Indian church leaders glad Hindu meeting over, concerned about future

Published: 2006-02-28

NEW DELHI (CNS) -- Catholic leaders expressed relief that a massive convention of Hindus in Gujarat state has ended peacefully, but expressed concern about the future of the church there. "We are relieved that nothing untoward has happened," said Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes of Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat state, which is controlled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Hindu groups threatened to reconvert thousands of tribal Christians during a mid-February religious convention attended by half a million Hindus. "The momentum generated by the 'Kumbh Mela' (a solemn religious ceremony) is expected to trigger the return of thousands of Christian converts back to the Hindu fold," said the fliers distributed by Hindu groups before the convention that drew national attention. The Gujarat state government, which is controlled by the Hindu nationalist party, has been widely viewed as using the solemn religious ceremony to wage a campaign against Christians.

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