Dr John Mohan Razu
We live in paradoxes, with all kinds of absurdities and inconsistencies. For decades political parties especially the far-right parties and RSS viewed the issue of conversion keenly especially Hindus converting to Christianity particularly the Dalits and the Tribals. Why conversion from Hinduism to other religions is viewed with deep suspicion? Nowadays we keep hearing about anti-conversion—a very strict Uttarakhand law is the latest. The ways with which the government couched with legal and punitive measures have been mind boggling.
Anyone found converting, or trying to convert, someone to a religion other than the one the so-called convertee belongs to, is going to face, as they say the wrath of the state. The ways with which the Government of Uttarakhand framed the law and other punitive actions are primarily geared to create fear and frenzy amongst those who want to convert and those who believe in the fundamental right—right to practice and freedom to embrace.
Missionary zeal sometimes could result in ways resulting in luring, force, and many others, but what about voluntary—if a person or a community wants to relinquish one religion and embrace the other, especially from Hinduism to others such as Islam and Christianity. There are laws, why more laws for this. The far-right political parties and RSS wants to create laws (state promulgated) that are stringent as if they are only custodians of Hinduism and India.
The Hindutva outfits should know that hundreds and thousands of people are getting converted to other faiths from Hinduism due to various reasons, not by luring, but by change of hearts, power of the Gospel, having heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. At the same time if should be borne in mind and while resorting to violent actions and activities. Intimidation, assaults, disruptions, and other modes resorting to shall never deter the faithful and those who finds happiness, peace, love, and fulfillment.
Every religion in India is resorting to selling the product. The product is ‘god’. Nowadays God has become a product for sale with all kinds of advertisements, speakers in sparling attires, and attractive packages. Those combos will never work for a longer period, for the time being it may work. The One we are seeking for and resorting to is someone who is beyond these confines. Therefore, the one who seeks the One should submit, surrender, and totally open to change from the past to becoming anew.
Based on one’s internal wrestling with the One who she/he thinks offers solace and peace of mind that fills the spiritual vacuum shall never be deterred by any means. Who else can stop it and with what laws one can be prosecuted. If the governments both at the Centre and the states assumes that people are getting converted to other religion because of all forms of advertisements, tangible and intangible should be banned and made punishable, and consumer rights to pick and choose between competing brands be damned. This is what exactly happening. Religious sects and denominations are in competition with one another.
Among the most advertised brands in our country are political parties and their ideologies they represent. If we flip through the print and visual media, they are filled with all sorts of ads that each and every political party wants to sell. If it is ruling party then there’s no bar—all kinds of ads displaying their achievements and effectiveness of the governments’ policies and programs. The tussle between the political parties is win over those ‘undecided’ or ‘standing on the walls’ and if possible, those who seemed to have been frustrated with the political parties they held on for years, but failed to live up to his or her expectations.
Nowadays ‘populism’ seemed to have attracted the political parties. They are worse than the commercial establishments in luring the voters/electorates. All kinds of games go on the canvas of the political parties. ‘populism’ seems to have been an attractive idea that many political parties employ as part of their campaigns. Almost all political parties woo with attractive schemes and programs if they come to power and prior to elections almost all the political parties indulge in offering all sorts of things such as mixer, TVs, washing machines, refrigerator, utensils, and hard cash.
Are they not worst form of luring the electorates or prospective voters? How and in what way the luring that the concerned parties and cultural organizations say is okay, but becomes wrong doing when it comes to ‘conversion’ of those religious organizations and leaders who control the churches, mosques, and others. How can two rules be applied for political and religious domains. Both does involve people, adherents, followers, ideology, theology, faith, trust, adherence, and many others. But why stringent rules and laws when it comes to religious conversion, and not to political/ideological questions?
All the more so in that the distinction between religion and politics has not been merely blurred, but totally obliterate, as we see in the Uttarakhand anti-conversion law, and stringent punishments it demonstrates. It portrays merely not just the criminalization of politics, but weaponization of religion. If the dominant and the privileged forces start dictating the voters and the faithful adherents to what faith or religion or political party or ideology they should adhere and then comes out with all sorts of legal armaments and other legislations, and then offering or suggesting procedures and processes how and what should be done shows mockery of democracy. It is an attack on democracy, democratic values, and framework. Over and above, it is nothing but a criminalization of democracy.
