A representation image, copy of the FIR attached
Conversion activities in the tribal belts mostly go unchecked, there have been massive conversions of these tribals to Christianity over the years. The first and foremost reason being, unawareness and the other is allurement.
Well, with laws like the ‘anti-Conversion Act,’ in place there has been slight awareness among the people. But the situation in villages located in far dense forests, home to many tribes are worse, as they are still the easiest targets for the conversion mafias.
We at Organiser Weekly, bring to you, the story of this man Ramesh Bhabor, a vanvasi, who refused to convert, ignoring all the perks and benefits he would have gotten so easily post conversion.
He chose to remain Hindu at a time when many in his village have opted for Christianity over their customs and beliefs.
Jhabua: Home to maximum tribes in MP
Ramesh lives in the Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh. Readers should know that Jhabua is home to the maximum number of tribes in Madhya Pradesh. There are 1.7 per cent Scheduled Caste (SC) and 87 per cent Scheduled Tribe (ST) of the total population in the Jhabua District.
Jhabua district is home to the Bhil tribe also referred as the ‘brave bowmen of India’. The region mainly consists of three tribes Bhil, Bhilala and Pateliya; Bhils being the predominantly populous tribe. There are different customs and rituals followed by these tribe one being each village has a small forest area.
This small forest area is called a place of their village deity; Matavan. It is a social norm of conserving village forests and not using the wood for personal use. The entire community takes the responsibility of conserving and flourishing it. They offer their first harvest of every season to the deity with reverence and gratitude.
On March 25, Ramesh gave a police complaint against five of his villagers accusing them of forcing him to convert to Christianity.
Upon converting they were provided with a cross locket and a Bible
An First Information Report (FIR number–169/2023) was registered at the Kalyanpura police station of the Jhabua District on March 25.
In his complaint, 27-year-old Ramesh told the police that he is a resident of Jher village and comes from Bhabor Jati. The villagers Sandhiya Bhabor, Badu Bhabor, Nathu Gundiya, Makna Sigadiya and Kanji Sikadiya all residents of Negadiya and Balwan village are forcing people to convert to Christianity.
On March 25, around 4:30 in the evening Ramesh with his friend Rajesh went to the house of Badu. At that time, Sandiya, Nathu, Makna and others were praying to Jesus. Badu asked them to come and sit in the prayer.
After the prayer, he told Ramesh to come to Christianity as after it he and his family will get free treatment and his children will be sent to good schools, he will not have to worry about the education fees at all.
After this, they sprinkled some water on them and put a cross locket tied in a thread around their neck. Later, they bring a book saying it was Bible and handed it over to Ramesh and Rajesh. Nathu also chanted some of the verses from the book and said, ‘You have become a Christian now’.
He asked them to follow Missionary customs and come to the prayers organised in the Church, every Sunday.
Ramesh was not feeling good about leaving Hinduism and becoming a Christian so coming out of Badu’s house he told Rajesh, “I will remain Hindu and will not become a Christian”. Badu somehow heard it and said, if they will not follow Christianity he will make sure Ramesh is thrown out of the village.
(Organiser Weekly has the original copy of the FIR)
All accused booked under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of religion Act
After Ramesh’s FIR, the Kalyanpura police booked all the accused under sections 3 / 5 (Forcefully convert), and 10(2) (organising prayers and meeting for converting people) of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021.
This correspondent called up the Station House Officer (SHO) Kalyanpura, Gyan Bahadur Singh on April 3 and he said all the accused have been arrested by the police.
He said after receiving the complaint, the police made a team and the next day to the FIR, on March 26 all the accused were arrested from their respective village.
Singh said, the victim is yet to record his statement in front of the magistrate.
Ramesh says “I am a Hindu and will remain so all my life”
This correspondent called up the victim Ramesh on April 3. In a telephonic interview with Organiser Weekly, Ramesh said, he believes in Hinduism only and will remain so forever.
Ramesh comes from the Bhabor Adivasi Jati and he and his forefathers have been living in the Jher village since ages.
He is a farmer by profession and is the father of two children. For the past few years, there have been massive conversions in his neighbouring villages. One after the other whole families have converted to Christianity.
He said, “Mam we are tribal people and we live in the woods, out live is around the forests only, we pray to the forest, we get food from the forest and that was all. How come we have Churches in the forest”.
He said, these people Badu and accomplices were tribals only, see their surnames, they still use Bhabor, Gundiya, and Sigadiya as surnames which fall under tribal jati only. For the money they have all accepted Christianity, he said.
He added, too were lured with better education and medical benefits but their children are going in government schools, and they are fooling the villagers.
Ramesh said, “I agreed to convert to Christianity at the prayer meeting just to expose them. They had this mini pond in which they ask people to dive in, the day I was converted they sprinkled some holy water on us and gave us a cross locket.”
“I always knew I will remain a Hindu only,” he said.
Now that they all are in jail, others (their friends) will stop this business of converting innocent tribals.
Asking which deity he and others in his village believe in he said, “We believe in all Hindu deities only like Durga Mata, Hanuman Ji, we have their temples here. Apart from these we also pray to nature gods which include Baba Deo, the god of the forest and Savan Mata, the goddess of the rain”.
Almost five to seven years ago, they had no church in the village. Things like these have developed in front of them only said, Ramesh.
He says, these converted tribals still get benefits as Adivasis, they are anyways at a win-win situation and that is why they don’t hesitate in leaving behind customs and rituals which have been there for centuries.
He said, “I am proud of my customs and religious beliefs, that is why I refused to convert and will make sure no one from my village converts in the near future”.
Asked, if those who have converted had any change in their living or appearances. He said both men and women live like any other Adivasi in the village. These women would wear a nuptial chain along with a cross locket, they will go to these prayer meetings where people like Badu tell them about ‘Ishu’ (Jesus), he said.
Asked what else they teach in these meetings, he said, they tell people to propagate the mission of Jesus and bring more and more people to the path of Jesus. Those who will accept Christianity will get benefits from the Church, and those following Hinduism will suffer and will never remain happy.
Ramesh was at a wedding when he spoke to this correspondent, he said neither he nor his friend became Christian. They are Hindu and will remain so all their lives.
Asked if all the converted people in his village used their tribal certificates to avail the government benefits, he said they are all tribals only, they are getting extra benefits on becoming Christians and that is what attracts the other villagers to this community, he concluded.
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