Ever since the tribal-dominated State of Chhattisgarh came into existence, it’s been alleged that the State machinery has been infiltrated by a large chunk of people, who directly or indirectly support or motivate the cause of conversion of the local Hindu natives to Christianity.
Twenty-three years on the situation on the ground seems to be unchanged. For instance, from the recent altercations between the local Hindu Vanvasi group with the mission-backed goons in Narayanpur of the Bastar region to allegedly giving a free hand to the missionaries in the Covid times, it seems that the voices of the local Hindu tribals against the missionary-backed conversions has so far remained unheard in the incumbent congress government.
In the latest incident, pertaining to the penetration of missionary sympathizers in the Government machinery, an old tribal lady has been advised by a Government official to visit the local Church to cure her illness in the Bhatgaon region of the newly crafted Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district of Chhattisgarh.
The shameful incident occurred when an old tribal lady, Kumari Bai Sahis, a resident of ward no 03 Bhatgaon, had gone to the nearby primary health center of Bhatgaon for her treatment when the R.M.A (Rural Medical Assistant) Santosh Tondon after advising some medicine told the lady to visit the nearby Church on May 28 to get rid of her prolonged illness on May 16.
Santosh Tondon, while emphasizing the treatment being provided in the Church premises, also briefed the lady that not only the doctors treating in the Church are good, but the treatment provided there is also free of cost, going further the Government official also wrote down the address of the Church on the backside of the prescription.
Learning about the incident when BJP functionary Dheeraj Singh a resident of the same colony where the lady resides, confronted the RMA with the advice he gave to the lady, Santosh Tondon firstly tried to defend his action by explaining that he knew the lady for a long and was only trying to help her. Though Dheeraj rightly pointed out why a Sanatan Dharma practitioner should need to visit a Church for treatment, Santosh Tondon explained that he only has advised the lady to go there if she didn’t get well on the medicines prescribed by him.
Fumed by the action of the RMA, Dheeraj Singh then submitted a memorandum in the district collectorate demanding immediate action against the accused, following which a show cause notice against the accused had also been reportedly issued by the head of the Bhatgaon PHC to which Santosh Tondon replied that the lady herself had asked about the Church and he was only trying to help her with the address.
However, contrary to his claims, a viral video of the victim clearly established that it was the RMA who had advised the lady to visit the Church for treatment. In the video, the victim can be heard saying that the RMA told her that you are coming here for two years and that if you are not getting well, you should go there (Church).
Dheeraj Singh also wrote a letter to the Secretary of the health ministry seeking an enquiry against the accused. In the letter sent to the ministry, Dheeraj has asked the authorities to conduct a thorough enquiry about the number of patients referred by Santosh Tondon besides providing police protection for the lady. However, as of now, he has not received any reply from the ministry.
Speaking with the Organiser representative, the complainant, Dheeraj, said, “This is nothing but a clear case of promoting conversion; other than the lady, there are a few more to whom Santosh Tondon had advised the same, the whole matter should be investigated thoroughly.”
Meanwhile, lashing out at the Bhupesh Baghel-led State Government, senior BJP leader Prabal Pratap Judev, said that “There is no doubt that the Government machinery in the State has a large number of people who act in favor of the missionaries, they are the same people who had either converted or have been sold themselves to the missionaries, the local Hindus are falling prey to their propaganda on a daily basis, but the State Government is keeping a numb attitude towards it.
” Look what has happened in the Gahira Guru son’s case. The whole State machinery has been rallying behind the accused SDOP Sher Singh, who had publicly humiliated the son of a renowned Hindu saint. It is nothing but a well-calculated attempt of the Baghel Government to demoralize the Hindu community in the State. The said RMA should be immediately suspended, and a thorough enquiry should be conducted into the whole issue, quoted further, the BJP stalwart.
It is to be noted that numerous reports pertaining to the illegal conversion activities by the Christian missionaries in the State have been coming to the fore since a long and on a few occasions, even the senior officials of the State Government have also issued letters citing the possible emergence of law and order situation due to growing menace of illegal conversion.
A couple of years ago, a similar alarming letter issued by the then Superintendent of police of Sukma, Sunil Sharma made the headlines when the district police head asserted about the possibility of grave law and order situation due to growing illegal activities of conversion in the remote areas of Bastar.
Let us tell you that the tribal heartland of Chhattisgarh has a long history of illegal conversion promoted by Christian missionaries. Recently, the State has also witnessed a number of communal fissures between the local Hindu Vanvasi community and the evangelists in the Bastar region of the State.
The notable among recent altercation was when a mob of around 200 evangelists attacked the local vanvasi community for protesting against the rampant illegal conversion by the mission-backed converted Christians in the gorra village of Narayanpur, resulting in a wide-scale protest by the Vanvasi community in the whole Bastar region.
The Vanvasi community have also alleged the Baghel-led Government of keeping a blind eye on the misdeeds of evangelists, thanks to their vote bank appeasement policy.
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