Issue of appointment of a Christian as PRO of the historic Vajreshwari Mandir
Thane, Maharashtra – Francis Joseph Limos, a Christian was appointed as a public relation officer (PRO) of the historic Shri Vajreshwari Mandir at Bhiwandi which has an ancient traditional heritage. It resulted in the pro-Hindu organisations expressing their strong displeasure over the matter. Shambhudurga Pratishthan warned to stage agitations on this issue. The strong reaction by devout Hindu activists led to advocate Patkar, the president of ‘Shri Vajreshwaridevi Sansthan (Sansthan)’ hinting at the dismissal of Francis; however, before such action, Francis resigned.
1. On the 16th of April 2023, members of Shambhudurga Pratishthan submitted a memorandum to the Sansthan, demanding the cancellation of the appointment of Francis.
2. Shambhudurga Pratishthan has welcomed the decision taken by Francis Joseph Lemos.
3. Christian missionaries have built prayer houses in the native habitations in the Thane District and have developed contacts with the people from those areas. Hindus coming in contact with these missionaries are, later, influenced, and they stop believing in Hindu Dharma while some of them give up their own Dharma.
4. Many pro-Hindu organisations are working hard to stop the conversion of Hindus by Christian missionaries. In such a situation, the Sansthan appointing a Christian as its supervisor, was like inviting trouble for Hindu Dharma, stated the letter submitted by Shambhudurga Pratishthan to the Sansthan.
5. The activists of Hindu Rashtra Sena had also warned to stage agitations in this matter. The Police tried to pressurise devout Hindu activists, but the resignation by Francis Joseph Lemos ended the dispute.
Editorial viewpoint
All pro-Hindu organisations need to keep Shambhudurga Pratishthan as an ideal for giving fight against incidents that can cause harm to Hindu Dharma. |