RSS Chief’s Latest Diatribe Against Muslims, Christians
The calls for ‘Ghar Wapasi’ and films like Kerala Story 1 and 2 are a total violation of the values of the Indian Constitution and Indian ethos
Choosing one’s religion is a social and legal right of citizens’ as per the Indian Constitution. Still, the organizations that do their politics under the cover of religion do not accept this. Mohan Bhagwat, the Sarsanghachalak of RSS, keeps stating on one hand that all people living in India are Hindus. On the other hand, he says that Hindu population is declining as many of them are being converted to Islam and Christianity. He further went on to say that Hindu couples should produce three children as declining population of Hindus in the country is worrisome.
It is contradictory that on one hand you call everybody Hindu, and on the other, you call for Ghar Wapasi into Hinduism. Many of them emphasise that the DNA structure of all communities in India is similar. As far as population genetics is concerned, it is no indicator of one’s religion. Global migrations took place and the similarity of DNA amongst different religions is a fact. Just because DNA studies reveal many similarities, it is no argument for leaving one’s religion of inheritance or choice to leave and merge into the majority religious community.
Islam in India
The argument that Islam in India spread on the strength of sword of kings holds no water as the first Muslim population of India developed in Malabar Coast, Kerala. This was not due to the sword of any king, as there was no Muslim king in Kerala till 15th Century when Tipu Sultan annexed it. The first mosque in India, Cheramaan Juma Mosque, came up in the 7th century.
Later while few conversions to Islam might have taken place due to coercion or allurement, the major conversions to Islam took place to escape the tyranny of caste system. It was not kings who converted Hindus but it was under the influence of Humanistic approach of Sufi saints that many converted to Islam.
As Swami Vivekanand pointed out Islam came as a liberatory force for the low castes in India. Many victor Muslim kings granted mercy for defeated Hindu kings if they agreed to accept Islam. This is a miniscule number.
Furthermore, to say that only the method of worship has changed due to conversion amongst the converts is a travesty of truth. Muslims have their own places of worship, pilgrimage, holy books and identity. The claims of current Hindutva ideologues are at odds with progenitor of Hindu Nationalism, Savarkar, for whom Muslims were a different nation.
Christianity in India
As far as Christianity is concerned, it entered India in AD 52 with St. Thomas setting up Churches on Malabar Coast. Today their percentage (Population census 2011) is 2.30.
Their work in remote Adivasis areas has got them come converts, but the overall number of 2.3% in a period of close to two millennia does not show use of any allurement or force.
Surely, some small denominations amongst Christian religion do claim that they want to convert, but the major denominations do not convert unless the person opts voluntarily for this.
Shuddhi Movement and Tablighi Jamat
As communal politics in India developed, initially it was to convert Muslims to Hinduism by Arya Samaj. Arya Samaj started Shuddhi.
At the same time Tablighi Jamat started Tanzim (organization) and Tablighi (propaganda/religious proselytization) movement in North India.
Shuddhi regarded that those who converted to Islam have become impure, and hence they need to be brought back and purification rituals need to be performed. Tanzim regarded that some Muslims have forgotten Islamic norms, and hence they need to be taught this.
Ghar Wapsi
The present Ghar Wapasi campaign was started four decades ago mainly in Adivasi/Dalit areas. This was also done in the slums and aimed to convert Muslims to Hinduism. In Adivasis areas religious rituals, like giving bath in hot springs along with performance of Havans (Hindu rituals) was done, after which they declared that person has become Hindu.
One example of this came to light in Vednagar, Agra in 2014. Some 350 Muslim pavement dwellers, who were primarily rag pickers and destitutes were told to come after taking bath. The promise was that they will be given BPL cards and ration cards. When they reached there, they were made to participate in Havan and after that they were declared to be Hindus. This was organized by Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jan Jagruti Samit, both affiliated to RSS. Amongst Muslims and Christians, the poor section is being targeted for this.
It is in this direction that many states have introduced ‘Freedom of Religion’ Acts which ensure that people can’t choose their religion. In Many of these acts one needs permission of collectors for the same. Many pastors and priests have been beaten up on the charge of doing conversion work. On the eve of Christmas, many traders selling Christmas on the pavements, were beaten up on charges of doing conversion work. On the pretext of conversion work, the most horrific act was that of burning alive of Pastor Stains with his two minor sons in Keonjhar, Orissa.
Bringing to focus Ghar Wapasi is the revival of a divisive game being played by communal organizations and its affiliates. Ghar Wapasi is a forcible conversion through intimidation. Jamaiat Ulama e Hind President, Maulana Madani, strongly condemned this view saying they are Muslims and will remain Muslims.
"Love Jihad"
On the similar lines, the campaign of love jihad has been going on. In this direction, the trailer of Kerala Story 2, a very communal film for propaganda, presents as if there is an organized attempt to promote Muslim youth to woo Hindu girls for marriage and conversion. In Kerala this was investigated by police and found to be false.
The trailer shows all this in a distorted and hateful fashion. The Kerala Story 2 is yet another film made for propaganda purposes and its crudity is despicable. Like the Kerala Story, which came earlier, Kerala Story 2 is also based on imaginary data, far away from reality. Hadiya (Akhila who converted to Islam) case showed how fake is the narrative of allurement of Hindu girls by Muslim youth, as said it is her free choice.
This film will be an add-on to the divisive politics of dominating communal organization, taking our country down to a very illiberal society where the basic principles of fraternity are violated to the core. The calls for ‘Ghar Wapasi’ and films like Kerala Story 1 and 2 are a total violation of the values of the Indian Constitution and Indian ethos of syncretic culture which was the basis of India’s emotional unity.
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