Hindu Groups Head to Gujarat for Religious Fair
BY: STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Feb 13, SUBIR, GUJARAT (REUTERS) — Tens of thousands of Hindu activists gathered in a tribal district of western India on Sunday for a religious fair, sparking fear among Christians of communal violence and forcible conversions to Hinduism.
The three-day Shabari Kumbh Mela which began on Saturday in Dangs district in Gujarat state, aims to spread the message of Hinduism in the predominantly animist tribal area which saw religious tensions and attacks on Christians in the late 1990s.
Organisers of the fair, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and their affiliates said they hoped to highlight the Hindu mythological significance of Dangs.
But the sizeable local Christian population fears the influx of about 150,000 Hindu visitors for the fair could reignite trouble between the two communities.
"Hindus in the district have been asked to fly saffron flags on their houses, making it easier to identify Christian houses," said Shantar Goriya, a Christian resident.
"This is their way of isolating us and reviving the fear of communal incidents in our minds," he said.
Hindu groups said they were worried by the growing Christian influence in the district located in southern Gujarat.
This, they said, could be checked by "reconverting" the tribal Christians back to Hinduism.
