End of the Line...

Recent spate of ‘re-conversions’ to Hinduism in Orissa is what is causing a flurry in my mind right now. The manner in which tribal Indians are being tormented for their religion is not only gruesome but also against the very tenets of Hinduism.

For the sake of argument, lets keep the fact of conversion to Christianity aside for a moment. Let us assume that the Tribals in Orissa and Dalits elsewhere are indeed being mass converted to Christianity. But who has conferred the right to rape and pillage and burn the Christians? Is Religion not a matter of free will? Who are they to dictate which religion one follows?! Let me try and justify their right to decide which religion to follow or to follow any religion at all. Consider this:

Muslims, Christians and Dalits in particular (because they are fellow Hindus) are still not allowed inside many renowned Hindu temples. And I’m not talking about middle ages. I am talking about today. NOW. Many Dalits still live in ghettos outside the villages. Those who claim to be caretakers of Hindu religions have not only never contributed to upliftment of Dalits but have infact stigmatized their lives and raised hindrances in their paths to progress at all points of time. No Hindu has ever done anything for the Tribals living a life devoid of even necessities in the hinterlands of our country. What right, then these Hindu Fanatics have to ‘re-convert’ them to Hinduism. And let me point out that I’ve not even touched upon the aspect of whether these were indeed Hindus before conversion to Christianity. Tribals themselves have claimed that they are not Hindus and are nature worshippers. These claims are indeed correct since these people are the aboriginal people of India who have lived here from time immemorial and before the ‘advent’ of Vedic and later Hindu Civilization. ‘Reconversion’ of these tribal people is as good as a forced conversion to Christianity. And indeed the manner in which these people have been forced to convert by making them eat cow dung and cow urine and forcibly tonsuring their head is no less wrong than medieval times conversion of Hindus to Islam at sword point.

The major allegation made against the Christian Missionaries is about not forced conversions but conversion by enticement. It is being alleged that Christians allure the Dalits and Tribals with jobs, education, better life, money and such other enticements. Let me ask this, WHAT IS WRONG IF THESE PEOPLE CONVERT TO ANOTHER RELIGION IF IT GIVES THEM A BETTER LIFE. What has Hinduism given to them? Are you ready to give all these things to these people in misery? Are you ready to educate them? Are you ready to employ them? Are you ready to give even a fraction of your time to their upliftment? NO… No Hindu has ever done this. Considering the miniscule percentage of Christians in India, the amount of charity and social work done by them is tremendous. Every person in this country aspires to educate his children in a Convent. Large number of hospitals are run by Christians. Employment generated by these activities is much more than huge MNCs. So if the Christians devote so much of time and energy in upliftment of the downtrodden, is it not but natural for these to come close to their benefactors? Especially in light of their own fellow Hindus abhorring them by making them live outside villages, not letting them inside their temples, burning, and raping them as a matter of daily routine!

If the Dalit Hindus and Tribal non-Hindus wish to change their religion that has given them nothing but misery and stigma, then no body should have a right to question them. Let alone oppose them.

It is a matter of great shame that Hindu religion is increasingly becoming intolerant towards other religions. This spread of fundamentalism is a serious cause of worry. If this is not stopped in time, there would come a time when Hindus will kill fellow Hindus, just like Islam today is ripe with internal violence amongst Shias and Sunnis. IN this respect, Hindus would be much more at risk because Hinduism does not have just two sects, but has hundred or probably thousands of subdivisions. If this fire of fundamentalism is not doused soon, the end of Hinduism is not far from the fate of Islam today, which has turned into a demon of terrorism and medieval Christianity, which was a plague for humanity.

In this respect, I now find it rather interesting that in today’s world, religion has lost its original purpose of governing the social behavior of human in a just manner. It is now time to discard the age-old concept of religion and look towards newer methods to govern the society and provide a path for progress for mankind. Its time now to throw all religions in to the gutters and frame updated new laws and practices for humanity.

Religion as a concept has outlived its beneficial life now.