Migration comes before conversions now

Chennai, Feb 2:

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Where to? To places where it is not tough.

And so the missionaries and evangelists, who were literally on the run here after the State government promulgated an ordinance banning forceful and fraudulent conversions, have been now told by their 'leadership' to take those they intend to convert to neighbouring States where there is no such law.

In a revealing booklet, titled 'Approach to combat Anti-Conversion Law' brought out by Minority Gospel Rights Protection Forum, Madurai, the missionaries have been asked to look for places where such a law does not exist.

'An easy method to convert either an individual or a group or family, is to take them to the nearby State, like Pondicherry, Kerala, Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh and effect the conversion there. Since there is no Anti-conversion Law in these States, no case can be booked against them in Tamilnadu,' the booklet says.

With the heat turned on them, the missionaries have also been advised to be extremely cautious in their approach.

In a chapter titled 'Precautions to be taken while effecting conversion', the booklet says 'no documents either for conversion or baptism should be given to the converts; No recording in any register is to be made; Visual testimonies like photographs, videos, etc. should be completely avoided; On no account, the people converted should adopt new Christian names. Each church should get to know themselves voluntarily the personal details of the people being converted.'

The 56-page 13-chapter booklet in fact goes the whole hog and offers fulsome guidelines to the missionaries. On converting Dalits, the booklet says that no written document evidencing the conversion should be given to them. 'Instead of telling them that they are being 'converted', they should be told that they are only 'changing their mind' and are following the teachings of Jesus Christ. No changes are to be effected in their education or other certificates, as this change will deprive them of the facilities they are getting from the government.'

The booklet calls the bluff of several organisations who were vehemently saying that the converts did not enjoy any concession from the government.

Perhaps understanding that the evangelists were going overboard in their mission to 'sell' their religion, page 22 of the booklet under the chapter 'Religious congregations - Legal guidance', advises not to mention the people of other religions as 'sinners'. In public meetings or in private TV channels while canvassing for the religion, speakers should avoid addressing the people of other religions as sinners, talking ill of their method of worship or beliefs, tell them that hell awaits them, etc.'

The booklet, among other things, also talks about casteism within the churches and the lack of cohesion among the various sects and groups within Christianity.

In a sense, the booklet proves that law or no law, 'where there is a missionary will, there will be conversions'.