As many as 150 people have done ‘ghar wapsi’ to Sanatan Dharma from Christianity in the city of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. They came from 30 families in the village of Golabad and used to frequently attend prayer meetings, where a certain Pastor Bijju Mathew lured them into embracing Christianity. The families were brought back to the fold of Hinduism and did ‘ghar-wapsi’ with Vedic rituals in a ceremony held on 10th November.
The pastor in question Bijju Mathew hails from Kerala. In a police interrogation, Mathew also revealed that he had converted about 300 families, trapping gullible individuals by promising them cash, marriage, education, and medical treatment. Mathew and his group used to visit villages in the region specifically targeting poor people. He then proceeded to lure them by promising them various benefits.
Mathew offered several benefits for the conversion to Christianity. He promised that the church would cover the cost of weddings. He also promised to give the new converts a sum of Rs 2 to 5 lakh to start their own business. Mathew also used to claim that he could use his holy water to cure anyone’s health issues as well.
One such converted woman said, “We were told that whatever we learn, we have to tell and teach it to 2 more people. We have to tell them about God’s grace and his miracles.” If a person’s religion was changed, he/she then prepared another one for the same and this is how the conversion racket was formed which specifically concentrated on women and the impoverished.
Pastor Mathew was also accompanied by his wife, the couple together brainwashed their victims to do religious conversion by promising them monetary benefits and a cure for their illness. Their victims then brought in people they knew. On 20th October Mathew was taken into custody by the police and is presently incarcerated.
Locals had become suspicious of Mathew’s actions when they spotted large groups of people moving to and fro, from his home regularly as Mathew had been organizing prayer meets at his home. On the grounds of growing suspicion locals informed the police as well as other Hindu organisations about the issue.
Reportedly Mathew had also been bad-mouthing Hindu festivals, encouraging the public towards Christianity instead, “Today is Karva Chauth, but your family does not love you, God does, so take refuge in God. You have to worship Jesus. What is money? You will get whatever you want. What have your gods been able to give you to date?”
The accused pastor, Mathew had been specifically targeting individuals from the Jatav community alleging that they do not get respect in society so they should instead convert, “You do not even get respect in the society. Come to Jesus. You will get everything here.”
Hindu organizations revealed that Mathew and his wife had been converting people to Christianity for the past 15 years.