[Assam] Another One from Outlook

[Chan Mahanta]

  Web|  Sep 22, 2006

Opinion

  Stop Forced Religious Conversions!

  Has the Sangh Parivar and the Gujarat government sought prior 
permission of Buddhists and Jains to make them part of Hindu 
religion? If not, it is nothing but a case of forced conversion. The 
real danger to Hindu religion is from within because of its own 
weaknesses

  UDIT RAJ

The Sangh Parivar is not able to resolve the dangers looming large on 
the caste-based Hindu religion on its own. There is a saying that you 
should first try to resolve your differences on your own, and then 
consult your neighbours. But instead of taking recourse to either of 
these options, they start finding fault with Christians or Muslims - 
Jains and Buddhists have now become their latest targets. .

On the 19th September, 2006, the Gujarat Assembly passed the 
Religious Freedom (Amendment) Bill stating that prior permission is 
required from the government before seeking conversion to any 
religion and as if this was not enough, Chief Minister Narendra Modi 
has done what has not been done anywhere else by declaring that 
Buddhists and Jains shall be treated as a part of Hinduism.

For certain limited purposes, in certain matters like marriages etc., 
Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs have been included in the ambit of Hindu 
religion in our Constitution - but in Articles 25 to 30 of 
Constitution, it has been explicitly stated that Buddhism, Jainism 
and Sikhism are three separate religions. It is very clearly stated: 
'Every person in India, is equally entitled to freedom of conscience 
and the right to freely to profess, practice, propagate religion.' 
The Supreme Court and the Minorities Commission have also held the 
view that Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism are distinct identities - and 
are  not a part of Hindu religion.

It is interesting that using the same Article 25 (Clause B) illogic 
(read in isolation), Sikhs too should have been covered by the 
Gujarat bill. But the bill doesn't do so. It has not declared Sikhs 
as part of Hindu religion out of cowardice. About two years back, 
when the RSS Sarsanghchalak, K.S Sudershan had declared in a 
statement that Sikhs were part of Hindu religion, the Sikhs had 
flared up and challenged the description, letting it be known that 
they were fully competent of looking after their distinct religious 
identity. The situation had became very volatile, and perhaps BJP is 
aware of the sensitivities of its Shiromani Akali Dal allies and its 
electoral fall-out, which is why Sikhs have been kept out this time.

But just consider how these religions came into being.

Buddhism came into existence in the backdrop of rampant social evils 
prevailing in the society when Lord Buddha observed that there was 
widespread violence, untouchability and discrimination against women. 
Humanity was his only concern and amelioration of the miseries of 
human beings his ultimate goal -and he laid down certain norms for 
achieving this goal. "I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering 
and the end of suffering" In real terms, it is not a religion but 
dhamma which means that human beings should do such deeds which 
should remove others' miseries and bring happiness to others.

Similarly with Jain Dharma, as Lord Mahavira spoke out against the 
social evils and violence prevailing in the society at that time, 
urging the people to follow the path of truth and non-violence. 
Gurunanak Devji also fought against discrimination and religious 
dogma of those times and urged the people to follow the righteous 
path. All these religions came into existence on a parallel basis and 
not as an off-shoot of Hindu religion.

Till now only Muslims and Christians were being targeted by the Sangh 
Parivar -but now Buddhists and Jains are also on their agenda, but 
through the back-door. Has the Sangh Parivar and the Gujarat 
government sought prior permission of Buddhists and Jains to make 
them part of Hindu religion? If not, it is nothing but a case of 
forced conversion.

The fact is that a large majority of people in India are converting 
to Buddhism and Christianity because of the caste-based Hindu 
religion. According to my information, Buddhism is spreading very 
fast  in our country. BJP is only trying to get political mileage by 
treating Buddhists and Jains as Hindus. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar 
somehow are worried that by 2066, Hindus in India will become a 
minority.

India is a secular country. Secularism simply means that the state 
shall not interfere in the personal and religious affairs of a person 
and religion would not be used as a political tool. By framing such 
laws as are against religious freedom, the Gujarat government has 
made it clear that a person shall have to take permission from the 
state for pursuing a religious faith of his choice.

Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and now Gujarat have made 
laws which stipulate that whosoever wants to pursue a religious faith 
of his free choice shall have to get prior permission from the 
government. This means that the governments -and the Sangh Parivar at 
large - shall get prior information about anyone wanting to change 
their religion.

As most of such people wanting to change their religious identity 
would be Dalits and people belonging to other weaker sections, is it 
very difficult to figure out what the Sangh and BJP in these states 
wish to do? They wish to be forewarned so that they are fully 
prepared to adopt all the means to prevent such conversions - through 
intimidation or by coercion.

  Let us take for example the case of a Dalit who does not have any 
farmland. There are so many ways to coerce or intimidate him via rich 
and powerful farmers: By not hiring him as a farmhand. By not 
allowing him to pass through land or dividers belonging to rich and 
powerful farmers. By instigating and creating dissensions among his 
other Dalit relations. And if these tactics do not work, why, then 
there is always the time-tested method of implicating him in false 
cases.

  By creating all sorts of problems for people wanting to change their 
religion would in all probability dissuade such people from 
converting to another religion. Such persons wanting to convert to 
another religion may be forced even to make a statement to the effect 
that they wanted to do so under pressure from a Maulvi or a priest. 
Under such circumstances, the Sangh Parivar and their governments 
will also get a handle to harass and torture Muslim and Christian 
priests.

Atrocities in any case are already being committed in many districts 
including Jhabua, Jabbalpur, and Dang on Christians. Presently, 
Christians are doing a commendable job through the convent schools in 
the areas of education and health for Dalits and other backward 
classes - but they would be forced to restrict their activities to 
the elite. It is an irony that the elite and the prosperous sections 
of the society are taking maximum advantage of convent education 
being imparted by the Christian institutions, but when the same 
Christian community wants to do something for Dalits and other 
backward communities, it is termed as religious conversion.

  After all, the colonising British were also Christians and the upper 
castes happily served them as landlords, bureaucrats and in other 
capacities. If Christians and Muslims (remember the upper-caste 
Hindus working with the Moghuls?) give some benefits to such people, 
then everything is fine otherwise everything is wrong.

The Sangh Parivar wants Buddhists and Jains to accept the suzerainty 
of the Vedas. Have the Jains agreed to accept the supremacy of the 
Vedas over the Tirthankaras? Have the Buddhists agreed to accept 
Hinduism's caste-system? The Sangh Parivar also forgets one basic 
fact: It was Dr. Ambedkar who gave a boost to reviving Buddhism on 
October 14, 1956 at Nagpur by initiating lakhs of Dalits into 
Buddhism along with himself:

"I embrace today the  Bauddha Dhamma, discarding the Hindu religion 
which is detrimental to the emancipation of human beings and which 
believes in inequality and regards human beings other than Brahmins 
as low-born."

Buddhism and Dr Ambedkar are in fact two sides of the same coin. BJP 
will only stand to lose if they adopt such tactics, as whatever small 
minority of Dalits who have so far been neutral towards BJP will be 
vehemently opposed to them after this move. The All India 
Confederation of SC/ST Organizations and the All India Christian 
Council is holding World Religious Freedom Day on October 13-14 at 
Nagpur where activists will be coming not only from different parts 
of India but from all over the world and after this event, the 
struggle for religious freedom will be intensified not only within 
the country, but with the active cooperation of people from all over 
the world.

The Sangh Parivar have nothing to be afraid of Muslims or Christians 
who might be doing some conversions or spread of Buddhism at a fast 
speed. The real danger to Hindu religion is from within because of 
its own weaknesses. Thousands of instances have come to light when 
children from upper castes refused to take mid-day meals in schools 
along with Dalit children. Entry of Dalits to several Hindu temples 
is still prohibited. It is a great irony that there is not a single 
Dalit industrialist nor is there any Dalit heading an Import-Export 
House. According to a recent survey, out of 315 top journalists, 
there is not a single Dalit journalist. There are hundreds and 
thousands of celebrities in the country, but not even one of them is 
a Dalit. . Under these circumstances, the real danger to Hindu 
religion is from within and not outside. By remaining deprived within 
the fold of Hindu religion, what do they enjoy? Slavery, poverty, 
humiliation?

Dr. Udit Raj is Chairman, All India Confederation of SC/ST 
Organisations and Indian Justice Party
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