[Monica Bangaria, a Delhi University student, is among the Bhagana Dalits who embraced Islam at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Friday.]
New Delhi/Hisar: Families from Hisar’s Bhagana village, who converted to Isalm on Friday after protesting for the past two years over alleged atrocities and rapes by the upper-caste Jats, said being Hindu means permanent humiliation, and they no more want to be humiliated again.
"We will never return to Hindu religion again as being Hindu means a permanent humiliation, and we no more want to be humiliated at any cost", Satish Kajla, one of the Dalits from Bahgana, Haryana said while talking to media after his conversion to Islam.
Satish Kajla is one of over fifty Dalits who have converted to Islam at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Frdiay.
Explaining the situation which forced them to come to Delhi, Virendra Singh Bagoria of Bhagana Sangharsh Samiti, who also converted to Islam on the same day said, “We were forced to leave our village on 21 May 2012 as our life had become miserable – barbers were not cutting our hair, facing problems while travelling.
"Our kids were removed from schools, we were pushed out of temples, denied using pond, general stores. Khap panchayat warned that whoever maintains relations with us will be slapped with a fine.”
Monica Bangaria, a Delhi University student who has also converted to Islam along with her family memebrs, said that her community was impressed by the equality in Muslim society.
When she was reminded that even many Muslims (due to ignorance or under the influence Hindu society) practice evil practice of human inequality, she replied, “We know about it. But Muslims don't discriminate anybody during dining or in other matters, they eat together and mingle without any rancor, and pray namaz together. They do not hate people because of their birth in certain families.”
Coming down heavily on the caste system in Hindu religion, she said whenever Dalit members sought help from other Hindus for rescuing them from atrocities; nobody came forward to help them.
The protesting families had been threatening to convert to Islam for the past week.
“We have given up Hinduism. We are tired of waiting. We have met chief ministers and police and all we have received in return are empty promises. Not one person has done anything.
"What is the point of staying within this community when no one comes to you at the time of your need? We are treated like animals and that has not changed despite our protests,” said Jagdish Kajla, convener of Bhagana Kand Sangharsh Samiti.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), however, alleged that the conversion was an instance of “exploitation” of Dalit families and said they were able to “intervene in time” to stop it.
Countering the villagers’ claims, VHP Delhi spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, “Some of our workers reached Jantar Mantar after receiving information that certain individuals were exploiting the helplessness of these people and forcing them to convert to Islam.
"What is shocking is that this was happening virtually next to the Parliament. When our workers arrived at the spot and called police, they detained the workers. Later, more protesters arrived and we were able to intervene in time and stop the conversion", he claimed.
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