Ghar Wapsi in Chhattisgarh: Hundreds of Vanvasis ‘revert to Sanatan’ amidst vedic chants in Dharmajaigarh of Raigarh

As many as 200 people from 56 families of ‘Pahadi Korva’, primitive tribes, a community categorised as ‘adopted sons’ of the president of the Republic of Bharat, have reverted to Sanatan in a Ghar Wapsi ceremony held at Raigarh of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, March 17.

Hundreds of tribals carrying their traditional bow and arrows made a return to their bona fide religion amidst the chants of Vedic Mantra in Barghat village under Kumarta Panchayat of Dharmajaigarh. Those who reverted are residents of remote regions who were earlier practicing the Christian religion.

The ‘Ghar wapsi ceremony’, which witnessed a significant attendance of the local villagers, was headed by senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Prabal Pratap Judev who welcomed the elated returnees by washing their feet with the sacred Gangajal amidst chants of shlokas.

Addressing the gathering, Judev, a scion of the Jashpur Royal family who has been leading the Gharwapsi campaign in the tribal heartland for years, asserted that illegal conversion will not be tolerated anymore and that whoever is found involved in such misdeed should be ready to bear the consequences, as strict punitive action will be taken against those found involved.

If we do not take the menace of conversion gravely, then the coming generations will not forget us for sure, Conversion that occurred after independence should be investigated thoroughly, and action should be initiated against the culprits, added Judev, who has been organising similar Ghar Wapsi campaigns under the banner of Akhil Bhartiya Gharwapsi Abhiyan in the tribal heartland for years.

He further emphasised that the Janjatiye (tribal) community has always protected the Bharatiya culture from the foreign conspiracies and invaders. They (Janjati community) have been the real soldiers of Maa Bharati thus, attempts have been made to weaken them by the foreign powers who conspired to convert them. Their return to the Sanatan fold is an unique initiative.

Ghar Wapsi campaign

Popularised by the former cabinet minister Dilip Singh Judev, Ghar Wapsi campaign has gained strength in the tribal dominated State of Chhattisgarh over the years, during which thousands of Vanvasis, who had earlier converted to Christianity under the influence of certain groups and individuals, have been reverted to the Sanatan Dharma.

Earlier, in a similar ceremony held in Chhattisagrh’s capital, as many as 1000 people from 251 families hailing from different corners of the State had also made a return to the Sanatan fold in the Gudiyari area of Raipur on January 27.

The ceremony was organised on the third day of Hanumanth Katha at the ‘Katha Sthal’ of Pujari of Bageshwr Dham, Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, where Prabal Judev had welcomed the devotees by washing their feet with the holy water of Ganga.

In another similar Ghar Wapsi event held in Surguja district, as many as 140 members of a total of 28 families who were earlier converted to Christianity had also reverted to Sanatan.

The event was organised on the occasion of the 200th birth anniversary of revered social reformer and founder of Arya Samaj, Swami Dayanand Sarasawati, where hundreds of returnees who had earlier adopted the Christian religion reverted to Sanatan.

“Those who are converted are basically Hindus, and it is our paramount duty to bring them back to their bona-fide religion, Gharwapsi is my soul,”  remarked Judev after welcoming the returnees into the Sanatan fold.