri Rajeswar Singh Solanki. He suggested three methods of fighting against proselytisation. ?We have to make our future generations healthy, intelligent and financially strong. We also need to motivate them to join the army, police and administrative services,? he said. Dharm Jagaran Samiti'sUtkal Prant Pramukh Shri Vinay Bhuyan, Mahant Yogi Sidhhanath Maharaj, Swami Ram Swarupananda Maharaj, Swami Dindas Saraswati, Mahant Baba Krusnachandra Das and Swami Gyananda Saraswati were also present at the Sammelan and jointly cautioned the administration to put a check on the illegal activities of the church funded NGOs in order to avert a serious law and order situation in coming days.
The seers alleged that a section of the Christian NGOs was engaged in religious conversions, which is illegal as per the Orissa Freedom Of Religion Act 1967. Till date only 2 persons are officially converted to Christianity in Kandhamal, whereas according to 2001 Census there are nearly two lakh Christians in the district.? They further said no Hindu would tolerate such activities especially after the brutal murder of Swami Laxmananada Saraswati. A Hindu Sangharsh Vahini was also formed at the Sammelan to fight against illegal conversion in the state.
