Children of Lesser Gods

 

 

 

 

There are numerous reports of rampant conversions in Andhra Pradesh aided by foreign NGOs since the YSRCP came to power. A Christian pastor, named Praveen Chakravarthy, claimed that he has converted entire villages in Andhra and has also desecrated the idols of Hindu gods and felt good doing it. This video had caused huge consternation with people calling for his arrest and ban his NGO. He heads an NGO, called Sylom Blind Center. Later, the pastor apologised and, as expected, the Andhra police took no action against him. There are many such NGOs which work in the state in the name of social service but aid or abet religious conversions. Despite complaints, no action was taken by the state government to rein in such NGOs.

 

 

Further, the Andhra government has more than 15 schemes aimed at Christian community, highest in the country. Yet, the government continues to appease the community with targeted schemes at the cost of the financial health of the state. After announcing a bounty of Rs 5000 per month to Christian pastors in the state in September 2019, CM Jagan’s government largesse to the Christians did not end. The state government increased the financial assistance to Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem and other Biblical places by a whopping 50%.

 

 

Large-scale conversion to Christianity is taking place in the state for many years. Unfortunately, Andhra Pradesh does not have any legislation to curb conversion. In the absence of a mandatory provision to register the change of religion, most of the conversions from Hinduism to Christianity are being neither noticed nor recorded in any official records. Majority of the said conversions are out of SC Hindu population.

 

 

RTI query from Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) revealed that the government scheme ‘Chandranna Christmas Kanuka’ for Christians was also being extended to SCs and STs. The government officials in their reply to the LRPF’s RTI query said they treat the entire SC population as Christians and as such they extended the scheme to all SC people, whereas it should be given only to Christians.

 

 

As further proof of large scale conversions to Christianity but the concealment of their real religion, an RTI from LRPF to the Mandal Tehsildar in Krishna District revealed that with a population of 630 Christians, the Mandal had 68 Churches in 11 villages with an average of 6 churches per village. The number of Churches on the ground which are not recorded in Revenue Records is much higher.

 

 

As a further proof of large scale conversions into Christianity with the aid of the government, the statement made by K. Rajendra Prasad, Secretary for the AP United Pastors Association claimed a membership of 5 lakh Pastors and total 2 crore Christian population in Andhra Pradesh whereas the 2011 Census shows the total population of Christians is only 6.82 lakh in Undivided Andhra Pradesh. If the population of Christians in Andhra Pradesh is only 6.82 lakh out of 4.93 crore (State Population) why so much money is being spent on just 1.4 per cent of the total population?

 

 

 

The AP government has been very benevolent to shower the Christian community with generous donations with the money from the state’s exchequer. While enhancing the financial assistance for pilgrimage is the latest, many other schemes are in place aimed to appease the community.

 

 

For example, the Dulhan Scheme provides financial assistance of Rs.50,000/- to each girl belonging to the minority communities if they are residing in Andhra Pradesh. Pre-matric scholarships are sanctioned to the students studying from Christian and Muslim communities studying from class 6th to 10th. Post-matric scholarships to the minority students are provided for Intermediate, Graduation, Post Graduation and Professional Courses. There is a long list of such schemes which are only for the benefit of Christians and Muslims in Andhra Pradesh. While TDP and Chandrababu Naidu are expectedly silent as they were the originators of the scheme, BJP has strongly objected to such largesse. BJP leader Lanka Dinakaran slammed Jagan Reddy’s govt for using public money for Christian pilgrimage tours saying that while PM Modi works for ‘Sabka Sath – Sabka Vikas – Sabka Vishwas’, the Andhra government was busy indulging in minority appeasement only.

 

 

 

 

On January 13, 2020, in a case of deliberate, large scale violence, a Muslim mob attacked Hindus and burnt their property in Bhainsa town of Nirmal district, Telangana. The trouble began when a Muslim youth was admonished by elders for his rash driving and for using abusive language against the residents of Korba Street. Keeping this in mind, the youth returned with a mob of around 400-500 Muslims after 9 pm, and indulged in violence by burning parked vehicles and pelting stones on residents. As the Muslim mobs went on a rampage, 18 houses belonging to Hindus were burnt and properties were looted. Sadly, even those arrested were immediately bailed out with legal aid provided by AIMIM.

 

 

In January, a Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) conference in Hyderabad was forcefully stopped by police. MRM had organised a conference on ‘Current Affairs of the Country’ in Hyderabad on January 27th but even before the event began, the Telangana Police arrested MRM’s Telangana State Convener Mohammad Abdul Sattar and Co-Convenor Syed Faizuddin.

 

 

 

 

The VHP took a serious note of the recent developments in both the Telugu states and approached President Shri Ram Nath Kovind over blatant minority appeasement and anti-Hindu policies of the two-state governments. VHP representation categorically states that the lands of Hindu Temples are being grabbed for Muslim and Christian purposes. This includes 6500 acres of land, in Survey no. 275 in Simhachalam near Vishakhapatnam of the Temple Shri Narisimha Swami; where many Christian churches have been made in the said land. Similarly, 4 acres of land, of some 200 crores of Virbhadraswami Temple in Raichoti, Kadappa District was announced by the Chief Minister himself to be allotted for a Waqf.

 

 

“Several big Temples including in Guntur District in November 2019 have been demolished without prior notice. Surprisingly, on the back of the bus tickets from Tirupati to Tirumala have been printed the subsidies and facilities being provided by the State Govt. for Christians going to Jerusalem and the commuters invited to participate in the pilgrimage to Jerusalem,” says the VHP letter.

 

 

The Telangana government has provided for reservations in jobs and educational institutions for the Muslims though the decision has been stayed by the Courts. The Telangana govt. is also providing a grant upto Rs. 10 lakh for the building of Churches under the scheme of ‘Church Development Fund’, states the VHP letter. The VHP representation urged the President to advise the two-state governments to conform to the spirit of secularism and Sarva Dharm Samabhav.