The Bengal unit of the VHP had announced that it would launch its biggest-ever drive to reconvert tribal Christians to Hinduism at Malda on the Ram Navami Day. It chose Popra in old Malda for the grand `homecoming' obviously because the tribal population there has a fair sprinkling of Christians. And the Ram Navami day was chosen because it coincided with the traditional Santal festival, Hapram Param, dedicated to the memory of the tribals' ancestors.

Today, at Popra the tribals were the losers. Their age-old festivity was lost in the cries of ``Jai Sri Ram'' by the saffron brigade. TheBajrang Dal camp on the ashram complex at Popra was adorned with portraits of Hindu deities, Swami Vivekananda and the new Hindutva leaders like Golwalkar and Hedgewar. Cries for Santal heroes like Sidhu-Kanu and Birsa Munda were simply adds-on.

Other than the VHP/Bajrang Dal activists, the most prominent presence at the festival was that of the large posse of policemen. Led by the district magistrate, the superintendent of police and the deputy inspector-general of police (north Bengal), the large police contingent kept vigil as saffron workers from outside the area took over the show.

``The police have transformed this small hamlet into a battlefield and this has scared away tribals who would have otherwise come,'' complained West Bengal VHP secretary Asit Kumar Bhattacharyya. Asked about the reconversion plan for tribal Christians, he said, ``Is it a sin to recall those who have left the family?''

Mild tension marred the festivity as the police intervened to stop some men planning to perform afire-walking ritual. While the saffron brigade insisted that this was popular item of the tribal festivities, the administration maintained that it would not allow the ``dangerous'' ritual. After several hours of stand-off, the saffronites gave up. The perplexed tribals flitted in and cut of the festival ground, wondering what those men with the saffron head gear and the rifle-wielding policemen were doing on the soil of their forefathers.

Rabi Hansda of the neighbouring Baldahura village was just as perplexed. He and his wife, Sumi, had converted to Christianity about a year ago. ``I changed faith on my free will. Now we feel better that we don't have go to the village quack or the witch for every little problem,'' he said.

But Rabi and other Christians among the tribals at Popra feel threatened by the activities of the VHP/Bajrang Dal men. ``We heard some Swamiji came to the mela yesterday and said we should not become Christians. But can't we choose the faith that makes us feel better,'' asked Rabi,almost in a prayer.

Rabi's question is vibrating through the small Christian population at Malda. The Hindutva brigade's virulent anti-Christian propaganda is daily gathering momentum. According to VHP secretary of West Bengal, Bhattacharyya, about 1,000 tribals who had converted to Christianity in Malda district were reconverted to their original faith in the last five years. And, the campaign goes on stronger in this district than other places in West Bengal. No wonder Bajrang Dal posters in Malda railway station accuse Sonia Gandhi of ``conspiring'' to multiply the Christian population in India. No wonder that the first ever BJP MP from Bengal, Tapan Sikdar, is a son of Malda, though he has been elected to the Lok Sabha from the Dum Dum constituency near Calcutta.