BERHAMPUR, ORISSA, January 6, 2004: The Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth, Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, has urged the Hindus to save at least one rupee (US two cents) every day and contribute it to a fund for development of tribal areas to stop illegal conversion. People are taking advantage of the poverty and under-development of tribals to wean them away from the Hindu religion, the Puri seer stated while addressing the annual function of Ganjam college at Ganjam, 30 km from here yesterday. Expressing concern over conversion, the Shankaracharya said it posed a threat to Hindu religion and ridiculed the propaganda that tribals were not Hindus. The Shankaracharya said that Hinduism was the oldest religion in the world saying the time has come for people professing the faith to protect it.
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