Hindu Munnani has strongly criticised the DMK government for maintaining silence over evangelical activities by Hindi-speaking pastors targeting North Indian migrant workers in Tamil Nadu. The organisation accused the ruling party of double standards, protesting the arrest of Christian missionaries in other states while ignoring clear instances of proselytisation within Tamil Nadu itself.
The DMK and its allies, including former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, NTK’s Seeman, who had earlier opposed the inclusion of North Indian migrant workers in Tamil Nadu’s electoral rolls and even the SIR in Bihar, have now turned a blind eye to this proselytisation effort. This, despite the issue being reported widely in both mainstream and social media, and complaints having been filed with the police across the state.
In a statement, Hindu Munnani state vice-president V.P. Jayakumar said, “This is for those who believe that Christians are merely doing social service and not converting Hindus. Over 2,500 migrant labourers from North Indian states working and residing at Kulashekaranpattinam in Thoothukudi district have become targets of the Christian conversion mafia. These missionary groups have come to Tamil Nadu from Jharkhand to convert them by speaking in Hindi and distributing leaflets and Bibles printed in Hindi.”
Jayakumar pointed out that when two Catholic nuns were arrested in Chhattisgarh for kidnapping and converting tribal people, there were widespread protests in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The DMK, its allies, the NTK, all Christian denominations, and even Muslim groups rallied against the BJP, claiming the nuns and others were innocent and merely engaged in charitable work. Now, the same people have fallen silent.
He added that the same DMK Chief Minister who issued a statement condemning the arrests of the Chhattisgarh nuns failed to issue any release when the president of ISKCON was arrested in Bangladesh last year. A banner at the scene of the Thoothukudi incident clearly states: “Bethel Outreach Mission, Surda, East Singhbhum, Jharkhand, India – 832 303.”
Jayakumar continued, “The DMK government denied us permission to protest against the Bangladesh government, but Hindu Munnani held the protest after the High Court intervened and directed the police to allow it.”
He further warned that there are aggressive efforts underway to Christianise Tamil Nadu and accelerate conversions. With this agenda in mind, missionaries are now targeting guest workers in Kulashekaranpattinam. Hindu Munnani has submitted a petition to the Tamil Nadu government and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. “We hope he will take action. We are patiently waiting for his response,” he said.
“The Constitution of India allows anyone to follow a religion of their choice. There is no restriction or ban on reading the Quran or the Bible in Bharat. But these missionaries are approaching Hindus and telling them, ‘You are worshipping evil spirits and Satan.’ The same Constitution does not allow them to make such false statements and convert Hindus. Why is the Tamil Nadu Police hesitating to take action against them?” he asked.
As a symbolic protest against attempts to convert North Indian employees of the Udangudi Thermal Power Station by distributing Hindi versions of the Bible, Hindu Munnani has sent Hindi Bibles to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
Critics are now questioning what exactly the Kerala nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh and the Bethel Outreach Mission team in Tamil Nadu were doing “Is this not conversion activity?” they ask. It appears that these groups are part of a larger design, operating mainly in non-BJP ruled southern states with the tacit support of the ruling parties. In Chhattisgarh, the BJP government acted swiftly to arrest and stop them, which drew strong condemnation from these same parties. “The Centre, with the help of the appropriate agencies, should probe in detail what is actually going on,” they demand.
