By Albert Thyrniang
In May 1936, Dr Ambedkar stated: “I tell you all very specifically, religion is for man and not man for religion. To get human treatment, convert yourselves.” 20 year later, on October 14, 1956 the Dalit scholar along with 380,000 untouchables abandoned Hinduism and pledged fidelity to Buddhism. For the 100,000 latecomers the ceremony was repeated the next day shooting the Buddhist believers up to nearly half a million within thirty-six hours. Significantly, the ‘Great Conversion’ was in Nagpur, the court yard of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) whose head, Mohan Bhagwat, non-stop, raises false conversion alarms.
In mid-October on Dussehra festival, Bhagwat alleged demographic changes, particularly in the North East, due to conversion. Five days later, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members on Sunday, 17 October barged into in a Church in Hubli, Karnataka, squatted and sung Hindu bhajans, in protest against ‘forced conversions’. Communal violence in the southern state sees no end with perpetrators, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” enjoying ‘impunity’. To please the Hindutva brigades and to target Christians, the BJP government in the state is determined to bring in an anti-conversion law. The Archbishop of Bangalore has termed the alleged conversion a bogus. None is converted, let alone forcefully in the thousands of Church run educational and medical institutions. The allegations are to justify violence against Christians and other minorities.
The editorial in this paper the other day states that over 300 cases of violence against Christians have been perpetrated by Hindutva groups across 21 states in nine months of 2021 alone. The latest is the attack on a Catholic School and the disruption of a religious function in Ganjbasoda, Madhya Pradesh by Hindutva goons last December 6 on the basis of a fake news on a local Youtube channel. As per the United Christian Forum’s report Uttar Pradesh (66), Chhattisgarh (47) and Karnataka (32) top the list of attacks on the Christian community and their places of worship. 1,331 women, 588 tribals, and 513 Dalits were injured in these attacks, reveals the report.
Anything forced is illegal. However, there are valid reasons for changing one’s religion. The Constitution guarantees it. ‘The Dharma Diksha’ was traced back to the humiliating discrimination the school boy Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar endured. An untouchable he was seated on a burlap at the back of the classroom; his teacher refused to handle his books; drinking water had to be poured into his mouth and was beaten if he accidentally touched a caste Hindu. No wonder the greatest Dalit leader turned into a critic of Hinduism. The shackles of the four-fold varna system would keep his community in chains forever. An analysis of Ambedkar’s conversion also suggests his action was a political protest. Historical figures like Ashoka and the 12th century Dalit martyr of South India, Nandanar, who braved to challenge the tenets of Hinduism, deeply influenced him. His personal journey might have convinced him to embrace Buddha’s teachings. Ambedkar showed that for political, social or religious reasons conversion is permitted.
The allegation of alarming demographic changes is exaggerated and unwarranted. The Pew Research Centre (PRC), an American think tank that provides information on social and demographic issues all over the world observes that ‘an overall pattern of stability in the share of religious groups is accompanied by little net gain from movement into, or out of, most religious groups. Among Hindus any conversion out of the group is matched by conversion into the group.’ Only 2% of respondents say they are no more in the religion in which they were raised. A meagre 0.4% are Hindu converts to Christianity. 0.7% of respondents were raised Hindus and moved elsewhere while 0.8% were not raised in Hinduism but now have practised the religion. Why single out only conversion out of Hinduism?
Most Christian converts live in the South. Some dwell in the Eastern states. The vast majority of former Hindu adherents who became Christians are from Scheduled Castes (48%), Scheduled Tribes (14%) or Other Backward Classes (26%). Note that almost half of the Christian converts (47%) reveal that there is a lot of discrimination against Scheduled Castes in the country while 20% of the overall population admit discrimination against Scheduled Castes. The high percentage of Scheduled Castes opting to alter their religion calls for an examination. Is it not justified for them to practice another faith if they are discriminated against in the religion of their birth? It is not reasonable to embrace a religion that gives them equal social status? Why has Hinduism not reformed to see everyone equal? Why has Hinduism not become casteless? If quality of life is better in other ‘ways of life’ is it not natural that a switch-over is made?
Incentives and allurements are wrong. But no one can be forced to adopt another religion. At the same time, incentives are not ruled out. If I willingly follow someone who promises me a much better condition what is wrong with that? The root cause has to be addressed. If the poor are attracted to allurements to the point of changing their beliefs the fault lies elsewhere. Neither the convert nor the preachers are to be blamed. If there is discrimination and injustice, inequality and disparity the poor are fully empowered to decide for themselves. If there is no quality and free services either in education or health care, no nourishment and no employment opportunities why search for culprits of conversion? Why are the unprivileged ‘forced’ to abandon their religion for the sake of incentives? Why are the neglected ‘compelled’ to link spirituality to material benefits? Counsel for everyone: remove poverty before a hue and cry on conversion. India, the super power, has to end extreme poverty of 84 million or up to 400 million this year due to the COVID pandemic. Spirituality is blurred with the ‘worldly’ even for the haves.
The atmosphere of hate and animosity is prevailing in the world and in India. Love, compassion, openness, selflessness, brotherhood and common humanity are proclaimed virtues of every religion. But forget the violent and atrocity offenders, ordinary people of different faiths ignore homo sapiens’ shared reality. The PRC sample of 22,975 Hindus, 3,336 Muslims, 1,782 Sikhs, 1,011 Christians, 719 Buddhists and 109 Jains finds that they see themselves as different from the other. Disturbing is the revelation that a substantial percentage would not accept followers of other religions as neighbours. Another important note is that caste division exists in all religions, including Christianity. Then why convert? A change of mind-set is the key. But do we take eternity to effect that change?
The MDA partners are completely mum on the unending atrocities against Christians. They have stopped being secular as the B team of the BJP. But other parties, including the Congress, ‘champions’ of minorities, too are unconcerned. The Archbishop of Shillong and the Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders’ Forum (KJCLF) have condemned the persecution. But the numerous centres in the predominantly Christian states are in hiding. We are unmoved by the RSS and the BJP’s vision to turn this multi-religious country into a Hindu nation. It is possible that a section of the Church in the North East has been influenced by the RSS as is the case with the Kerala Church. In ‘God’s Own Country’ the Church has fallen into the trap of right- wing propaganda of ‘Love and Narcotic Jihad’. This writer met a couple of anti-Jihad ‘warriors’ from that state who are double certain of a well ‘crafted’ conspiracy. They threw up numbers of cases involving the above mentioned ‘religious war’. I asked for proof of their allegations. They readily agreed. The heat of the controversy broke out in early September. Till date they have not provided any link to substantiate their claims. The oldest and most influential Church in the country has been set up by fundamentalist elements to divide the society on religious lines. There is a perception that the invitation to the Pope to visit India was done with the understanding that the BJP be accepted among Christians.
When the AITC called out the MDA allies and the grand old party for their silence on the atrocities against the soft target Christians, the bragging Meghalaya MP, WR Kharlukhi responded ridiculously saying the parachuted West Bengal party is unauthorised to speak for Christians until it has been accepted in the state, like his NPP (after 20 years). Shoot the messenger without reading the message! Also his insistence that his joint protest letter on the arrest of late Stan Swamy suffices, is pathetic.
Contentious is the conversion issue in India. Nine states have enacted laws against proselytism. But as exemplified by the Chairman of the Constitution drafting committee, the ‘Rule Book’ stands for religious freedom in the country. The Father of the Indian Constitution himself preached religion and conversion.
Let me end on a different note. The ‘genocide’ in Nagaland is beyond comprehension. The colonial and draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has to go. The army is not deployed to fight its own citizens, especially with impunity.
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