In a startling incident that has ignited a debate among social media circles, a viral video has emerged capturing members of an evangelical group engaging in religious conversion efforts near the western entrance of the renowned Lord Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

The temple, famed as the world’s richest, stands as a symbol of cultural heritage and spirituality in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

The video, recorded and narrated by Advocate Santhosh Kumar, reveals the presence of Pentecost activists who were reportedly singing devotional songs and distributing pamphlets with the intention of converting individuals in the area. What adds to this situation is that the area close to the Padmanabhaswamy temple is predominantly inhabited by Hindus, specifically Brahmins. 

Here is a translated transcript of the conversation near the Padmanabhaswamy Temple:

Santhosh Kumar (SK): What you are doing is not right! By coming to an area near a temple where we live and attempting to convert people, you are promoting communalism. This is real communalism. 

(The lady is giving evasive answers, trying to avoid the conversation. Advocate Santhosh Kumar can be heard speaking to a lady dressed in white, who is also a Pentecost missionary.) 

SK: Can you give this pamphlet to people who follow your faith? Alternatively, can you distribute it in an area near a mosque? Would you be willing to do that? Can I take you and drop you near the Beemapally Mosque (the largest mosque in Trivandrum)? 

Lady: We don’t even have a problem with being beaten to death in the name of the lord. 

SK: Okay, we are not interested in causing harm. This area is home to many Brahmins. Is it necessary to engage in conversion activities right in front of Lord Padmanabhan? You shouldn’t do this. Don’t you think you should show respect for other faiths? What if we went to the Vettucaud Church (a well-known church in Trivandrum) and started singing our devotional songs and distributing pamphlets? 

SK: Tell me this! Are there no other deities besides Jesus? Is there no Allah? Is there no Holy Quran? You should not engage in this type of conversion activity. Why are you going to each house and distributing these pamphlets? Why not distribute them in churches? 

Lady: We are not focused on converting people or to earn money out of it. You need to remember that there is life after death. 

SK: You don’t need to teach us all of that. If you want to discuss these matters, go to churches or the houses of those who share your faith and talk about these things. Please do not disrupt the communal harmony here. It seems like you are intentionally creating problems between two communities. 

SK: Ladies, please leave and do not enter this area again. Please conduct your activity only near the Vettucaud Church.  (The women are seen leaving.)

Source: Twitter handle of Anand

According to Advocate Santhosh Kumar, it appears that the group deliberately targets areas with a high Hindu population for their conversion efforts.

Conversion, as we know, is rampant in many parts of India. Most of the North Eastern states of the country have been almost entirely converted to Christianity. Nagaland has about 98% Christians and churches everywhere in the nook and corners of the state, Manipur is not far behind. 

From the above conversation, it is clear that these evangelical groups do not make an attempt to venture into “Muslim” areas but they find it easy to penetrate Hindu-dominated parts of the state. There are growing concerns that such conversion activities will hamper the growth of the Hindu population. 

The Padmanabhaswamy temple as we know is the richest temple in India and was in the news for the alleged amount of wealth in its vaults.

Many in Kerala reportedly believe that an anti-conversion bill is urgently needed to safeguard the religious and cultural diversity of the state.