This BBC report barely manages to conceal its glee over a recent farce ceremony where “hundreds of Hindu Dalits” converted to Buddhism or Christianity.
Dissecting the BBC’s sleazy reportage is not the focus of this post.
Scoring Political Goals
Buddhism, until very recently, had virtually no followers in India. And neither is its sudden, rapid ascendancy a surprise: it was waiting to happen.
Dalit champions of various hues use conversion to Buddhism as a point to score against Hinduism, which they regard as an oppressive religion. And they stop at just that: scoring a political point. They’re least interested to understand Sanatana Dharma and/or Buddhism as a philosophy; it doesn’t help that they’ve been weaned on the Communist/JNU milk of Indian history which reverses the roles of victim and oppressor.
History of Hindu-Buddhist Encounters
The history of Hindu-Buddhist encounters shows that Buddhism failed to counter Sanatana Dharma intellectually, which is one of the reasons it lost its amazing popularity a few centuries after Buddha’s death. The most common reason for Buddhism’s decline in India is attributed to Shankaracharya. That is only partly true. The real reason is that Islamic barbarians exterminated them by the thousands. Don’t go by my words: in a Telugu book (forgot which), Rahul Sankrityayana the arch-Communist, cites this as the main reason for Buddhism’s decline in India.
This phenomenon can be vaguely comparable to Hindu conversions to Christianity in the early days of British rule. Several upper caste Hindus converted to Christianity because missionary propaganda convinced them that Hinduism and Christianity were the same. But that stopped soon after Dayananda Saraswati and others showed the true nature of imperialistic cults masquerading as religion.
The bottomline: Sanatana Dharma has proved that it cannot be defeated intellectually/philosophically.
The Naked Face of Conversion
That brings us to conversions to Buddhism. Buddhism isn’t imperalisitic by any stretch of imagination; as I wrote earlier, it is an offshoot of Vedanta. However, the following partly explain the reason behind the sudden spurt of Dalit conversions to Buddhism:
- Increased visibility (and power) of Dalits in politics
- Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism
- To weaken Hinduism
- Encouragement by forces hostile to Hinduism with the ultimate aim of completely dismantling the Hindu society: it is already fragmented almost beyond repair.
Now we see the naked face of conversion: politics and money, not philosophy. No Dalit politician can speak intelligibly about Buddhism for more than 30 seconds; which is why they rely on political clout and brute strength of numbers to slam Buddhism down the Dalits’ throats. In other words, the thousands of Dalits who’ve converted to Buddhism have done so blindly. Majority of the Dalits who have converted to Christianity still live in the same, wretched conditions; and it is with disgust that I hear the term Dalit Christian. I don’t see any reason why their converting to Buddhism should alter their living conditions. Yet, who gets blamed for this? Hinduism, obviously.
If these conversions were based on a fundamental understanding of Buddhist precepts, I’d see nothing amiss. Example: the widespread–and growing–adoption of Buddhism by the Western world. A majority of these converts have embraced Buddhism after they were convinced of its worth, not because some leader/politician asked them to convert. I could argue also that, had Ambedkar converted to Christianity or Islam, his modern day vocalists would follow suit.
The Dalit political discourse in India is based mainly on anti-Brahminism, which has reached alarming levels. An extreme example is a Dalit luminary named Kancha Ilaiah who called for Brahmins to carry feces to avenge a historical wrong. I scan Dalit publications pretty regularly, and the common theme there is Brahmin-bashing: sites like Dalitstan.org routinely carry “scholarly articles” on Dalits as the Blacks of India, how the Zionist and Brahmin conspiracy are the same, etc. However, recent history shows that Dalit atrocities have been perpetrated more by the Other Backward Castes than by the Brahmins. Yet, this hardly finds mention in Dalit literature. It is also ironical that Mayawati, the leader of a Dalit party is cozying with Brahmins, the “Oppressor” caste.
Conclusion
Dalit conversions to Buddhism is certainly a threat in the short term if the only premise is political power. Now short is “short term” is something that we’ll know over time. I repeat, it is just a newer step to further fragment the Hindu society.
