For BJP, conversions “Corrupt India”: Catholic Church views this as damaging

(November 07, 2009) “The statement by the BJP national president that conversions corrupt Indian culture is damaging for the religious harmony that has been the trademark of ours civilisation for years,” Fr Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). Speaking in Bhopal on 31 October, Rajnath Singh, head of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said that there “is a need to check large scale religious conversions carried out by foreign forces,” because “foreign missionaries are using religion to infiltrate India and corrupt its culture.” Ultimately, “illegal mass conversions” are a “threat to national security.” He claimed that in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, 30 per cent of the tribal population changed religion. Prominent Indian Catholic figures unanimously dismissed such claims, starting with the bishops of Madhya Pradesh. For Fr Babu Joseph, the remarks by the BJP president are “tactless” and “tasteless.” People “expect more mature and responsible statements from their political leaders.” For the CBCI spokesman, conjuring up such fantasies undermines the “unique religious and cultural mosaic that is India.” Instead, “India’s political leaders should focus on the challenges the country has to meet at home and abroad.” Singh’s statement comes at a time of great crisis for the BJP, following setbacks in State elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh.