GAYA: Vishva Hindu Parishad, on Monday ruled out any Havan or Ghar Wapasi programme for about 500 Hindus who converted to Buddhism in the Manpur block area of the district a couple of days back. Earlier, the Hindu body organised a Ghar Wapasi cum Havan programme in Atia village of Bodh Gaya block for the reconversion of about 200 Mahadalits who embraced Christianity on Chirstmas day this year.

Asked about a programme on the lines of the Atia Havan cum Ghar Wapasi, VHP state patron Udai Kumar Verma said that the the 'Deeksha' (Initiation) of the Manpur villagers can not be compared with the earlier Conversion of Atia villagers to Christianity, as, unlike Christianity, Buddhism was not a separate religion and the villagers simply showed their reverence for Buddha by getting a Buddhist Guru. 'I too worship Buddha and we regard Buddha as a Vishnu incarnate' and as such the question of Ghar Wapasi or Suddhikaran does not arise as those who showed reverence to Buddha did neither desert the large Hindu family nor did anything that defiled our religious belief' said Verma.

Echoing the stand of the VHP state patron, the district VHP chief Mani Lal Barik said that the question of an Atia like programme in the Manpur village simply did not arise as nobody has deserted the faith. The Hindu umbrella was too wide to accommodate different streams and Buddhism was just another stream of Hinduism and as such the VHP does not consider any Atia like programme.

The VHP chief alleged that the media has been less than fair to the Hindu organisation as the organisation's Atia programme was not given proper importance and some vernacular newspapers even went to the extent of saying that no convert to Christianity participated in the VHP Havan cum Ghar Wapasi programme and only Hindus participated in the programme. Barik maintained that the VHP will continue to keep the Hindu flag flying high in Atia village and will organise more interactive programmes to counter Christian missionaries active in the area.

Interestingly, in the Manpur conversions, foreign organisations are said to have played an important role and a Srilankan Buddhist missionary has been instrumental in wooing about 500 members of an intermediary caste to the Buddhist faith.

Meanwhile, Buddhist leader Bhadant Anand has questioned the VHP claim that Buddhism was just another sect of Buddhism. Maintaining that Buddhism was the anti thesis of Hinduism, the Buddhist leader and Chief of the All India Monks Association said that Buddhism outrightly rejects Manuvad, the centre point of Hindu philosophy. Unlike Hindus, the Buddhists do not believe either in God or in fate. The birth cycle, an integral part of the Hindu philosophy too was alien to Buddhism. Buddhism was a Godless concept, maintained Anand.

Stay updated on the go with The Times of Indias mobile apps. Click here to download it for your device.

Go here to read the rest:
No Havan, Ghar Wapsi for Buddhist converts: VHP