220 who had converted to Christianity return to Sanatan Dharma at Bageshwar Dham

The issue of Christian conversions in India is a major one. Scores of people in tribal areas have been targeted by the Christian missionaries and forcibly converted

Around 220 people returned to the Sanatan Dharma on February 19 at a religious event held in Bageshwar Dham.

Dham's Peethadhishwar Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri and thousands of devotees were present that the event. Shastri said that the people themselves returned to Sanatan Dharma. The people were taken to Bageshwar Dham by members of the Hindu Jagran Match.

62 families had converted to Christianity and they belonged to Tapriyan, Barapur, Chitora and Bamhauri village of the Bundelkhand area.

Pandit Shastri said that everyone make mistakes. I request you to start going to Hanuman Temple on Saturday and Tuesday. We are not against any sec t, but are staunch followers of Sanatan Dharma, he said. "I do not want popularity. We want to see the Ramcharitmanas as a national book and India's as Hindu nation," he also said.

Kamal Awasthi, the media coordinator of Bageswhar Dham said that along with the mass marriages, other religious events are also taking place here for the last two days. On February 19 a large number of people boarded buses and reached Bageshwar Dham, he said.

The activists of the Hindu Jagran Manch said that these people had converted to Christianity after coming in contact with missionaries. Following this they began going to Church. Those who returned to the Sanatan Dharma said that they had become Christians due to greed and the temptations set by the missionaries. The missionaries had promised to give them houses, they said.

In December last year, 250 people returned to the Sanatan Dharma during the Katha of Pandit Shastri of Bageshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh. These people who were converted by the Christian missionaries and returned to the Sanatan Dharma at that event.

Christian conversions in India:

Christian conversions in India are a huge menace. While the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion, it however does allow forcible conversions.

Reports of Christian confessions are largely reported from the tribal areas in India. Christian missionaries have been working for decades and are indulging in widespread and forcible conversions.