Hindus have been repeatedly warned about the aggressive proselytization ecosystem of Abrahamic religions. Yet, it seems we are still not taking the threat seriously enough.

Hindus across Bharat are being converted in huge numbers to Christianity and Islam. When it comes to Christian conversions in Bharat, the usual view is that it’s only poor people or those belonging to marginalized communities who are on the radar of missionaries. However, anti-conversion experts like Shri Jerome Anto have repeatedly emphasized that Christianity targets not just the poor but also the middle class and the affluent.

Esther Dhanraj, Director of Community Outreach Hindu University of America has narrated her story through social media and various other channels many times. Born in an educated, middle-class Hindu family in the south of Bharat, Esther Dhanraj’s whole family was converted to Christianity during her childhood. In her accounts, she talks about the subtle web that was cast around her family through repeated pastor visits and numerous family counseling sessions. It was when Esther got married and moved abroad that she began to inspect Christianity critically and think deeply about the whole conversion business. This led her to study Christian theology at the university which finally ended her stint with Christianity and now, she is unabashedly vocal about the dangers of Christian conversion to the Hindu society.

What Esther’s case tells us is that the missionary ecosystem is not just aggressive but highly strategic. Every conversion is important to them. The local church ecosystem often spends years on a single family, trying to convert them. The kind of resources they spend and the tactics they spend on furthering Christian conversions in Bharat are beyond the grasp of most Hindus. That’s simply because we don’t have that kind of concept of conversion in Hindu Dharma.

But now, we need to strengthen our Dharmic ecosystem to fight the menace of Christian conversions in Bharat and save hapless Hindus.

Here are 10 tips for Hindus to combat the conversion industry in Bharat:

Strengthen the network of local temples

Every Bharatiya city has numerous temples. But the connection is none of these temples are interconnected.

Hindus occasionally visit their local temples, offer prayers, participate in festivities, etc. But we don’t have a strong temple ecosystem in Bharatiya cities where all temple committees proactively take up issues affecting Hindus.

If temple committees don’t show interest, Hindus themselves should take these initiatives in their local area. Create an online directory of all temples in your city. Circulate that directory within your network.

If you are a Hindu activist, try to raise issues affecting Hindus through your local temple. I think it’s high time Hindu temples get a bit political. Look at mosques and churches. They have a highly charged political ecosystem where a single incident involving action against a mosque or a church is taken up by all the local stakeholders concerned. We don’t have any such ecosystem in Hindu temples. I am not suggesting Hindus compete with the aggressive tactics of the Abrahamics, but the temples need to take up local issues affecting Hindus.

For example, cases of love jihad and forced Christian conversions are happening all over Bharat. These cases have especially witnessed a sharp rise in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in the north of Bharat. Some of these cases are taken up by Hindi activists but otherwise, there is no Dharmic ecosystem to help hapless Hindus being targeted by the conversion mafia.

If local temples started raising their voice on behalf of Hindus in their area, it would be a huge paradigm shift for issues concerning Hindus.

Temple-based counseling ecosystem for Hindu families

Christian conversions in Bharat involve numerous home visits and counseling sessions by Christian priests.

We don’t have any such ecosystem in Hindu Dharma. Unfortunately, some of the Pujaris have become so commercial that they only visit families to perform various auspicious rituals in exchange for money. But that rapport between the Pujari and the Yajmaan (host) is missing nowadays.

We need to create an ecosystem where Pujaris regularly visit local households for general counseling and Vedic education sessions. Or there could be a separate category of Hindu priests whose main function would be to visit local Hindu households and establish rapport with the families.

This can play a pertinent role in reducing the number of conversions. The conversion industry mostly targets Hindus who are in an emotionally vulnerable state. They could be a victim of poverty, unemployment, or maybe, they just got out of a bad marriage or probably lost a loved one. The Christian conversion industry, especially, scouts for all kinds of lonely and dejected Hindus as victims, and then the brainwashing stops. This can be curbed significantly if local temples take the initiative to make regular outreach to Hindu households in their area.

Guru-Shishya Parampara Revival

I am not talking about the Guru-Shishya Parampara in the context of the Gurukul education system.

That too is important but here I want to focus on an age-old tradition that’s slowly on the wane. In Hindu Dharma, every person takes Gurudakshina from a learned priest or saint. This Gurudakshina could be formal, that is the concerned person follows all the rituals to get initiated as a Shishya of that Guru. But it could also simply involve an acknowledgment of that holy person as your Guru without going through the formal rituals.

