Convenor of the Forum Vilas Sonawane told mediapersons here today that Hindu fundamentalist organisations had become aggressive ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government assumed power at the Centre and had been forcing tribals in various parts of the country to convert to Hinduism.

Instead of understanding why tribals and dalits were deserting Hinduism, the Hindutva brigade has forcibly branded the adivasis as Hindus, he claimed. On October 16, 1998, a group of persons from Kayare Sadadpada village had attacked Christian tribals and damaged their church when the converted tribals refused to participate in an annualtribal festival there. On January 5 a Hindutva outfit issued an `ultimatum' to the missionaries, ordering them to leave the taluka by March 31.