People lured into Christianity

By Leelanath Ghimire
SINDHULI, Sept 18

Though any attempts and acts of urging one to change one’s religion is punishable by law, such activities are going on unchecked in Sindhuli district. Converting poor Hindus into Christians in the district has lead to family disintigration and conflicts within the community, sources said.

In a latest case of converting Hindu into Christians, a family has been ruined and three minors have become homeless.

Lured by some of Hindus turned Christians, Jethi Magarni, the wife of Juddha Bahadur Magar at Inarpani of Kamalamai municipality-12 became Christian two months back.

According to sources, she was lured into Christianity with assurances that Christ would cure her children suffering from malnutrition and that she would be wealthy once she became a Christian.

Before she became a Christian, her husband tried to convince Magarni not to abandon her tradition. However, one day in mid-August, she finally adopted Christianity.

Grieved by the decision of his wife, Magar drank heavily that evening. He met his tragic end as he fell from the ladder in an attempt to go to the top floor. Blinded by the new faith, Magarni termed the death of her husband as the result of criticism of Christ. Soon after, Magarni immersed in Christianity, left her children. Ever since, her children, all below the age of eight, are left at the mercy of the villagers.

According to Chitra Narayan Chaulagain, the outgoing ward chairman, people like Madan Tamang, Shambhu Pahadi and Basau are busy converting locals into Christians. Now there is a total of 70 to 80 people who have been converted into Christians at Inarpani, and there are conflicts between the Christians and Hindus.

"Some professional Christians are involved in turning Hindus into Christians. Mostly people from the depressed section of the society and the dalits are their victims," said Rajan Neupane, a lawyer.

The state law stipulates a penalty of three years imprisonment to those attempting to change another’s faith and six years imprisonment to those found guilty in working towards that end. However, concerned authorities have remained silent on the happenings at Inarpani, Neupane said.

I think this topic requires a serious consideration because this is a moral issue. I can relate myself to this issue because I studied in Sishu Vidyashram, a boarding school in Baneshwor, where I had a lot of christian friends. They were christians not because they wanted to be, but it was almost forced upon them. Many had their father or their mother in jail. While serving their sentence, their parents had an agreement with some christian orginization that would allow their kid to go to a good school if they agree to become christian. In other instance, they would go to a starving family with an intention to sponser their children if they agree to become christian. So, many of my christian friends were either from a poor family or their parents were serving prison time. However, my school just provided education to those kids, and was not involved with those orginizations.

I think people have a right to choose their own religion. But, to turn someone into a different religion out of compulsion does not seem right to me. If those organization are for real, they should help out the needy not on the basis of his/her religion but out of humanity. They should give people a choice, and not force a decision upon them.