Sanatan Prabhat > Post Type > News > National News > Strong opposition by villagers to a religious conversion programme targeting Hindus in Shirdhon (Raigad district) !

Strong opposition by villagers to a religious conversion programme targeting Hindus in Shirdhon (Raigad district) !

  • A four-day programme was organised by ‘The Pentecostal Mission’, Mumbai

  • Evasive replies by church representatives to devout Hindu villagers !
Villagers questioning the organizers

Panvel, Maharashtra – A religious conversion programme organised at the ‘The Pentecostal Convention Ground’ in the village of Shirdhon, located on the Mumbai–Goa Highway, between 29 January and 1 February, was strongly opposed by local villagers. The programme was organised by the Mumbai-based organisation ‘The Pentecostal Mission’ under the attractive title of a four-day ‘Annual Fellowship and Healing Meeting’. Despite villagers protesting at the entrance, the programme continued inside.

News about this programme was published in the daily Sanatan Prabhat on 30 January, following which awareness spread among the villagers. Videos of the entire incident have come into the possession of Sanatan Prabhat. In this matter, the villagers also submitted a written complaint at the police station.

Villagers demand submission of names along with religious identity of attendees and installation of a board at the entrance stating ‘Entry prohibited for people of other religions’ !

1.  A church representative told the villagers, ‘We have not invited anyone for this programme’. In response, villagers produced the church’s circulated advertisement leaflet stating ‘All are cordially invited’, thereby exposing the representative’s falsehood.

2.  The church representative then claimed, ‘This is a personal invitation, like a wedding invitation’. To this, villagers firmly replied, ‘Then provide us in writing a list of all the people who have come here, including their names, contact numbers, where they are from, and what their religion is. Also, put up a board at the entrance stating “People of other religions are not allowed here” ’.

3.  Seeing the unexpected and strong opposition from the entire village, the representative attempted to buy time by superficially stating, ‘If we have made a mistake, we humbly apologise’.

Programme has no permission from the Gram Panchayat !

People attending the disease prevention meeting

When devout Hindus asked the church representative whether permission had been taken from the Sarpanch and the Gram Panchayat for this programme, he admitted that no such permission had been obtained. While trying to justify himself, the representative offered to give a letter stating that ‘no religious conversion is taking place here’. He also claimed that his organisation is registered, and cunningly said, ‘If anyone comes here to threaten us, we will talk to them. If anyone from the village comes, we will contact you. We will inform our seniors that Gram Panchayat permission is required. We have made a mistake this time. We will remember it next time’.

When villagers stated that religious conversion was taking place, the cunning church representative insisted on holding a meeting !

1. Villagers raised several points before the representative, including ‘Whose permission did you take when this church was constructed 30 years ago ?’ and ‘There must be a registration book with names right at your entrance’. After seemingly agreeing to everything, the representative insisted on holding a meeting with them. (Understand the cunning of Christians ! – Editor)

2.  When another church representative claimed, ‘We only help those who come to us’, villagers retorted sharply, ‘Do not speak evasively; we have come here to warn you’. They further said, ‘We are aware that you come into the village and carry out religious conversions. We have driven you away several times. If your intentions are pure, why have you stopped us from entering inside ?’ When the representatives realised that the villagers’ opposition was intensifying, one of them cunningly suggested, ‘Not in front of everyone; let us sit somewhere and talk’.

3. Villagers told them, ‘This is a village of revolutionaries, and because of you its reputation is being tarnished. News of your programme has appeared in newspapers’. At that time, announcements were also made over the sound system within the church premises saying, ‘Do not stand here’. Church representatives also told the villagers, ‘We have a total of 40 churches across Mumbai and Maharashtra, and this is the main church’.

Memorandum submitted to police by devout Hindu organisations: demand for strict action !

Before going to the site, representatives of various devout Hindu organisations had submitted a memorandum to the Senior Police Inspector in Panvel regarding the conspiracy of religious conversion taking place in Shirdhon. The memorandum mentioned the possibility of conversions being carried out under the guise of disease cure in the said programme. It also stated that if treatments were being conducted as per the claims in the programme advertisement, then ‘deceiving people through miracle cures instead of medical treatment’ constitutes an offence under the anti-superstition law. The memorandum further stated that such activities could disturb peace, religious harmony, and law and order in the area. It demanded surveillance of the programme, video recording of the event, and immediate stoppage of the programme with action against the organisers if religious conversion was found to be taking place. The memorandum bears the signatures of representatives of various devout Hindu organisations as well as the Deputy Sarpanch of Shirdhon.

Editorial Perspective

  • Why does such a demand have to be made ? Why do the police not take action on their own ?
  • Congratulations to the alert devout Hindus of Shirdhon ! If Hindus in every village become vigilant in this manner, Christians will not be able to carry out religious conversions of Hindus !
  • It is necessary for the government to investigate this entire incident and take strict action against the guilty !

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