In the long run however, it is positive because of the shared heritage of Buddhism and Sanatana Dharma. Do the neo-Buddhists realize that Sanatana Dharma accepts Buddha as the ninth avatar?
[tags]india, politics, conversion agenda, dalit, buddhism, vedanta, hinduism, sanatana dharma, communism, ambedkar, caste, society [/tags]
32 Responses to “Politics of Dalit Conversion”
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Dear Sandeep,
A good post. Let me add to it.
The high profile campaign to convert India’s scheduled castes or dalits to Buddhism and Christianity peaks in October each year. One witnessed this in 2001, 2002, 2005 and in 2006. I closely followed the incidents in Gulbarga, Nagpur and Phagwara on October 14, 2006 where at least 4,900 members of the scheduled castes converted to Buddhism and Christianity in media spotlight. The BBC exaggerated this to claim that day that “tens of thousands of India’s Dalits had rejected Hinduism in mass conversions to Buddhism and Christianity this month”.
Much of the conversion campaign smacks of a political stunt that does not address the core needs of the scheduled castes in India in terms of development and economic empowerment. However, it does serve to reinforce the ideological point that dalit means non-Hindu. This has been the policy of colonialists and missionaries since the 1800s i.e. to fragment Hindu society into numerous caste groups with little in common with each other and polarize India. The idea is to subdue an India fractured on caste lines.
Let us first revisit the numbers.
Ambedkar converted to Buddhism (it was a Sinhalese monk by the name of Ven. Saddhatissa who administered the Buddhist precepts to him) in October, 1956 – a mere two months before he died. Here was a man who lost the 1937 elections and failed to win any elections in a reserved scheduled caste constituency since independence. Bitterly disappointed, he turned his venom in an act of desperation.
The 2001 census recorded 9,881,656 members of the scheduled castes in Maharashtra. Of this, 5,838,710 had become neo-Buddhist. There was no neo-Buddhist in that state prior to 1956!
The 2001 census indicated that Karnataka had a neo-Buddhist population of 393,300, Uttar Pradesh a neo-Buddhist population of 302,031, Madhya Pradesh a neo-Buddhist population of 209,322 and Punjab a population of 41,487. These neo-Buddhists mostly converted in the 1990s.
There are interested parties to sunder the links between the scheduled castes and the caste Hindu. This is done in the name of neo-Buddhism although the Christian sponsorship of this can not be ignored. Any careful reading of the media coverage would reveal the role of the All India Christian Council led by Joseph D’Souza in the ‘mass conversions’.
I would make two points. One is that the economic condition of the scheduled castes is not addressed by these stunts. These are vituperative acts of hate intended to provoke. Issues such as land, rights to local government, police inaction, representation in the police, levels of investment in basic education and health care (as opposed to another gimmick i.e. reservations) and most importantly economic empowerment etc are not addressed. The real issues are clouded i.e that the state has failed to meet the development needs of the scheduled castes in the past 58 years.
Theravada or southern Buddhism (also known as Hinayana) neatly coincides with ethnic cleansing, authoritian regimes and an insular mindset. With the exception of Thailand, the other countries only prove that. I refer here to Burma (faces a million mutinies under an authoritarian corrupt military junta), Cambodia (witnessed civil conflict, genocide and then civil conflict once again), Laos (primeval backwater) and Sri Lanka (witnessed a civil conflict for half of its post-independence history).
I would argue that political Buddhism has
been anti-Indian be it in Burma, India, Nepal or Sri
Lanka. Sri Lanka disenfranchised 1,000,000 ‘Indians’
in 1949. Burma evicted 1,000,000 ‘Indians’ in the
early 1960s. Sri Lanka repatriated 350,000 ‘Indians’
in the 1960s/1970s. Bhutan evicted 100,000 ‘Nepalese’
in the 1990s. In each instance, these were Hindus who
were kicked out. The fact remains the Malaysia and
Singapore never adopted such policies.
So all in all, it is time to assess and analyze what neo-Buddhism implies. This is not to detract from the real issue i.e. that post-independent India has failed its scheduled castes. But I am not sure whether neo-Buddhism is the answer.
