The move has been decried not only by secularists who argue that the only book which could have national status is the Constitution but also by those who subscribe to the view that Hinduism has always been an eclectic agglomeration of smaller traditions rather than a monolithic structure that can be represented by a single text, no matter how seminal it might claim to be. In October 2021, Sukmawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia converted to Hinduism. Indians look up to the judiciary to uphold the secular values of the republic, and the Supreme Court has, time and again, thwarted onslaughts on peoples core fundamental right of religious freedom. 100 percent correct. No society is immune from the darkest impulses of men. It would be downright specious, even dishonest, to claim that missionaries and proselytisers activities in India had nothing but a salubrious effect. Search titles only; Posted by Member: Separate names with a comma. Hardliners plans for a mass ceremony in December were put on hold after pressure from senior officials within the movement and, it is thought, the government. In that case, the judges could remedy the errors of 1977 by seeking inspiration from the European Court of Human Rights 1993 ruling in the, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights, programme announced by the Dharam Jagran Samiti, anti-conversion laws in force in various states, Uproar in India over forced conversions. One might well question in face of such provisions, do the laws even need to use the modifiers forcible or fraudulent? "India parliament uproar over conversions by Hindu groups". Website Designed, Developed & Maintained by Express Network Private Ltd. Don't create wrong picture by such headlines. Of the total 506 people who registered their change of religion with the government, 241 were those who converted from Christianity or Islam to Hinduism. Converts from undetermined former religion, Religious Conversion: Contemporary Practices and Controversies, page 3, Christopher Lamb, M. Darroll Bryant, Kan Sastri, A History of South India, p382-383. AAP Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam's video, in which he is seen at an event where mass conversion of Hindus took place, has gone viral. "Conversion" is a very charged word for Hindus. All the comments will be moderated by the newindianexpress.com editorial. A total of 144 persons adopted Islam. ", "Justice and reforms after airmen were given criminal convictions for their religious activities". Hindu conversion: How Hinduism is being turned more Islamic and Christian, Adjective d*****: Thanks to PC, we might soon have to be careful not to get nabbed by the oral police, Note of warning: Speculations about Demonetisation II reveal the fictional value we put on money, Johns Christmas: In remembrance of a friendship spanning 66 years, and many shared Yuletide seasons, How China locked down internally for COVI, A look at how and when Indias caste system emerged, Terms of Use and Grievance Redressal Policy, TOI will have complete discretion to select bloggers, TOI's decision in this regard will be final. March 21, 2015 by Ambaa Choate. In connection to this, many users in India posted a claim that the 'princess of Indonesia' converted to Hinduism following which 50,000 Indonesians did the same. "Evangelization." Many dalit thinkers say that what is happening in India is a "religious rebellion" against a hierarchy that condemns them to a life of suffering. [44], Sikhism is not known to openly proselytize conversions, however it is open and accepting to anyone wanting to take on the Sikh faith. There is no daily call to prayer, no Sunday morning sermons. To be like Islam and Christianity, which are seen to be muscular religions that enjoin proselytisation to swell their ranks, Hinduism, as viewed by the saffron brigade, needs to gird up its loins to project a more virile and vigorously assertive persona. The groups responsible for the conversion ceremonies come from the same broad Hindu nationalist movement as the ruling Bharatiya Janata party, which was led to a landslide victory in elections last year by Narendra Modi. All Indian religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainsim and Sikhism, are collective called "Sanatan Dharma" and "Dhamma", and all others are called mleccha. A former associate editor with the Times of India, Jug Suraiya writes two regular columns for the print edition, Jugular Vein, which appears every Friday, and Second Opinion, which appears on Wednesdays. The Parsis, a Zoroastrianism group based in India, classically does not accept converts, but this issue became controversial in the 20th century due to a rapid decline in membership. Officials say an inquiry has been launched into Wednesdays event. Jain monks and nuns are required to observe these five vows strictly. Force can at least apparently coerce people into adopting different ideas. In what way where the majority Hindus oppressed? During the election campaign, an age-old discussion over caste discrimination has been rekindled by the threat of losing Dalits to another faith, and that too a public commitment to renouncing Hinduism. Psychology: A Journal of Human Behavior, Vol 15(4), NovDec 1978, 1522. Here I am safe.". This happened in a very calculated way and the then Govt. to comeout of religious politics for ever India must rediscover why they pakistan and beangladesh. [I say] why wait?". In order to equate Hinduism to a culture, we need to define the culture. Photograph: Amit Bhargava/AP. [citation needed]. [35][36] However, various schools of Hinduism do have some core common beliefs, such as the belief that all living beings have Atman (soul), a belief in karma theory, spirituality, ahimsa (non-violence) as the greatest dharma or virtue, and others. This table summarizes three Protestant beliefs. "CatholicHerald.co.uk Cardinal protests against forced conversions to Hinduism". 