KOTTAYAM: Selvam M, 30, a Tamil migrant who felt “stressed out” by his conversion to the Pentecostal church and Philip Peelippose, whose family embraced Christianity around a century ago and was “longing for a homecoming” were among those who took part in the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ programme organised by the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Kottayam on Christmas day.

Selvam, now settled in Kottayam, told ‘Express’ that he decided to reconvert when he found it “difficult to manage the accumulated stress on account of his conversion to the Pentecostal church around 16 years ago”.

The people ‘Express’ spoke to gave varied reasons for reconversion, but some of them refused to disclose their identity and the motive behind the reconversion. Reports said as many as 200 persons in the state have been reconverted by the VHP through its ‘Ghar Vapsi’ so far. According to VHP leaders, more than 150 persons were reconverted on Thursday. As many as 63 persons opted Hinduism in Kottayam district alone, they said. While 46 members belonging to 21 families were converted to Hinduism at the Puthiyakavu Devi temple in Ponkunnam, another 16 underwent the rituals officiated by the Aryasamajam at Sri Krishna Swamy temple in Thirunakkara. “Programmes were also held at Thiruvananthapuram, Moovattupuzha and Palakkad,” said Aneesh Balakrishnan, state coordinator of Dharma-Prasar, a wing of VHP that undertakes the reconversion drive.

According to him, the reconversion to Hinduism grabbed media attention only because of mass participation recently. Aneesh said the initiative has the help of Aryasamajam, Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham (ABASS) and Sree Ramadasa Mission. It also has support from organisations including the SNDP and the NSS, he said.