For one, caste co-existed with Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Modern education has weakened the role of caste in that country but the only institution in which it remains a factor is the Buddhist clergy which remains fragmented on caste lines! Untouchability existed in Sri Lanka, Japan (known as the Burakumin) and Korea. In each instance, it was Buddhism that transplanted the Indian practice of ritual pollution to these countries!
Meiji Japan banned the practice. The Confucian Yi dynasty banned it in Korea in the 1400s. Modernization and social mobility undermined it in Sri Lanka. Perhaps India needs to go the same way. Neo-Buddhism clearly is not the answer. It would be one more illusion.
Best regards
Sandeep & Jaffan.. you guys are awesome
Sandeep,
Unrelated to post.
But my feed(google) reader is showing a post called “Dilips care overfloweth” which i am not able to find here?
Great post! Dalitstan.org is hilarious! I visit that site often.
Great post as always, Sandeep.
That conversion to Buddhism has become a political weapon rather than anything else is quite obvious now. Just like you have the Muslim vote bank, these attempts are to create a Dalit votebank. The fact that they still continue to ask for reservations for Dalit Christians and such others shows that the conversion has had no impact on their social status.
I think the Gujarat govt’s idea of clubbing Buddhism along with Hinduism was correct. After all, wasnt Buddha one of the Dasha-avataars of Vishnu? But the manner in which it was done only gave the pseudos another stick to beat the Modi govt.
Praveen,
My bad
Here’s the link: http://www.sandeepweb.com/2006/10/23/dilips-care-overfloweth/
Sandeep,
Good post about neo-Buddhists.
But the position of Buddha as the 9th avatAra of viShNu is debatable. This idea became famous only after jayadeva’s gIta-govinda and has been used by many people. None of the traditionalists would attest to Buddha as the 9th avatAra. Even as the 9th avatAra, Buddha’s duty was to draw away the demons from sanAtana dharma, much like mohinI deluding the rAkShasas. Not a very charitable picture, right? I myself don’t like this characterization of Buddha, being a non-buddhist. So I can totally understand how Buddhists, especially the new ones, could use this as another hate-weapon.
I feel sad, much like you, that Buddha’s fair name is being used as a mere tool to further petty political agendas.
Jaffna,
Amazing insights, as always
My 2-bit follows.
My position is that Buddhism went downhill the day it took on the garb of a proselytizing religion. I don’t mean to condemn Ashoka for sending his children to Sri Lanka to preach Buddhism but it was during all those centuries subsequent to his time. Buddhism increasingly looked for converts and where it was state-sponsored, it campagined against Sanatana Dharma using violence if required: Kumarila Bhatta’s episode is a classic illustration of a facet of this phenomenon. Which neatly ties in with more contemporary, similar events you’ve mentioned in your comment:
I agree Neo-Buddhism is not the answer, nay! come to think of it, the Buddhism that these champions espouse isn’t by any remote chance, Buddhism as a philosophy, which I mentioned in my post. It is simply a clever tool for political gains.
Nilagriva,
I’m aware of this interpolation but that wasn’t the point I wanted to make. My post was to simply stress the inclusivity of Sanatana Dharma.
Nilagriva
I think you have a point on the 9th Avatar. However, in Sri Lankan Buddhism, the god Vishnu is given special place as a future Buddha and guardian of the isle of Sri Lanka. In Thai Buddhism, Brahma is the lord of the highest heaven – albeit still in Samsara. The Buddhist texts repeatedly refer to Indra ( Sakra)as the king of the devas. Both Hinduism and Buddhism appropriated the ‘divinities’ of each other. The Ambedkarite did not know Buddhist practice to begin with!
Sandeep: many thanks
Best regards
Hi Sandeep,
Have been reading your incisive articles and really appreciate all the hard work that you must be putting in.
Just came across this post.
http://naveenbharat.blogspot.com/2006/09/shooting-themselves-in-foot.html
Although not connected to the post that you have put up, it seems that the left liberal media is playing up some remarks by Pranab Mukherji about Chandi Path.
Would love to read your comments about the same.
Hi Sandeep,
Have been reading your incisive articles and really appreciate all the hard work that you must be putting in.
