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A Hindu extremist group has claimed to reconvert more than 600 Christians, mainly Dalits and tribal, to Hinduism, according to a Washington, D.C.-based Christian human rights group.

International Christian Concern (ICC) reported that the Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) claimed to have “reconverted” hundreds of Christians in the states of Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. However, ICC investigation found serious discrepancies in the claim.

A weekly RSS publication on Mar. 5 reported that about 335 Christians belonging to 55 families “returned to their original roots” at a function held at “Soharpat village of Gumla district in Bihar” recently. The report also claimed that more than 300 Christians “returned to Hindu fold” at Bhojpur village of Etah district in Uttar Pradesh in a separate ceremony, reported ICC.

One of the first discrepancies ICC found in the report is in the geography of the “supposed” reconversion event. Soharpat village is situated in the eastern state of Jharkhand, and not in Bihar state as reported by RSS. The human rights group also said the number of people reported “reconverted” was “grossly exaggerated.” According to the local police station, only about 50 Christians were reconverted to Hinduism, not 335.

“About 50 people belonging to the Munda tribe who had converted to Christianity lately were reconverted at a function held by … an affiliate of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP), at Soharpat village, which is situated on a hill in Latehar’s Mahuadaun Block,” Inspector In-Charge of Mahuadaun police station, Mr. Dilo Lohar, told ICC.

RSS quoted a former state minister who was present at the reconversion function as saying that the state government should put a complete ban on conversion. He claimed that the Christian missionaries were “trapping gullible Vanavasis (tribal people) and converting them to Christianity.”

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Anti-conversion laws are already enforced in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orrissa, Arunachal Pradesh, and Gujarat.

The RSS report said that the worship of a mother goddess was performed by Hindu priests from 102 villages before the reconversion ceremony. “Mr. Mahirang Oraon, state organizing secretary of [a radical Hindu group], welcomed them (the Christians) by washing their feet. They were also offered Gangajal (water of River Ganga which is considered holy by Hindus) before the ceremony,” added the report.

In an earlier claim, RSS said that 128 tribal Catholic Christian families had “reconverted” to Hinduism at a function at Soharpat on Jan. 30, 1999. However, a leading national newspaper, The Times of India, reported that the program was “shrouded in secrecy.”

“Despite providing some photographs of a reconversion ceremony to substantiate their claims, the local RSS members are not prepared to give a list of the reconverted Christians or provide the names of their villages,” said the paper.

Times of India noted that it was not clear whether the tribal had reconverted to Hinduism or decided to follow their own faith of nature worship and animism. The newspaper added that the reconversions were reportedly brought about through allurements like distributing blankets and clothes.

In addition, ICC discovered that even the district administration of Uttar Pradesh was not aware of the claimed conversion ceremony at Etah district in the north-central state. Neither the office of the District Magistrate nor that of the Superintendent of Police had any information about it.

“I cannot verify this report,” the District Magistrate of Etah said.