Stating that no person from the Banjara community has converted to Christianity, Jalaja Naik, chairperson, Karnataka State Tanda Development Corporation, has said that the community people were only making use of the monetary and educational benefits being offered by the Christian missionaries.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, she, however, defended the community making use of benefits given to them by the missionaries.

Neither sin nor illegal

“It is neither a sin nor illegal to make use of the benefits to live a better and dignified life. If the missionaries offer food, clothing and good education, then why anyone should object to it,” she said. She, however, made it clear that the community people were not considering the benefits as inducements.

Mentioning one such incident, Ms. Naik said that during her visit to one of the hostels maintained by Christians in Chitradurga, where allegations were made that Christians were converting Banjaras, “I found that none of the residents had converted to Christianity nor had they changed their names. They all told me that they were only making use of the various benefits offered to them by the missionaries,” she said. On Ghar Vapsi, Ms. Naik said that it would only create disharmony and division in society.

Caste census

On caste census launched by the government, the former MLC and Banjara leader urged the people of her community to mention the community’s name as only Banjara in the form.

If people from the community mentioned their community name as Banjara, they would get government benefits reserved for them, else they would be deprived of them, she said.

Ms. Naik urged the leaders of the community to bring all the people of the community, who have migrated to other districts or States, back to their homes till the census was over.

‘Ghar Vapsi will only create disharmony and division in society’