Just came across this post.
http://naveenbharat.blogspot.com/2006/09/shooting-themselves-in-foot.html
Although not connected to the post that you have put up, it seems that the left liberal media is playing up some remarks by Pranab Mukherji about Chandi Path.
Would love to read your comments about the same.
Thanks
Jaffna, any stats on Christian conversion? I think the official stats of 25 lakh Christians in India just doesn’t wash with me. There is a clear hollowing out of village level Hindus (as opposed to what the British did with upper class early during their rule). Recently I signed an autograph book of my young cousin leaving high school in small town in AP and all the pages prior to mine (about 10 or 15) listed Christ as the source of inspiration – that really shocked me.
Media, as usual, is clearly silent about changing religious landscape in India (clearly not as loud as apparent saffron fight back). I think there is clear manipulation of census at an individual level.
I meant 2.5 crores, not 25 lakhs.
Kannan,
I already responded to that in Jaffna’s/Cynical Nerd’s blog. http://cynical-nerd.nationalinterest.in/?p=78
Chandra
Let me address the Christian demographics in India. The 1951 census in India recorded a Christian population of 2.33%. The 1961 census recorded a population of 2.44%. The 1971 census recorded a Christian population of 2.6%. The 1981 census had it at 2.44% The 1991 census recorded a Christian population of 2.32% The 2001 census had it at 2.34%.
The demographics have stabilized despite the initial post-independence boom in Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland only became Christian majority states in the 1950s.
But what is significant is that the Muslim percentage has increased (in part due to illicit Bangladeshi immigration into India) and the Hindu percentage decreased since 1951. The Christian population has retained its share of the total indicating that it has been growing albeit incrementally to withstand the much higher increase in the Muslim population.
What is worrisome is the link between rebel groups in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura, and Christian missionary activity where rebels deliberately prevent Hindu practice amongst indigenous populations.
Here is another link on a somewhat related topic i.e. the decline in church attendance in Europe.
http://secular-right.blogspot.com/2005/11/pope-benedict-xvi-and-challenge-ahead.html
Best regards
[...] Politics of Dalit Conversion [...]
Dear Friends,
Hinduism and its Dharmasastras are good except casteism. Do you know what atrocities are still being done in its basis. Casteism has intruded into Christianity, Islam and Budhism too all through converted or in sometimes secretively intruded Brahmins. It would be a great thing if your capabilities are chanelised to abolish casteism in India.
with regards
alby
Dear All,
I see you are quite well informed individuals and your posts are very much informative. But let me ask you a question, do you or don’t you agree that there are indeed grave problems in the realm of social justice in India? I think before blaming other groups for political conversion or trying to find conspiracy angle to these things we should think about the caste problems carefully. From my experience I can say that maybe you will not feel it that much if you have resided in the metros all your life, but have you been to the villages? Do you really know what goes on there? Have you ever tried to think about these issues by putting yourselves in the shoes of those who are suffering so much under a repressive system ingrained within the social order? What would you have done if you were subjected to inhuman treatments in the name of caste? I am sorry to say this, but I don’t have a feeling that you are sensitive enough to these issues!
Have you read what has recently happened in Kherlanji in Maharashtra? You’d be appalled to know that the administration had made every attempt to hush-up the case. Had it not been the large scale political pressure from dalit groups this incident would have been just like another crime incident. Now please please don’t say that this is yet another Dalit propaganda! Still now there are people (and I have met quite a few) who swears by the name of their superior caste, gotra, and what nots. Still now? Isn’t it appalling that all these can be done in the name of a social order established by religion and that too in a 10% growth rate India?
I have some rural exposure and I have had some first hand experience on how your caste can define your social order even nowadays. Not like what has happened in Maharashtra or in various remote corners, but the system is there in a hushed up manner believe me or not! Let me give a little example. Once we were attending the funeral of a shudra lady (peace be with her) and then when she was put on the funeral pyre it was time for the Purohit to chant the mantras and he started “blah blah blah Devi…†and then pause! He asks “What is her caste?â€. Her son replies she is a shudra and guess what the chat becomes “blah blah blah Dashiâ€. Caste even after one is dead? What kind of religious system is this that derogates human dignity in such a way? Have you ever thought about these? What do you think the image of Hinduism will be to the son of that lady? Will he think that this is not the real Hindusim? I am not making up the story here. This is one of the many incidents that I have truly experienced.
