(This story originally appeared in on Jan 4, 2016)

Row over reconversion

NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has held meetings with Christian leaders as part of a plan to reach out to the community by setting up an organisation on the lines of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch that it established over a decade ago.Sources said that while the nomenclature is not yet final, it is envisaged that a Rashtriya Isai Manch on similar lines be set up to build bridges of ‘goodwill’ with the community.A senior RSS Pracharak, who is also the ‘Margdarshak’ (guide) for the Muslim Rashtriya Manch since its inception , confirmed to ETthat efforts are on to reach out to the Christians and a meeting for the same was held on December 17, 2015.“On December 17, 4-5 Archbishops, 40-50 Reverend Bishops from across 10 to 12 states met and it was decided to develop a movement. This is preparing the ground to lay the seeds for an organisation,” Indresh Kumar, member of RSS’ National Executive, told ET.This is said to be the first such outreach to the clergy made through a Sangh-backed initiative.The December 17 meeting, held in New Delhi, was presided over by Indresh Kumar. Chinmayananda Swami of Vishva Hindu Parishad was also present at the event, called the ‘Christmas Message for Love, Peace and Harmony from Indian Soil’.It was attended, among others, by Archbishop Mar Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, Bishop Jacob Mar Barnabas of the Gurgaon diocese, Bishop Issac Osthatheous of the Delhi diocese and the general secretary of the Church of North India, Alwan Masih.The development comes in the wake of an uproar over alleged increase in intolerance under the Bharatiya Janata Party government and political parties accusing the ruling party’s ideological mentor of instigating friction between communities.It also marks a full circle of sorts for RSS, whose wing Dharm Jagran Manch had proposed to hold a massive religious reconversion exercise in Agra, a move that was aborted only after it sparked a political furore and the Modi government requested the RSS leadership to step in and cancel the event.Kumar did not specify whether the proposed organisation will be similar in structure to the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, with which he is closely associated. “Muslim Rashtriya Manch is by the Muslims, for the Muslims and of the Muslims. I only guide them,” he said. The Sangh’s move chimes with the Modi government’s efforts to assuage the Christian community ever since a series of attacks on churches in Delhi and elsewhere led to global condemnation.Home Minister Rajnath Singh last month addressed a Christmas celebration organised by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, and assured Christians that he would not let any “injustice” happen to them while adding that he was deeply hurt by the attacks on churches in the year before.Just a few days later, Finance minister Arun Jaitley also hosted clergy and professionals from the Christian community at a gathering which was attended, among others, by Cardinal Oswal Gracias, who is a member of Pope Francis’ advisory council.