I must admit that things have not been well during the last couple of days, with TV channels and the newspapers giving wide publicity on the religious conversions being carried out in some parts of North India. Allegedly, 200 Muslims from 57 families were reconverted to Hinduism by the RSS and Bajrang Dal in Agra and it is further speculated that during Christmas tide some 5000 more Muslims and Christians would be brought back to the Hindu fold.
It has been gathered from one source that assurance by the right wing outfits to dole out ration cards and houses to the converts is the motive behind the conversions. If these allegations are true then we feel deeply ashamed that in our country with a democratic setup such crude and primitive practices still preponderate.
The Modi-led NDA government should be firm to uphold the secular credentials of the nation as enshrined in the Constitution and strive hard to fulfil the promises made to the electorate, instead of burying itself in such turmoil, which if encouraged is certain to ruin the nation. What we need is a strong and progressive united India that respects the dignity of the individual and strives resolutely to keep us united as Indians without giving precedence to insignificant religion-based issues like building a temple, declaring Bhagwat Gita a national book or making Sanskrit a compulsory language.
We may say irrefutably that in our country where people are overtly religious-minded, such sensitive issues are likely to do more harm than good. If such mindless things continue, the BJP which came to power through the support of the common man will be relinquished by the embattled voter.
I must add convincingly that whenever the topic of conversion surfaces it surely generates a lot of hostility, for the sentiments of the people are intensely offended. In the past, to avoid such frictions, there have been arguments that conversions should be prohibited. But in that case it would trample on the fundamental right of the individual to freely practice, preach, profess or propagate the religion of one’s choice. What we insist is that conversion should be devoid of issues like coercion, allurement, inducement, appeasement and so on.
As we discuss this issue the moment is apt for all of us, particularly the minorities to ponder for a while and ascertain how they feel when others get converted to their faith. Don’t we feel overwhelmed when someone gets converted to our faith and has it not been imbibed in some minorities that conversion is our mission?
If we trace Indian history we will recollect how the invasion by Muslim conquerors or the conquests by Christians from Europe led to mass conversions. We glorify these happenings and exalt the convertors as saints.