I remember during my childhood, we always visited the famous Kali temple in my birthplace, Moradabad. My father had taken Dakshina from a Guruji there who belonged to Juna Akhada, Swami Krishna Nandgiri. We visited that temple at least a couple of times a year without fail where Guruji would advise my father on all issues, be it emotional, spiritual, or even material.

As kids, we obviously couldn’t grasp the seriousness of it. But just sitting there in that same room as Guruji quietly as Guruji advised our father was so peaceful and reassuring. I am sure it indirectly had a profound effect on my character-building in those formative years.

Hindus need this kind of authentic Guru-Shishya Parampara to stay grounded and rooted in their culture. It would automatically make the conversion industry powerless.

The authentic Guru-Shishya Parampara is no rills attached. Your Guru doesn’t have to be a famous person who appears on TV debates. It could be Sadhu from your local community or your ancestral temple you can confide in.

Affluent Hindus visiting celebrity Babas is not the kind of Guru-Shishya Parampara I am talking about. I am talking about something simpler and more wholesome where the Guru is accessible to the Shishya and can advise him/her on every aspect of their material and spiritual life.

We need more Hindu Dharma preachers like Shri Dhirendra Shastri

The woke media hates Bageshwar Dham Sarkar Shri Dhirendra Shastri. The reason is that Pandit Dhirendra Shastri openly criticizes the conversion industry and unabashedly talks about the creation of a Hindu Rashtra.

Bageshwar Dham Sarkar’s sabhas have become a massive mobilization point for Hindus not just across Bharat but even abroad. In Bharat, the sheer scale of the popularity of his pravachans amongst ordinary Bharatiyas is what scares the missionary ecosystem. The mass popularity of Dharmik icons like Pandit Dhirendra Shastri is an extremely powerful antidote to the conversion industry.

We need more Dharmic icons like Bageshwar Dham Sarkar who courageously take up the issues affecting Hindus in Bharat and speak openly against the excesses of Abrahamic faiths.

Hindu parents must take the lead in instilling Dharmic values in children

Many young Hindus drift towards Abrahamic religions like Christianity and Islam simply because they don’t get a Dharmic ecosystem to fall back on at home.

Unfortunately, Hindus are the most “secular” among all religions, so much so that many young parents have stopped celebrating festivals traditionally altogether. This will obviously have a catastrophic effect on the next generation who would have no clue about their Hindu roots.

Hindu parents must take the lead in instilling Dharmic values in their kids to prevent this dystopian scenario. As parents, make sure you try to follow all traditional rituals in festivals and make your children sit through the pooja ceremony. Even if you don’t know how to do the rituals yourself, you could always call a Panditjee and take their help. But make it a point to perform traditional puja rituals at home so that your kids can imbibe those values.

Hindus don’t speak passionately about their religion. That’s our drawback. That’s why when the Hindu youth joins secular groups and forums and meets overzealous Abrahamic lot, they get easily influenced. After all, everyone looks for stable roots and wants to decipher the meaning of their existence. If Hindu parents don’t answer these questions for their kids using the framework of Hindu Dharma, then the Abrahamics will do it for them. It’s as simple as that.

Embrace Temple Pilgrimage

One wouldn’t be surprised to find educated Hindus in Bharat who hardly ever visit their local temple. It’s not something they do deliberately. It’s just that Hindus have become so “secular” over time that the most obvious gestures connected them to their roots are missing.

Hindu families should embrace temple pilgrimages. The family elders should make it a point to plan at least one temple pilgrimage every year. Being aware of one’s own Dharmic history and tradition can go a long way in instilling a proud Hindu identity. People who are proud of their Dharmic identity and culture have no urge to convert to any other faith.

The commendable work that the Modi government is doing in reviving Bharat’s temples is playing a pivotal role in making Dharma “cool” amongst the youth. The massive surge of visitors to Ayodhya Ram Mandir following the inauguration is a huge testimony to the power of Sanatan Dharma. While one might have varying opinions regarding the modus operandi of the Modi government in reinvigorating the temples of Bharat, no one can contest the fact that it’s having a positive impact in terms of drawing the youth towards Hindu Dharma.

By making your family embrace temple pilgrimages, you make it harder and harder for the conversion mafia to target them.

Hindu parents should consider sending their children to non-missionary schools

What school you choose to send your child to is a personal decision. No one has the right to impose a rigid viewpoint on anyone in this matter.

