BJP MP facilitates their return to Hinduism after reports of conversion
Patna : Over 500 families of Mahadalit dominated village Chaugai in Buxar district of Bihar on Tuesday agreed to return to their original religion – Hindusim – which they had deserted recently in favour of Christianity. The ghar wapsi of the Musahars (rat eaters) was arranged by senior BJP leader and BJP member of Lok Sabha from Buxar, Ashwini Kumar Chaubey .
Chaubey decided to adopt Chaugai in his constituency in presence of local officers of police and revenue. He visited the village having over 1,000 Musahar families and promised its total development. There were reports of conversion of 500 members of the village from Hinduism to Christianity recently. Two make shift churches were also constructed recently, Chaubey alleged .
Chaubey said he apprehended the poor villagers were converted to Christianity by some local misguided youths who were influenced by the self declared “Masihi Babas” who told the villagers their family deity.
Kali Mai (Goddess Kali) will not help them improve their conditions. He urged the district magistrate and SP of Buxar to conduct an inquiry by the CID and arrest the culprits who helped religious conversion through allurement and deceit.
DM Raman Kumar, who had held an inquiry through the BDO and circle officer, denied use of force, fraud or allurement in religious conversions and said the neo-Christians told the officers they changed their faith on their own conviction.
BJP MP held a meeting with the Mahadalits near a Kali temple in the village and inquired about their problems. Villagers complained non-delivery of different government schemes and said five adult families were made to live in single rooms.
He directed the ADM present at the meeting to arrange Indira Awas units to each of the adult Musahar families. Chaubey said the Manjhi primary school which was one km away from the village should be shifted to their settlement to facilitate education of children.
He regretted there was no distribution of ration cards, old age pension, widow pensions or Lakshmibai Pension to the village women. No doctor visited them. He said within a week health camp would be organised in the village and would be held every Sunday for the next three months.
He alleged the administration could not provide them even food materials and no benefit under the 19-point Mahadalit mission reached them.
He told the Mahadalits he would develop the village under the MPLAD scheme. Local BDO present at the meeting was asked to arrange delivery of benefits of different government schemes in the Mahadalit colony, Chaubey said.
This was the first major incident of change of religious faith in central Bihar where violent caste clashes between upper castes and Dalits had taken several lives and creation of outlawed private armies.
