Image for representational purpose, courtesy: Opindia
Startling revelations have surfaced pertaining to project Joshua, an America based research initiative primary focused on collecting extensive data about the ethnic and religious groups across the world who have less or no followers of Christian sect. According to the details stated on the mission website “Joshua Project is a research initiative seeking to highlight the people groups of the world with the fewest followers of Christ.”
It further reads that “Accurate, updated people group information is critical for understanding and completing the Great Commission (A call to make disciples of Christ among every nation or people group). The details further talks about “Revelation 5:9 and 7:9-10” which explains “that there will be some from every tribe, tongue, nation and people before the Throne”.
Founded in 1995 with its headquarter in United States, the project keeps a track record of the progress of missionary groups in reaching out separate ethnic groups along with those people groups yet to be reached by the missionaries. Upon analysing the data available one would know that the details collected by the group is so comprehensive in nature that it could easily narrowed down to each sect, subsect of an ethnic group in any particular region across countries under its observation.
It is widely speculated that the extensive collection of data by the project is being utilised by the missionaries to further the ongoing conversion activities to meet the call of Great Commission mentioned on the website.
Conversion activities in Bharat
With over 26 million adherents which constitutes a majority in three states i.e. in Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya along with Manipur where it constitutes over 41% of the total population, the Christian community is the third largest religious group of Bharat. The community also constitute a significant population in states like Goa and Kerala where it forms 25% and 18% of the population respectively. In terms of number it has a strong presence in the state of Tamilnadu where it has a population of over four million.
It must be noted that although the overall share of the Christian community is marginal in country’s population, separate states of Bharat have been reported to be marred by continuous attempts of illegal conversion promoted by missionaries on pretext of providing facilities such as education, health facilities, financial aid, alongside distributing rations & spreading fallacy among the marginalised sections such as the Dalit community and various ethnic tribal groups largely residing in remote parts of the country.
Moreover, there are several pockets in tribal dominated states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand along with specific regions of Madhya Pradesh and Odisha where the Christian community has a dominant presence. If reports are to be believed rampant conversion are ongoing in such pockets all allegedly under the very Joshua project.
According to the details available on the website, the project identifies 2,272 groups in Bharat with an evangelical annual growth rate of 3.9%. The scale of conversion has been confirmed in a recent investigation done by a prominent media outlet. The report claims that the Joshua Project is said to have reached 6 crore people in Bharat converting four people of each 100 individuals. This led to the estimate of around 24 lakh conversion to Christianity so far in Bharat.
Dainik Bhaskar ground report
According to the details of the comprehensive investigation done by Dainik Bhaskar, Christians are in majority in 82 of the total 110 villages of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand that were investigated during the 18 days long ground report.
The investigation has unveiled shocking details such as training of individuals as part of the Joshua project who are further tasked with conducting survey of the residents of villages alongside showing them “videos”. The details of the survey are collected by a supervisor linked to the Church after which a team led by local pastor visit the selected individuals who have shown interest in the video, inciting them for conversion.
Further, it was revealed in the report that every village has an individual associated with the network who has been given a title/post of “Prachar” primarily tasked with convincing people to attend prayers at Church and converting them subsequently. The said individual was given Rs1500 for arranging marriage for a follower of the Christian sect and Rs 2000 for each conversion facilitated by him .
These Prachar people report to local pastors who have been given a salary of Rs 10-20k and are also provided with a vehicle to roam around. All the pastor of the region work under a “Father” who reports directly to the Bishops. To pay them (fathers) an impressive salary amounting to Rs one lakh they are employed as principals or hospital heads, reveals the report further.
What Organiser finds in its ground report
Notably, the Organiser team in April this year also paid a visit to the ground in remote parts of Surguja region of Chhattisgarh marred by rampant conversion. According to the ordeal shared by the local residents not only the region is witnessing a surge in conversion activities stemming out of various inducement offered to them by the groups involved in furthering the conversion activities but shockingly majority of the converts are still found to be practicing Hindus on paper, primarily to avail benefits associated with reservation.
The Organiser also interacted with the individuals who informed about the “Prachar Wale Log” (those who assigned with the task to convert people) claiming to cure serious illness and poverty by charismatic prayers. During the visit it was quite evident that the majority of the conversion attempts are aimed at specific ethnic groups who have been cunningly led in changing their religion.
Speculations of alleged linked with proposed caste census
Further, the shocking revelation around the project Joshua has also led to the speculations raised by some that the recent push to conduct a caste census across the country by leaders of oppositions could lead to help the ongoing Joshua project to attain its goal of collecting significant socio-economic details linked to various castes groups in Bharat.
These concerns have contributed to the assessment that access to such an extensive data either directly or by any other unauthorised way could help the mission groups furthering their sinister design of conversion that too on the government cost.
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