Justice B K Somasekhara Commission of Inquiry recorded a tale of voluntary conversion of a Hindu into Christianity on the third day of its proceedings at Circuit House on Wednesday.
In a hour-long narration, Gunasekhara, a protestant, one among the 17 witnesses deposed before the Commission, explained what made him to embrace Christianity as early as 1986.
As per his affidavit submitted to the Commission, his house had been attacked by Bajrang Dal men in September last, alleging that he was encouraging conversions.
As Gunasekhara deposed before S R Raviprakash, the legal advisor to the Commission conducting the ongoing hearing, he (Gunasekahara) embraced Christianity after he had some disappointing experiences as a Hindu.
“I belonged to an Adi Dravida community. I was painting to eke out a living. I used to paint idols in temples. Being a native of Kaval Bhairasandra in Bangalore, I used to go to a Hindu temple there, with my friends belonging to Christian and Islam faiths. However, I was not allowed to go near the ‘god’ in the temple because of my caste. My friends said such system was not there in their religion where all are considered equal,” he stated.
Explaining his bitter experiences further, Gunasekhara said his sister’s husband died on the very second day of their marriage, and when he approached the temple priests for some solutions, they said that his sister did not have the chance for a second marriage.
“I started studying about various Hindu Gods, their history, principles, prophesy and many other aspects. I even visited some Buddhist centres; but I was not satisfied,” he said. He said he went to Hyderabad in 1983 and joined a company. However, he did not get answers to his spiritual questions, and decided to commit suicide.
“I was standing before a pond and was about to jump. At that moment, I heard an inner voice stopping me from the deed. As I returned to my room, I tuned into my radio which was broadcasting the message of Jesus Christ. I liked the principles of love and care propagated by Christ,” Gunasekhara said.
He stated that he had even undergone the experience of meeting Christ during his meditation, after which he started going to churches.
He returned to Bangalore in 1986 and continued his profession. “Unfortunately, I suffered from some diseases and I was about to die. At that time, one Christian woman who met me for a painting, told me that she would pray for me to cure my diseases. It happened. I got well soon. After this, I embraced Christianity,” he explained, and reiterated that his conversion was completely voluntary.
