Will facilitate reconversions in Goa if people want, says VHP

Panaji: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Friday said it would “facilitate” reconversions in Goa if the local people wanted it. “Thousands of years ago, Hindus in Goa were converted to Christianity. If they want to come back and if they contact VHP, we will facilitate their return to Hinduism,” said Dada Vedak, VHP’s convenor for Goa and Maharashtra. [caption id=“attachment_2126417” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. PTI[/caption] Alleging that the Catholic church converted people “aggressively”, Vedak said VHP would not use force, but reconvert the people with “mamata (compassion), samata (equality) and prem (love)”. “If they want to come (back to Hinduism) how can we stop them?” he said. Vedak was speaking at a press conference to announce ‘Virat Hindu Sammelan’ on Sunday at Fatorda Stadium in the state. Issues such as cow-slaughter would be discussed at this gathering, he said. The program of reconversion to Hinduism by the Hindu organisations, also dubbed as ‘Ghar-Wapsi’, has not been held in Goa, a BJP-ruled state, so far. As several local Christian organisations expressed concern over the issue ahead of the February 13 Panaji Assembly bypoll, Defence Minister and former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had said such program would not be allowed to be held in the state. PTI