This refers to the report, “Agra mass conversions: Prime accused on run finally surrenders” (December 17). This report informs us that one Nand Kishore Balmiki of Dharam Jagran Samiti, finally surrendered to the police and that money was spent to bring a Muslim and a Christian respectively to the Hindu fold. I would not have been surprised if any daily, other than The Pioneer, had published this report. May I ask whether the conversion of a mere 100 people can be called ‘mass conversion'IJ The use of such words in a casual manner is shocking.
Conversions back to Hinduism do not promote enmity among communities significantly, but the definition of people as Christian and heathen, and momin and kafir, does. This is followed by sections of the minority communities, including their clerics, describing Hindu gods and goddesses as being false, while Christian deities and Allah are considered genuine. This is naturally offensive to a Hindu and leads to resentment.