The hostilities include boycott of Christians and even physical attacks, resulting in a fear psychosis spreading through the community.

The genesis of the problem seems to be the arrival of Swami Ashimanand on the scene to set up the local Bajrang Dal unit. The swami, based in nearby Waghai, ``is actively involved in the process of bringing convert Christians back to the Hindu fold'', said South Gujarat BD convener Harish Surti. ``We have taken up this activity on a large scale for the last three years and over 1,000 persons have returned to their mother religion''.

Ashwin Modi, president of Surat unit of Bajrang Dal, said ``Though Swami Ashimananda is not a member of the VHP, his and our aim is the same: To fight against Christian missionaries and stop conversions.'' The swami, adds Modi, is associated with the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, an organisation affiliated to the VHP.

About three months ago, Ashimanandaji visited Dhagunia to install an unemployed youth, Ram Das, as head of the local Bajrang Dal outfit. Ram Das says his brief is to bring back Christian converts to the Hindu fold. Ram Das, who sports a pendant with Hanuman's likeness, talks straight when he says, ``We want everybody to follow one religion. If they Christians want to live in peace they should adopt Hinduism''.

And so the law of majority becomes the law of the land.

The 14-odd tribal Christian families in this village, who converted about five years ago, never felt as insecure as they have for the past three months. On November 9 Nandubhai and his wife Ramilaben were beaten up by alleged Bajrang Dal activists Govind, Raman, Deve, Praveen and Bhuvan. ``They beat me and my wife saying that we had criticised their religion. And after that they took out a procession in the villages shouting slogans against Christianity,'' Nandu told Express Newsline.

The next day, Nandu, his wife and Sita Ram, another Christian youth, were called to attend a reconciliation meeting convened by former sarpanch Lalbhai. However, Nandu says, the meeting turned out to be a ploy to teach the tribals a lesson for not returning to the Hindu fold; Lalbhai reportedly ordered those present to give Nandu, Ramila and Sitaram a thrashing.

Before Nandu and Ramila could file a complaint at Waghai police station, they found Lalbhai had complained that Christians had disrupted the installation of a picture of Lord Ram at the village temple. In fact, the picture had been installed about three months ago when the Bajrang Dal unit was set up.

The police did not register any FIR against Lalbhai. Circle police inspector M G Damor said he was not aware of any such complaint. ``I will speak to Ramila and her husband to find out the veracity of the complaint'', he added.

However, some damage has already been done by the police inaction. On November 10, alleged Bajrang Dal activists entered Sitaram's house, broke the crucifix and burnt a Bible after tearing it pieces. ``They came to me asking for a Bible but I told them I had returned it to Father (Raphael Chakkumpidy, a priest working in nearby Pimpri)'', said Nandu, showing broken pieces of the crucifix. The good thing about the physical violence is that it ends quickly. Boycotts do not. Christian families claim they are not allowed to draw water from the village well; they cannot send their cattle with others for grazing in the woods. They aren't even given work in the village's government-aided projects. The Christian families have since stopped going to the well and at present draw their water from a rivulet. ``There's no problem right now, but there will be when the rivulet dries up'', said Nandu.

All this is on Lalbhai's orders, they say. Lalbhai himself denies there is any official boycott call. ``But if individuals can't put up with the convert families it's a natural reaction on their part. It comes from within'', he adds.

Dangs collector B N Joshi said he was not aware of any incident against Christians at Dhagunia. ``I will have to enquire into it. And if allegations of harassment of Christian families are true, I will take action against the guilty'', he said.