Now, regarding conversion, I would say that if such things are happening at an alarming rate then that point to the inherent weakness of the established religious system of Hinduism (we can debate hours on what is the “real†Hinduism, but that is not my focus here). They must be finding people willing to convert. Don’t tell me that all converts are greedy for money! Money cannot be the only motivation and if you say so I would say your thoughts are indeed very simplistic!
Bottomline, I would say that let us accept that there are indeed deep rooted problems and let us propel our thoughts and energies towards how we can help to alleviate or eradicate them. I am not a religious person although I have my own belief of God and I have my own spirituality (I don’t think religion is necessary to be spiritual). So, I would suggest that since you are so much enthusiastic about Hinduism, why don’t you propel your constructive energies towards trying to mend the defects of this stale religious order. I guess instead of blaming anything and everything that will be more constructive. I don’t think that if one accepts ones own weaknesses one becomes weaker and the same holds true for Hinduism too. I guess you have read the works of Vivekananda. Why did he have to say “…..Daridra Bharatvasi, Chandal Bharatvasi, Muchi, Mathor sobai aamar rakto sobai amar bhai…..†(meaning: poor Indians, chandal Indians, muchi, methor you are all my brothers my blood). Don’t you think that a missionary zeal like his is very much needed to rectify the vices committed by such a religious order?
Sorry for such a lengthy message, but I could not help writing this. I am not a Dalit brainwashed or Brahman brainwashed individual and issues like Kherlanji really makes me think hard.
Peace
Biplab (Houston, TX)
Biplab,
Thanks for your amazing and thought-provoking comment. Please wait for a few days for my new post that will address some of the issues you have mentioned.
Dear Biplab:
You are mistaking wood for the trees.
The caste system has as much to do with Hinduism as slavery of the blacks had to do with Christianity.
You are attributing the traditional system of Hindu social organisation to Hindu religion, which is wrong.
Caste is a secular social system. It has nothing to do with God realisation. Hinduism is a way of attaining spiritual salvation — it has nothing to do with organisation of human beings in this world.
Going by your logic, all Blacks should convert to Islam because of the segregation and racialism they have to face every day and the horrors of slavery just 150 years ago.
Just like in America, Blacks found their liberation by staying within Christianity, so the Hindu depressed classes will find their liberation within Hinduism. Hindu saints like Vivekanand, Gandhi, etc. have shown the way on how to loosen the caste system that has now become rigid.
If you really insist on comparing religions, then the oppression of the Hindu caste system pales into insignificance with the institutional hatred of infidels and pagans that are the bedrock of Christianity and Islam and which orders eternal warfare with the rest of unbelievers. How enlightened and progressive is that?
Hindus have caste system. Fine. Didn’t Arab Muslims invent slavery? Didn’t Christians monopolise slave trade from Africa and justify slavery by quoting St. Paul from the Bible?
The basic difference is that caste system is not inherent to Hinduism. Take it away and the tenets of Hinduism will not be effected in any way. (One is religous system. the other is a secular system. It is like apples and oranges.)
However, the concept of Pagan and Infidel is the core of Christianity and Islam. Take it away and both will collapse because they claim only their God is true and hence the rest of humanity is inferior.
There is no inherent defect with Hinduism which is actually the only faith that promotes the scientific method in spiritiual search and encourages the disciple to question, doubt and even reject all the tenets of Hinduism. If democracy is good in secular world, why is it bad in religion? And why the punishment for questioning in Christianity and Islam is death?
The defects of traditional Hindu social organisation will be corrected by Hindus themselves as their faith can change with the times — it is not based on any words cast in stone or a book.
