A social organization, Praja Prabhutva Ulisi Andolana, has raised serious concerns over alleged missionary activities aimed at converting vulnerable Janjatiya families residing within the Kudremukha National Park region of Karnataka.
In a press statement, activist Nagesh Angeerasa claimed that a missionary group operating from Sringeri has been targeting Janjatiya households living in extreme socio-economic hardship. According to him, several families in Menasinhadya village have reportedly stopped worshipping their ancestral deities and have begun attending church services, raising alarm among local communities.
As per Deccan Herald reports, the matter has been formally brought to the attention of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham pontiff and the administrative officer. Angeerasa stated that the seer assured full support for the welfare and protection of the Janjatiya population and expressed his intention to personally visit the affected region in the near future.
In addition to the issue of religious conversions, the organization has sought the mutt’s assistance in formulating a coordinated action plan, alongside district authorities, to address the growing crisis of more than 2,000 stray cattle in the region. The mutt has already extended financial assistance to support the care of abandoned cattle suffering from acute shortages of fodder and drinking water.
The activists also urged the pontiff to present to the central government a proposal to reserve the Kyatanamakki grasslands for the conservation of the indigenous Malenadu Gidda cattle breed. The seer has reportedly assured that the matter would be discussed with the relevant authorities.
Angeerasa emphasised that protecting cows, preserving Vedic traditions, and recognizing the spiritual importance of deities traditionally worshipped by Janjatiya and native communities, such as Rahu, Guliga, and Panjurli, alongside mainstream Hindu deities, are crucial to safeguarding cultural continuity and strengthening the foundations of Hindu dharma.
Such grassroots, localized efforts by united Hindu organizations are to be admired, since they form the bedrock in safeguarding the values of Hindu Dharma, enshrined in compassion, coexistence, and cultural continuity. Standing in solidarity with Janjatiya communities, they protect vulnerable families from deceptive inducements, such as promised miraculous healing, free education, or financial assistance, in exchange for conversion to the fold of missionary-backed pastors and networks. This is not hostility but an act of cultural self-defense, aimed at ensuring that the traditions, ancestral faith systems, and indigenous ways of life of Janjatiyas are preserved with dignity.
A similar incident was reported last year in Odisha, where Pastor Sunny Kurre and PS Hadibandhu Sandha were accused of running an illegal conversion racket by exploiting vulnerable Janjatiya communities through inducements and false assurances, underscoring that such practices are not isolated but part of a recurring pattern.
Equally important, such vigilance highlights a wider, well-known conversion strategy operating across different regions of Bharat, where social and economic distress is exploited to weaken civilizational roots. This makes local unity among Hindu organizations essential. Strengthening such unity ensures that welfare, education, and healthcare reach Janjatiya communities without being influenced by religious pressure or compromising their cultural and spiritual identity, in line with the core values of Hindu Dharma.
