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'Convert' accuses VHP of coercion

Rifat Jawaid in Mograhat and Calcutta

Abdul Manaf Jamadar (40), the man the Vishwa Hindu Parishad claimed it had willingly converted to Hinduism along with five of his family members in Calcutta, said he had done so due to coercion by VHP leaders.

On July 2, Munna and his family reportedly converted at a special puja in an Arya Samaj temple in north Calcutta. The news evoked scathing criticism from Muslim community leaders.

A resident of a nondescript village, Malarchak, near Mograhat police station in south 24-Parganas, Jamadar, referred to as Munna in the media, told rediff.com that he agreed to travel to Calcutta on Sunday only because his brother-in-law, Keshav Arya, assured him of a decent job and a lot of money.

"Three months ago, he (Keshav) came to me and asked me to sign a document written in Hindi. He promised that I would get a good job in Calcutta if I signed. On July 1, he visited my house again and asked me to come to Calcutta with my family saying that there was a function to mark my new appointment."

"In Calcutta I was asked to change my clothes and the purohits smeared my forehead with something. I was also asked to chant swaha, but being a religious person I said subhanallah," Manaf said.

Manaf has lodged a two-page first information report at Mograhat police station complaining of the VHP's coercion.

Residents of Malarchak just couldn't believe it when they first heard of Manaf's 'conversion'.

"We knew Manaf as one of the most God-fearing persons. As soon we heard the news, we rushed to his house but he denied having changed his religion. Later, he left the village with his brother-in-law. While Keshav did not came back, Manaf and his wife returned the next day," said Hafiz Anzar Alam, a local maulvi.

Manaf says that he was kept in the dark about Keshav's motives and came to know about the 'conversion' only after the villagers assembled near his house. He said he fled the village because he was frightened.

He said, "The VHP people promised me a poultry farm and a house in Calcutta. They also said my kids would be provided a decent education and upbringing."

Malarchak, a predominantly Muslim village, has about 10,000 people, most living below the poverty line. Manaf used to work at a leather goods manufacturing company in Calcutta's Golpark area.

Manaf's mother told rediff.com that it was impossible for them to leave their religion for mere monetary gains.

"How can we even think that? What will we reply to Allah on judgment day? All of us have strong beliefs in Islam and its teachings," the old lady said.

None of the VHP leaders were available for comment.

However, Muslim leaders have demanded stern action against the VHP. Jamiat-e-Ulame Hind's West Bengal secretary Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury said that Manaf's allegations were corroborative of the VHP and Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh's motives, which were aimed at creating communal turbulence in an otherwise peaceful state.

"That the police continued to issue misleading information proves that even the law enforcing agencies are hand in glove with these organisations. If the state government doesn't initiate action against the culprits, we will be left with little option but to launch a nationwide agitation against these organisations," Chowdhury remarked.

Manaf and his family will be produced before the media at Calcutta's Press Club this afternoon. They are currently staying in a secret place provided by the Jamiat. Calcutta Police's special branch has taken unprecedented security measures for the press conference.

"We got to know about the incident from our Mograhat unit. We went to the village and took the family into our custody. We wanted to expose the sangh parivar's motives," Chowdhury added.

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