17 Thiyya community members including 11 females converted to Islam. "Psychological Explanations of. The exact requirements vary between different churches and denominations. Of the total 506 people who registered their change of religion with the government, 241 were those who converted from Christianity or Islam to Hinduism. So all tribals and SCs converted to Christians here. It states that "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Mormon baptism does not purport to remit any sins other than personal ones, as adherents do not believe in original sin. Despite officially being a secular nation, organizations allied with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are actively promoting mass conversions to Hinduism. The Making of a Moonie: Choice or Brainwashing? Buddhism means I can simply say I am not a Hindu. Follow us for updates, Human trafficking too high in India, says US, Economy slows to 4.4 per centin Q3, govts full-year target intact, Gujarats public debt rises to Rs 3.4L cr, each resident owes Rs 48,500, In a first, Uttarakhandto set up mother milk bank. At one stage Kerala Anglo Indian nurses were very well respected in other states also but with the passage of time the conversion to Islam picked up the race and see now they are in majority. However, Taoism does have its own religious conversion ceremony which seems[original research?] Latter Day Saints hold that one may be baptized after death through the vicarious act of a living individual, and holders of the Melchezidek Priesthood practice baptism for the dead as a missionary ritual. Without defining what all would, and could, possibly count as inducement or fraud, these laws impose stringent criminal sanctions on violators. Religious wars and suppression shaped the histories of the Baltic tribes, the Hussites and the Huguenots. 77% of the new converts to Islam were Hindus and 63% women. Khusro then a. Illustrating the problems that can arise from such subjective viewpoints is this extract from an article by Dr. C. Davis, published in Cleveland State University's Journal of Law and Health: "According to the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Jews for Jesus and Hebrew Christians constitute two of the most dangerous cults, and its members are appropriate candidates for deprogramming. However, people who converted to Buddhism said they faced caste. Religious conversion is the adoption of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. Some 3000 Muslims were massacred. Perhaps not. Gauri Viswanathan (1998), Outside the Fold: Conversion, Modernity, and Belief, Princeton University Press, "Artists Find Inspiration, Education at Church of Scientology & Celebrity Centre Nashville. The Parivars Achilles Heel could be the Dharama Jagran Samanvay Vibhag bounty of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh. The worry is that some kind of coercion is involved. Web. For example, in the 11th century in Burma, king Anoratha converted his entire country to Theravada Buddhism. "Yet where are the Dalit news anchors, the entrepreneurs, the professors? The Muslim castes which have been particularly vulnerable to Hindu missionary efforts have been those which are only nominally Muslim and retain many Hindu customs and beliefs. Even as its protg, the BJP, has initiated a country-wide drive to recruit members and overtake the Chinese Communist Party as the worlds largest political association, the RSS has set a target of annually converting 1 lakh each of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism. "[67], Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union the Russian Orthodox Church has enjoyed a revival. More than 70 people from the village of Kumarriguda, 40 miles outside Hyderabad, the capital of southern India's Andhra Pradesh state, will leave the Hindu religion. [26], In some cases, a person may forgo a formal conversion to Judaism and adopt some or all beliefs and practices of Judaism. However, he has warned members of parliament and ministers not to make statements that might distract from his development agenda, after one member of his government called Indian Muslims bastard children last year. This vast majority are from the middle and upper middle class. [19], Following baptism, Latter Day Saints receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands of a Melchizedek Priesthood holder.[19]. This suits their propaganda well and helps in the mass mobilisation against Muslims and Christians. Apostate is a term used by members of a religion or denomination to refer to someone who has left that religion or denomination. Thus "religious conversion" would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliating with another. But we need to be judicious while moderating your comments. The initiation ceremony may also include Yajna (i.e., fire ritual with Sanskrit hymns) under guidance of a local Hindu priest. Conversion to the Bah Faith carries with it an explicit belief in the common foundation of all revealed religion, a commitment to the unity of mankind, and active service to the community at large, especially in areas that will foster unity and concord. The Muslim castes which have been particularly vulnerable to Hindu missionary efforts have been those Furthermore, certain Hassidic groups who physically attacked a meeting of the Hebrew Christian 'cult' have themselves been labeled a 'cult' and equated with the followers of Reverend Moon, by none other than the President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Modi, 64, a former organiser with a revivalist Hindu organisation, has yet to make any public comment on the reconversion ceremonies. 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