MADURAI, INDIA, August 25, 2002: Some 250 Scheduled Caste (the dalits or “untouchables,” who number 160 million in India) youths from the southern districts of Tamil Nadu were converted into Christianity at a function here on Saturday night, Seventh Day Adventist Church sources said. The Church had shot into the limelight in 2001 when it converted more than 1,500 dalit Hindus into Christianity. The sources said that the SC youths, in the age group of 20, were converted during the Thirumarai Peruvizha (conference) held at their school. The youths from Dindigul, Ammapatti, Sankarankovil, Tirunelveli, Manamadurai and Sivaganga agreed to convert after the pastors convinced them about the benefits they would have if they embraced Christianity. The baptism was held as the final event of the south Tamil conference. According to some converts, they were brought here with promises of economic emancipation. The website of the Church claims that more than 10,000 people had recently been converted in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
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