Karnataka seer welcomes anti-conversion law

Belagavi

Sri Adrushya Kadasiddeshwar Swami, seer of the Siddhagiri Mutt, welcomed the anti-conversion law enacted by the Karnataka government.

“We are all happy that the Karnataka government has enacted a law against religious conversions. It is a menace and needs to be curbed strictly. If we don’t stop conversions, there will be mosques in front of all mutts and temples,’’ he said.

He was addressing a sant samavesh at Kaneri in Kolhapur in Maharashtra on Monday. “Unchecked conversion can lead to loss of our nationhood. Those converting the gullible will change their religion now and snatch away their nationhood next. We will all be left without our own nation,” he said.

He gave a call to all seers and religious leaders to take steps to stop conversions. “However, I don’t blame those who are engaged in converting the people as much as I blame the system. Conversions are happening as we have erred in keeping our flock together. We have to bring back our brothers who have been misled and live as brothers,” he said.

He claimed that there were 50 lakh temples and 10 lakh mutts in the country. “If each of these institutions adopts one village, there will be great transformation,” he said.

The seer said that the Kaneri mutt would hold a krishi mela on its premises every year. “Farmers are the patrons of mutts. We will try to give them better quality seeds and animals and bird varieties,” he said.