There is no reason why Missionaries should be allowed to fish in troubled waters and impose an alient, hostile faith on our people. Once converted, they acquire the same traits as of the White race — hatred and contempt of Hindus and Hindu civilisation. They essentially become a part of Western story, as the Muslims become a part of the Arab story. They become denationalised and abruptly sever all ties with the land and culture of their ancestors. Their life support system has all the tubes running to either the West or to Arabia.
The Chinese of 100 years ago too faced the same problem and thus coined the slogan — “One Christian more, one Chinese less.”
When the sellers of Christian fable come to India and tout it as liberator, it will be a good idea to ask them about the Inquisition, the slavery of the blacks, the genocide of Red Indians, and two more questions — (i) why the church dominated centuries are called the Dark Ages, and (ii) what is the proof that only your god is true.?
This will do wonders as the semitic faiths can’t stand rational scrutiny and hence the punishments for asking questions or raising doubts. Hence their emphasis on faith over reason.
Instead of getting defensive and apologetic when the followers of One True God heap ridicule on Hinduism, it is a better strategy to start asking questions about the basic tenets of their own faith and their history and claims of superiority. They invariably turn tail and dissappear.
How will humanity survive if each group of humans proclaim only their god to be true and the rest of the world’s population as unclean and inferior, and declare eternal war against them. On that path lies disaster. Don’t we have the history of crusades, slavery, annihilation of Red Indians and the horrors of medievalism before us? Then why your aplogies and doubts about Hinduism which proclaims all the world as one family and all faiths as true faiths which lead to the same god?
If you can’t sell such a formidable product in the market — especially when the competition can’t justiy its own product — and your keep apologising to the world for its existence, the problem lies not in the product but with your salesmanship.
And if horrors of caste make you rethink Hinduism, maybe racialism and segregation of Blacks should make you rethink about Christianity. Give other religions the same treatment that you want to give to Hinduism.
Sanjay,
Overwhelming! Wow
Thanks, Sandeep. We strive to please!
[...] A kind gent (lady?) left this comment on my Dalit post , which is the basis of this post. This entry partly tries to address some issues he (she?) has raised, and is partly a record of my stray thoughts on the subject. [...]
[...] A kind gent (lady?) left this comment on my Dalit post, which is the basis of this post. This entry partly tries to address some issues he (she?) has raised, and is partly a record of my stray thoughts on the subject. [...]
Dear All,
Thanks to the Biplab.
The thoughts which has been expressed by Biplab are absolutely good and perfect.
The persons like Sanjay is indirectly worried about the future of the Hinduism.
Hinduism from world is vanishing day by day. By 2066 Hindu’s will be in minority group in India.
Lakhs of Dalits are leaviang this religion day by day, but these sanatanis’s are still in deep slip and throwing muds on the Buddhism instead of correcting the draw backs in Hinduism.
Hindu is the only religion in the world where majority of its population is going away to other religion. Person from other religion never thinks of converting into Hinduism.
Because the problem which is lying in the Hinduism is that after conversion of the person into Hinduism under which verna he will be placed(whether he will be Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra).
It has commonly said by the caste Hindu’s that India have never invaded to the other from last more than 1000 years. Why and what is the reason? The reason is simple because rights to fight or to take weapons were given only to the Kshatriya who’s population is just around 5% of total population and they have used their power of fighting against the Shudra(Dalits) whose population is around 75% of total population to keep the caste system intact and to strenghthen the caste system from last more than 1000 years.
[...] of Dalit Conversion by Indian bag @ Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:19:16 -0600 This BBC report barely manages to conceal its glee over arecent farce ceremony where “hundreds of Hindu Dalits†converted to Buddhism or…… Original post: Politics of Dalit Conversion by at [Technorati] Tag results for indian culture [...]
Good one Sandeep. Given time Dalits will come back to Hinduism. Buddhism is a dry philosophy. It does not answer the daily problems of a practical life. For example if Hindus want to excel in educaion we pray to Saraswati, We want wealth, there are mantras to be chanted. Hinduism is very practical and has something for everyone!
Even Buddhism in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia … is syncretic with local customs and beliefs … which are very similar to Hindu gods and beliefs.
i like to adopt every thing that help mankind our rashi munis had tried a lot in this field and i like to follow them
I feel there is nothing to be had by adopting a high sounding…near arrogant posture while discussing Dalits and their choices.
