Politics of Conversions and Right to Equality

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Recent reports about the move by Rajasthan government to formulate a law to curb "forceful religious conversions" seeks to project an unbalanced picture about caste related oppression and the reaction by some quarters to trivialize the issue of religious freedom. The politics around conversion surfaced amid growing tensions between the Emmanuel Mission and some Hindu groups in Kota.

The event which kindled the tensions over religious conversions was the visit of a group of Christians from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to Kota on 20 February to attend a Bible course offered by the Emanuel Mission. The issue rocked the State Assembly with both the Opposition Congress and BJP government trading charges regarding the role of the VHP and Bajrang Dal and its attempts to browbeat the Emmanuel Mission. The State government also asked 90 foreign delegates, mostly from the US, who had come to participate in the mission's programme to refrain from conversion activities.

Keeping the pressure on religious conversions the State Home Minister, Gulab Chand Kataria, lambasted the Emmanuel Mission and said that there were complaints about the mission converting illiterate and poor Hindus. He went on to stretch the logic by holding that conversions were the cause for strengthening secessionist movements in the Northeast, implicitly casting aspersions on the patriotism of people who convert to other faiths. Meanwhile, the Mission head Archbishop M A Thomas, who assured that no religious conversion or baptisms were held countered, "How can you refrain from preaching or practising religion?" thereby leaving space for ambiguity on the issue of conversion.

These developments and the political discourse keep the perennial fears of Hinduism being under siege alive that facilitate short term political gains but has the potential to stoke communal passions given the experience of recent years. But, ignoring the core issue of caste based oppression, which is one of the primary reasons for conversion to another faith, is an uncharitable ploy by the state government. The present move to curb conversion would only distract attention from the heart of the problem as Rajasthan does not have a credible record of safeguarding the rights of vulnerable sections like the Dalits. This raises an important question about the overzealousness of the state in defending people's faith whilst ignoring flagrant violations of individual/group rights on the basis of caste hierarchy.

The argument put forward by groups opposing the anti-conversion law is that it could be used to target the minorities. Such arguments have some validity given the National Commission for Minorities' letter to the Rajasthan and Maharashtra Home Secretaries to immediately provide protection to Christians and Christian properties. But, stretching this argument too far would again divert attention from the abominable condition of the Dalits. Even their conversion has not translated into their liberation.

Still religious conversion has a certain relevance as it offers the marginalized sections an alternative life, a moral weapon of protest against the discrimination institutionalized by the caste system. It has been established that conversion to a new faith does not necessarily result in social change as existing caste-class divisions continue to manifest themselves in new settings. The installment of Marampudi Joji as the first Dalit archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church in India (Hyderabad) in April 2000 was disapproved by his predecessor Archbishop Arulappa on the ground that the Vatican is not aware of 'ground realities'. He went on to add that the archdiocese of Hyderabad were unhappy with the Vatican's choice.

The most puzzling aspect is the ambivalence displayed by the Indian State on intervening in issues involving conflicts and violation of human rights on caste lines where the well-being of its citizens is under threat. The incident in Jhajjar district, where five Dalits were lynched to death over allegations of skinning a dead cow in 2002, and the series of incidents which have occurred later have only heightened the existing vulnerabilities and anxieties of the lower strata of Hindu society. Similarly, one should ponder how the Rajasthan government will defend the faith of the masses without according primacy to their constitutional right to life and dignity.

Published on 12 March 2005, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

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URL:

http://www.ipcs.org/comm_select.php?articleNo=1669