Hindu villagers seek nod to adopt Christianity

(IANS) – Over 100 residents in an Orissa village have applied to the government seeking permission to change their religion from Hinduism to Christianity. Officials said 120 Dalit members in Badanka, Kendrapada district, have submitted that they want to convert to Christianity because upper caste residents were not allowing them to worship in the village temple. According to law, anybody can change their religion by seeking permission from the administration. “So, we have sought permission in writing,” said the group’s leader Ashok Mallik. A local administration official refuted the charges calling them baseless. State Bajrang Dal president Subash Chouhan alleged that local Christian missionaries have been trying to convert the village Dalits. The issue of religious conversions has been a troublesome one for the state. Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons were torched to death while they were sleeping in their vehicle in the state’s Keonjhar district in January 1999.