Conversions due to poverty and illiteracy, says Puri Shankaracharya

Mathura, Dec 23: To tackle the issue of conversion of Hindus, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati has said attention should be paid to the problems of poverty and illiteracy.

Speaking to reporters at his ashram at Chaitanya Vihar in Vrindavan yesterday, Shankaracharya dubbed the conversion of Hindus as "wrong" and said the main reasons behind it are poverty, ignorance and helplessness of the people.

He urged people not to create hype and said any debate on conversions has to delve into these issues, as many of the people convert because they face various scarcities in life.

Shankaracharya also said those who convert may not be able to understand the essence of their religion or they are being lured by incentives. He asserted that if the basic needs of the people are met and social fabric kept intact, then at least Hindus will not opt for conversion.

PTI