In past 6-8 months we have been hearing lots of news, sometime of attacks on church, christian missionaries, noble christian personalities, sometime of religious re-conversion popularly known as 'ghar wapsi'. Motive seems to be the one, to assert majority power to correct the past injustice that had been done. For long we have been taken for ride now we are at the driver's seat and will take others to the destination of our suit and route we prefer. Nothing seems to be the flaw in the logic. But is the way in which it is being carried out is justifiable. No, certainly not in a pluralistic society like India which is proud to declare herself a secular state.
Now lets dig deep into these issues. The program where other religion followers were converted into Hinduism is named 'ghar wapsi' which means to bring home someone who went away. Is it not just and right thing to bring someone back home? Yes absolutely it is. Then why so much hue and cry? is it media creation?, or is it the manner and message with which it is being done?
To some extent it is a media hype and it's very nature to sensationalize and cash in on people's paranoia. but to put all the blame on media will not mere be injustice to the media but also trivialize this important issue. Why is there need for re-conversion? because they converted in the first place. why did they convert? Some converted because they liked the religion they were adopting or at least were feeling safe in doing so, or they disliked their 'original' religion.
History suggests and there is no denying that since medieval time people are either coerced to convert or incentivized to convert or made feel inferior in their 'original' religion. But there is enough evidence of people converting because they just did not like the ills of their original religion, they did not like the methodology, they felt sidelined, neglected, ostracized from their own 'ghar'. So they went away.
Now 'Ghar Wapsi' can be done in two way either clean up your own practices, make the people who are still with you, in your 'ghar' feel welcome and included and make it enviable. or start burning and vandalizing others 'ghar' to force them to come in your 'ghar'. The unfortunate thing is going the latter's way is more convenient and easy and it's no surprise that it is being pursued.
Now lets dig deep into these issues. The program where other religion followers were converted into Hinduism is named 'ghar wapsi' which means to bring home someone who went away. Is it not just and right thing to bring someone back home? Yes absolutely it is. Then why so much hue and cry? is it media creation?, or is it the manner and message with which it is being done?
To some extent it is a media hype and it's very nature to sensationalize and cash in on people's paranoia. but to put all the blame on media will not mere be injustice to the media but also trivialize this important issue. Why is there need for re-conversion? because they converted in the first place. why did they convert? Some converted because they liked the religion they were adopting or at least were feeling safe in doing so, or they disliked their 'original' religion.
History suggests and there is no denying that since medieval time people are either coerced to convert or incentivized to convert or made feel inferior in their 'original' religion. But there is enough evidence of people converting because they just did not like the ills of their original religion, they did not like the methodology, they felt sidelined, neglected, ostracized from their own 'ghar'. So they went away.
Now 'Ghar Wapsi' can be done in two way either clean up your own practices, make the people who are still with you, in your 'ghar' feel welcome and included and make it enviable. or start burning and vandalizing others 'ghar' to force them to come in your 'ghar'. The unfortunate thing is going the latter's way is more convenient and easy and it's no surprise that it is being pursued.
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