Yet, I would argue that educated Hindu parents should try and dismantle the craze for missionary schools and start sending their kids to non-missionary educational institutions. There is widespread evidence available regarding the subtle but powerful religious indoctrination that Hindu kids undergo at missionary schools. Some of this indoctrination is also not so subtle, to be honest. There are instances of school teachers demonizing Hindu Dharma. Imagine yourself in the shoes of a 10-year-old. If you consistently undergo brainwashing over the years as a child, you will be brainwashed by the end of the day and start hating your religion and culture.

That’s precisely why the missionary ecosystem dominates the Bharatiya English medium education system. It’s a potent tool for the conversion industry. I am not saying all missionary schools would be like that or that all teachers would be Hinduphobic. Unfortunately, subtle but consistent proselytization is at the root of the missionary agenda. Hindus can’t close their eyes to this fact.

Nowadays, the scenario has changed. There are many excellent non-missionary schools in Bharat that would provide the best education to your child. Honestly speaking, the fascination for a “convent school” is rooted in a colonial complex. It’s high time Hindus get over this complex.

Hindus must become politically active

Hindu activism is the need of the hour.

Societal change would take time. But conversion to Abrahamic religions is happening at such a fast pace that Hindus simply can’t sit back and wait for the Hindu society to become more aware.

At least those of us who are aware enough should try to get out of our comfort zone and take the route of Hindu activism. You could join local Hindu groups in your city. By doing so, you can keep track of all issues affecting Hindus locally and raise your voice. Also, be vigilant yourself. If you see Hindus in your locality embracing Christianity all of a sudden at an alarming rate, raise the issue through various channels and forums. Write on social media about it and also raise the issue at the meetings of the local Hindu groups you have joined.

Keep track of online petitions regarding Hindu causes and make sure you at least sign some of them. Hindus also lag behind in filing public interest litigations. Only a handful of Hindu activists have taken the lead in filing PILs demanding a law to curb religious conversions. But a PIL can be filed by any member of the public. Just imagine the kind of pressure that will be exerted on the courts if millions of Hindus file PILs demanding a law to stop fraudulent conversions.

Be cautious of subtle proselytization gestures

Many Hindus, out of sheer goodness of heart, let their friends from Abrahamic faiths lecture them on the wonders of their respective religions.

It’s a warning sign and you need to get cautious right away. Even though they might not be saying anything against Hindu Dharma, they have started pursuing the proselytization agenda sub-consciously. You can be sure about that. If conversations get to a point where you are getting uncomfortable, just tactfully divert the topic. Or just tell them politely you don’t want to talk about religion.

It’s important to be cautious of subtle proselytization gestures in the beginning itself. By nipping them in the bud, you decrease the chances of you being brainwashed in conversion. But if you ignore the initial hints, you might just get deeper into the abyss.

I remember that when I studied in the UK, there used to be so many programmes for freshers organized on the university campus by the church. I attended many of these. I mean these events were not organized at the church itself but at a neutral venue. These used to be like get-togethers for freshers so there would be free, coffee, snacks, and probably some choir music.  Since my Dharmic ecosystem as a Hindu is super strong, one can lecture me for days on end on the supposed benefits of Christianity over Hindu Dharma, but I still won’t be conversion material. But I can imagine a lot of Hindus whose Dharmic ecosystem is not that strong, might fall prey to sustained proselytization after a while.

It’s alright to mingle with people from all communities and faiths but you should be able to draw boundaries when it comes to your religious identity. If someone is trying to brainwash you into converting either covertly or overtly, make it clear to them politely but firmly that you are not interested in this kind of talk.

Form local support groups for Hindus

Abrahamic faiths primarily target those Hindus for conversion who are facing some kind of adversity, whether its economic, physical, emotional, or psychological. Hindus must strengthen local support groups to combat this.

You could create a local support group for Hindus in your area. Encourage people to contribute a certain amount every month on a voluntary basis, no matter how small the amount is. Use this corpus to help out Hindus in distress from within your locality.

If it isn’t possible for you to create a local support group offline, start one online. Sometimes, people just need someone to listen to their problems. That’s exactly what a lot of Christian priests do. They would visit the houses of these people, listen to their problems, and also offer them financial help. It’s natural then that if someone is in a really stressful situation, they end up converting.

Therefore, we need to create a strong support ecosystem for Hindus.