Church leaders and a Christian law-maker have slammed a popular Hindu spiritual leader for accusing Christian school teachers in western India’s Gujarat state of converting students to Christianity. Morari Bapu claimed that 75% of govern-ment school teachers in Gujarati’s tribal-dominated Tapi district are Christians and “are actively involved in converting students to Christianity.” The spiritual leader’s discourses use poetry and music to tell the life of the Hindu god Ram. He made the allegation at such a discourse in Songadh town on March 14.
“The unwarranted comments without even a shred of evidence need to be condemned unequivocally,” said Father Cedric Prakash on March 20. The Jesuit priest and rights activist based in Gujarat said that the Hindu spiritual leader has a large following in Gujarat. “His followers lap up everything he says, even blatant lies such as this,” Prakash added. He said Christian missionaries have empowered indigenous tribal people in the area through a well-run network of quality educational institutions. “This has surely rankled those who for years have been exploiting them and keeping them on the margins of society,” Prakash said. Mohan Kokani, the lone tribal Christian legislator from Vyara constituency in Tapi district, called the conversion claim “baseless.” Konkani, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said: “We have not received a single complaint of a Christian teacher converting students in the district. Bapu should give proof of his statement.”
The elected legislator said that till 1970, the tribal area lacked health and education facilities. “Christian missionaries arrived and provided health care and education, so people accepted them. They did not lure anyone to Christianity,” Kokani said. John Dayal, a senior journalist and spokesperson of the All India Catholic Union, said India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and belief. “In a Hindu majority country where the law-and-order machinery is firmly in Hindu hands, there’s no question of any forcible or fraudulent conversion as alleged,” he said. “This is a falsehood created, perpetuated and enlarged to suit a political objective,” Dayal added.
Spanish bishops speak out after leaks of their meeting with Leo XIV
The executive committee of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, (CEE, by its Spanish acronym) meeting in Madrid this week, issued an official statement regarding the leaks
