Gujarat: In Navsari tribal village, ‘ban Christian entry’ banners spring up

Banners and boards have sprung up in Navsari district’s Gandeva village, dominated by tribals, announcing a “ban on entry of outsider Christians”. Local Hindu tribals, who have put up the banners, said that the “ban” was to prevent “outsiders from coming to the village and converting tribal Hindus”.
Written in Gujarati, a banner at the village entry point on Haripura street read: “Christi dharm parnara tamam bhai-behano Gandeva Haripura faliya ma baharno koipan vyakti e faliya ma pravesh karvo nahi (All the outsider brothers-sisters of Christian religion, should not enter into Haripura street).”
The village has a population of 7,500 with majority of them belonging to Halpati community, a Scheduled Tribe, while others are Bakshipanch.
“Local Hindus are fed up with the spread of Christianity in our village. At present, there are over 900 Christians in our village. There are 70 tribal houses, out of which 12 families have converted to Christianity. On every Sunday morning, Christian priests from different neighbouring districts come and preache Christianity, and lures innocent tribals to get converted into Christianity,” said Jayanti Mistry, the deputy sarpanch of the village.

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