Tahsildar transferred after ‘no forced conversion’ report

SHIVAMOGGA:  Days after Hosadurga tahsildar Thippeswamy submitted a report stating that there was no forced religious conversion of people in some villages of the taluk, contrary to what BJP MLA Gulihatti Shekar had claimed, the government has transferred the official. He is awaiting his next posting. 

In September, after Gulihatti Shekar alleged in the Assembly that forced conversions were rampant in his constituency, the Hosadurga taluk administration conducted a survey in some of the villages. He even went on to say that his mother had converted to Christianity forcefully. A few days later, he had said that his mother and nine others in his village had reverted to Hinduism.

Contrary to the MLA’s claim, the team, led by Tahsildar Thippeswamy, found that the families had accepted Christianity voluntarily. The tahsildar and a senior police officer conducted a survey of 46 families in Srirampura hobli and another village near Devapura hobli in Hosadurga taluk  a few weeks ago. The team had also interacted with 34 families at Maruti Nagar and 12 families in another village near Devapura. 

Thippeswamy told TNIE that a new tahsildar has assumed charge. “I conducted the survey after several media houses reported about forced conversion. The district administration directed me to undertake the exercise. In my report, I highlighted what the people told me.” Thippeswamy, however, said the report was not the reason for his transfer.