After all…Phule never converted “out” of “Hinduism”. But he would hardly make the grade with our H-Vadis. And there are plenty of “Hindus” who will march to the name of Ambedkar.
If it is only the tag of a “Hindu” that interests and excites it’s intellectuals..then Dalits may yet provide it. But I suspect…nothing more.
How much longer can these games go on?
On Buddhism and “authoritarianism” – There was/is exactly one “Hindu” state in the world.
Nepal – A “Hindu” State that was stripped of the tag because it’s head/heads..were/turned autocratic.
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Dalit Christians ask church to stop conversion drive
New Delhi, July 16, 2008: The Dalit Christians on Friday asked the Church leadership to stop fraudulent conversion in India among Dalits and Tribals. And it further demand that the foreign funds received by the church be used for the welfare and upliftment of the poor Christians who are suffering from the discrimination. The convention strongly urged the Govt of India not to appoint Bishops, priests and nuns in the government commissions and committed but instead it should appoint ordinary Christians. These and many other demands are raised in a resolution adopted at the national conventions organized by the Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM) headed by R.L.Francis.
The convention urged the “Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and the National Christian Council of India (NCCI) to set up a 1000 crore “Dalit Christian Development†fund to ensure integrated social and economic development.
Considering the confusion created by the propagation activities in the far flung areas the convention adopted a resolution urging the church authorities to defer the mass conversion programme. The resolution stated that, “This assembly unanimously believes that evangelism cannot be a measurement of a society’s socio-economic development. Therefore, evangelism programme should be suspended for long years and funds should be saved and utilized for the welfare of Dalits and Trible Christians and deprived sections of society for creating awareness among them.â€
The resolution also demanded reservation of seats for Dalit and Trible Christians as well as other Dalits in Church-run schools, colleges, technical institutions and other vocational organizations.
Three hundred delegates from different parts of the country, who attended the convention, alleged that a handful of priests and bishops were monopolizing the Church funds and property in the country. This has led to the worsening conditions of neo converted Christians were living in a pitiable condition and deprived of the basic necessities.
In his address, the National President R.L. Francis said that the church leadership is interested only in increasing the numbers and is hardly bothering about their living conditions. The biggest proof of this was that a large chunk of foreign funds were being utilized either for purchasing land and for the luxurious lifestyles of few Christians leaders in India . Bishops are monopolizing the Church estates and treating it as their own property and are indulging in its sale-purchase without the consent of the community,†he alleged.
Mr. Jawahar Singh, President Gertor India Foundation said 90 per cent to the maids working in cantt and its surrounding areas are Dalit and Trible Christians. Their children do not even complete their primary education, he said. Mr. Singh said that when he went to the priest of the church in the area to discuss the issue of maids and their children; he refused to say anything.
Mr. P B Lomeo, Christian activist and editor of a church newspaper, alleged that not one of the 40,000 educational institutions run by the church give admission to the children of Dalit Christians. The PCLM, which was launched to help Dalit and Trible Christians and provide them with a platform to express their grief, is the most powerful for them, Mr.Lomeo said.
Fr. William Premdass Chaudhary a catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Delhi said that “ in last two decades many poor Christians have gone back to Hinduism due to maltreatment by the church. “Even myself was treated bad fly as I am local Christian and not given any assiyment by Bishop of Delhi Catholic Archdiocese because I am a Dalit and local Priest.†he further stated.
Mr. Balbir Punj, a senior BJP think tank and member of Rajya SAbha suggested that the Church in India should honestly make a model for the progress of Dalits Christians. He also called for moratorium on conversion for the next ten years.
Raising the question of future of Christian children in India , well known human rights activist Joseph Gathia urged the Govt of India and the Supreme Court to redefine minority educational institutions. He further demanded declassification of those Christian minority institutions who do not admit Christian’s children in their schools.
Mr. Joseph Gathia opposed the caste base reservation for Christian community in India as it would institutionalize the discrimination in Christianity which is against its very basic principle. Such a move would darken the future of poor Christina’s children in India .
