Saturday, September 16 2006 13:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The majority of Indians of every religious faith live in peaceful coexistence even though conversion remains a highly contentious issue and terrorists continue violence against religious targets, says the US State Department's new report on religious freedom.

The 2006 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom said the Indian government reacted in a 'swift manner' to rein in extremists, prevent revenge attacks and assure the minority Muslim community of its safety.

"India, it said, was among the countries where the governments took positive action when societal attitudes toward minority religious groups led to discrimination and physical threats,"]he said.

The report, however, said "Tensions between religious groups were a problem in some areas and violence directed against minorities by both state and non-state actors occurred in several states".

"Terrorists attempted to provoke religious conflict by attacking Hindu temples in Ayodhya and Varanasi. The government reacted in a swift manner to rein in Hindu extremists, prevent revenge attacks and reprisal, and assure the Muslim community of its safety," it said.

"Conversion continued to be a highly contentious issue. Some Hindu organisations and others frequently alleged that Christian missionaries lured converts, particularly from the lower castes, with offers of free education and healthcare, and equated such actions with forced conversions," it said.

"Some Christian groups also alleged that Hindu bodies had forcibly 'reconverted' those who had embraced Christianity," the report said.