Akhara Parishad summons meeting to prevent religious conversion

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh): An apex body of the 13 akharas (religious orders), the Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) -- has called a meeting of all the akharas to decide on ways to to check religious conversions.

The development comes on the heels of the rent arrest of two persons on charges of converting over 1,000 persons.

A few states including Uttar Pradesh have enacted legislation aimed at preventing religious conversions through inducements, coercion or other fraudulent means. However, the law has been widely used to file FIRs, harass and arrest many who were blamed and put under suspicion.

The president of ABAP Mahant Narendra Giri has also drawn attention to the weakness within the Hindu community of lack of equal opportunity and said finding a solution to it is also necessary to stop conversions.

"There are not only external factors for this but there are fault-lines within us also. Experiences have shown us that those who have been neglected in the mainstream or those who have been treated as outcasts, tend to take refuge in other religions" IANS quoted the Mahant as saying.

"We will request the Hindus to rise above the considerations of caste and treat everyone with dignity, share mutual respect and avoid circumstances wherein someone changes his or her religion."

The Mahant said that a meeting of all 13 akharas' nominees would be held with the agenda to get the disciples and common Hindus to rise above the caste system and think of steps for bringing back to the fold those who have changed their religion.

Chief patron of Juna Akhara -- the largest of 13 akharas in terms of membership -- Mahant Hari Giri said, "We have always advocated welcoming back those who have switched over to other religions. Seers and disciples would be given the task of convincing people to rise above the narrow considerations of the caste system."

In another development, the ABAP, two days ago, had supported the introduction of a legal draft for population control.

Mahant Narendra Giri, in a press statement, had said that the seers have always demanded that the ever-increasing population in the country should be controlled. He had said that under the Population Control Act, it should be ensured that couples, irrespective of their religion, should have only two children.

He said that if the population growth in the country is not stopped by bringing a law, then there may be a big population explosion in the coming days.