Ranchi, India - At least 600 tribal people were converted to Christianity in Jharkhand, news reports here said Monday.
Reports said around 600 people belonging to primitive tribes like Birhor, Birajia and Nagaesia were converted to Christianity. The conversion took place in Vishunpur locality of Gumla district, about 140 km from here.
Before the conversion, the tribals took a dip in a village pond and recited Bible in a local Church.
'I was making an effort to convert people for a long time. I took help of the fathers to create awareness among the people about Christ,' reports quoted Obed Minz, a convert, as saying. Minz embraced Christianity in 1984.
The conversion is seen as a move to counter the re-conversion enacted by Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Dileep Singh Judeo.
Two months ago Judeo had reconverted around 45 Christians into their tribal religion.
Conversion is rampant in the state with the tribals making up 27 percent of the total population. The poverty-stricken tribal people were allegedly offered allurements for conversion.
'In the name of social work the Christian missionaries are involved in conversion in the state,' alleged BJP leader Ramesh Puskar.