Atchampet Tahasildar office attributes Christianity to all SCs of BPL in the mandal in Guntur

Amaravati: Ignorance of government officials became a major setback to the government. Replying to an RTI query, an office of a Tahasildar at Atchampet mandal in Guntur district accepted that the government has been treating all the Scheduled Castes people in the colonies of the mandal as Christians while distributing commodities under the public distribution system (PDS), which hurt both Hindus and Christians.

Chintalapati Purushothama Prasada Sarma an activist of Legal Rights Protection Forum has filed three separate queries under the Right To Information Act with the Athcampet Tahasildar office. In the first two RTI applications, dated on 30.08.2019, the Forum asked the officials to reveal the criteria adopted to select beneficiaries to provide gifts under the Chandranna Christian Kanuka at the villages including Kogantivari Palem and Ambadipudi in the mandal.

While replying to that queries, the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Tahasildar office informed that "The government has recognized all the Scheduled Castes people who are living in the villages as Christians and provided the gifts". After seeing this vague reply, the Forum has decided to know further deep into the matter and hence filed another RTI seeking the same information at the mandal level. The third RTI has filed on 15.10.2019.

Giving the same information for the third RTI also, the PIO explained that, "The government has decided to provide Chandranna Christian Kanuka to all the SCs in all the villages in the mandal who posses a White Ration Card". This reply was given to the Forum on November 5.

It is worth to mention here that, then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu distributed essential commodities to the BPL Cardholders at free of cost on the eve of Christmas under the scheme of Chandranna Christmas Gifts.

When The Hans India enquired the same with the PIO Nageswara Rao, he accepted the information provided under the three RTIs. Strangely, he could not substantiate his claims for providing the Chandranna Christian Kanukas to SCs.

While reacting on the SC Order 1950, which bars religious conversions of the Scheduled Castes people from enjoying the SC Status, Nageswara Rao said that he was not aware of the President's Order in this regard.

The Forum has been expressed displeasure and anger on the officer for providing such misinformation under the RTI Act.

The Forum has lodged a complaint with the AP Chief Secretary and Union Home Ministry to take appropriate action on the officials at Atchampet mandal who attempted to encourage religious conversions.

In its complaint, the Forum stated that "Some revenue officials of Achampet Mandal are targeting the people of Scheduled Caste with an intention of converting them to Christianity. The RTI information revealed that people who belong to SC Community and having White Ration Cards are eligible to obtain Christmas Gifts under the State Government Scheme named 'Chandranna Christmas Kanuka'. As per the Constitution SC Category is an integral part of Hinduism and is no way related to Christianity".

The Forum explained that this is a conspiracy to convert the people of SC Community to Christianity by offering Gifts under State Government Schemes. It requested to take strict action against the concerned officials who are involved in this conspiracy of Christian Religious Conversions targeting the people of Scheduled Caste.