At National Convention, Mr. Meharban James, Bishop R.B.Sandu, Mr. Ashok Bharti, P.N. Ambdker and others express their views reading Casteism in Church.. The copies of the resolution passed in the convention would be sending to the Pope, the World Council of Churches, and Hon’ble Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India and UPA chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi..
PCLM RESOLUTION FOR NATIONAL CONVENTION
Nearly 300 delegates from different parts of the country who gather at the India Islamic Cultural Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi passed the following resolutions unanimously on Friday 6th June 2008.
I Resolution:
We demand that Catholic Bishop Conference of India (CBCI), National Council for churches in India (NCCI) and other church organizations drop the demand for pushing back the poor Christians in to the category of Scheduled Caste status. The teaching of Jesus Christ does not permit to discriminate among his followers. All Christians are born in the image of God.
If the Church in India pursue the reservation for Christians on the basis of caste then it must pay compensation to the poor Christians who got converted to the Christianity long back.
II Resolution:
(a) We urge the Govt. of India to institute a law allowing the Christians minority institutions to admit 50 % student who are Christians. Any Christians educational institute claiming Minority Status be punished if they refuse admission to a Christian child. Currently there is no such provision therefore the Church educational institutions are fearless. Those not following the directive be declassified and put under the Income Tax Act as commercial venture.
(b) We further urged the Govt hat no clergy (Bishops, priests and nuns) be appointed in Government committee, commissions etc. Instead the Govt should appointed ordinary Christians as the members such committees and commissions.. It has been observed that due to such appointments the Bishops, priests, and nuns are deviating format their original work of the Church and misusing their positions and funds.
(C) that the Government of India to introduce special laws to protect Church property and land as currently it is being misused and Sold by few interested group of people. As the land was given by the Govt of India long back on perpetual lease it is very much within the right to introduce such laws in the interest of the Christian community in India and for the betterment of the Dalit and Trible Christians.
III Resolution:
(a) We earnestly urge the Vatican to follow protest pattern in appointing the bishops in India, appointment of bishop by concesious of the local people. The Poor Christian Liberation Movement is opposed to the current procedure of appointing the Bishop in the Diocese by the top from Vatican who is not aware of the local conditions. The Vatican must follow the same law which is being followed in China.
(b) Representatives at the National Convention demand to CBCI to appoint lay people (especially Dalit and Tribal Christians) at the important positions in the institutions of Catholic Church.
(c) The Church in India is the largest employments giver after the Govt. of India. Hence we demand that to solve the unemployment problem among poor Christians 50 % job reservations in Christian’s educational and medical institutions for these category be reserved in the Church institutions.
IV Resolution:
(a) Churches are bringing fund from abroad and spending crores of rupees on evangelization which creates confusion among the religions and bring disunity in the country. Evangelization must be stopped. Let the population grow within the religions. Church should not criticize another religion. Let all the religions grow freely. Church leaders must spend crores of rupees for the upliftment of the Dalit and Trible Christians rather than on evangelization.
(b) The Poor Christian Liberation Movement feels that a time has come when pluralistic societies are to be accepted. It has already been done in the Western Christians countries. Therefore the focus on fraudulent conversion and only increasing number of “rice Christians†would not really serve the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church in India needs to promote multi culturalism and inter faith dialogues.
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(c) In order to facilitate resource for education and training for the children of the poor Christians particularly girls a 1000 crore rupee fund be created in India by the Church. Such fund would help the Christian community to become self sufficient in the long run.
We feel that the time has come for Christians in India to suggest their Christian brethren and sisters in the West that all afforts must be made to make the community self sufficient and not dependent. We the Christians in India wish that the foreign funds must be diverted to poor people of Africa.
(d) We strong feel that the Church leaders should prove themselves as good shepherds who can lead their sheep selflessly and serve OUR LORD Jesus Christ as per his teachings. Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor.
MAY THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE US IN OUR ENDEAVOUR.
вÑе может быть=))))))
so i came to Chennai last summer and lived amongst the dalit community for a little bit of time. I am writing a paper on what reasons and outcomes for Dalits conversion to Christianity any ideas on where to start?