Skip to main content

Convert me too, please


Ghar Vapsi in Keral: Courtesy The Hindu
Converting to Hinduism is the latest fad in India, it seems.  It is amusing to watch people asking the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) or other organisations like the RSS to convert them.  I can now understand why many people converted from Hinduism to Islam in the heyday of the Mughal Empire.  There are some material benefits by joining the people in power.  In other words, for the first time in the history of independent India we have a party in power which resembles the Mughal Empire.  

30 Christians from 8 families in Kerala are the latest black sheep that have returned to their true family.  The Hindu reports that these families are “not traceable.  Local VHP organisers said they had been moved to another location.”  That’s interesting.  Is the VHP afraid that the converts will sell their religion yet again to a higher bidder?

The VHP and the RSS seem to be converting Hinduism into a commodity for sale.  I’m ready to buy it too.  Will they sell it to me?  I don’t need money. Convictions can never be bought or sold.  I don’t believe in gods and religions.  I trust my reason and imagination.  I have faith in my intuition.  Can the VHP buy my trust and faith?  Can it convince me why I should accept Hinduism?  If it can, I’m ready to be converted. 

In fact, I want to be converted.  I’d love some illusions provided somebody can convince me of their necessity.  I think illusions make life much easier.


Labels:

Comments

  1. Sunshine-struckDecember 22, 2014 at 1:09 PM

    I think illusions make life much easier.

    Don't they? Forget what's right or wrong. Just following what's convenient makes life easier. But, wish conscience can be convinced by it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 22, 2014 at 9:59 PM

    I think poverty and lack of education - are two reasons that VHP can carry on with their 'conversion deals' so easily. It's unfortunate and should be stopped at the earliest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalDecember 24, 2014 at 7:17 AM

      When any Empire begins to expand it gets more support from people

      Delete
  3. FarahDecember 23, 2014 at 9:39 AM

    Your article reminds of the latest flick PK that i watched recently. True, religion has become a commodity to be sold and the promotional managers or sales people are doing their job pretty well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalDecember 24, 2014 at 7:22 AM

      I must watch the movie since many people tell me it's of my kind

      Delete
  4. Amrita SabatDecember 23, 2014 at 1:06 PM

    Well said Sir. PK n U have similar thoughts! It's extremely degrading for Indian society that such a conversion wave is sweeping across & the poor r mostly targets. Economic progress & proper education r much needed for all, to prevent sch irrational wave from spreading further.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalDecember 24, 2014 at 7:23 AM

      Indeed Amrita it shows how shallow everything from politics to religion is.

      Delete
  5. PriyaDecember 24, 2014 at 9:43 AM

    Illusions do make life easier. I sometimes wonder if illusions are all there is. The material benefits of joining people in power you've mentioned are also undeniable. I guess it's always easier to belong to a crowd, just which crowd is "better," I'm not sure...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalDecember 25, 2014 at 10:51 AM

      The group with the strongest power is the best to join, Priya. People are doing just that.

      Delete
  6. UnknownDecember 30, 2014 at 2:52 PM

    Such funny observations: In the first paragraph, you compare Modi's gov with Mughal empire by comparing conversions. According to you Muslims and now an alleged Hindu Gov are people in power. You conveniently forgot the fact that the British too ruled india and during their times in the guise of civilizing the natives they gave a free hand to Chiristian Missionaries for conversion. Have you not heard about "Sepoy Mutiny" and the immediate triggers for it. You heap all your blames on Muslims and Hindus and conveniently forgot what Christians did while in power!! Fantastic!! The fact is this: When in power, people will thrust their ideologies on you...Its the same everywhere and happens even if you are a christian\ islamic\hindu ruler....

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownDecember 30, 2014 at 2:52 PM

    You call the families which converted to hinduism as "Black Sheeps". Thats too derogatory a word Mr. You or I cannot judge them as black sheeps since these people have exercised their fundamental rights to go back to their religions. (Article 25 to 28 please check them out). And you should also try to go through the judgement by S.C. on Kodikkunnil Suresh Election Seat (M.P)Conversion case pls..It will open your eyes atleast.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownDecember 30, 2014 at 2:53 PM

    If conversion is your problem then why is the opposition silent when bjp talks about anti conversion bill ? They seem to loose the plot when they talk about anti conversion bill....there are legitimate and illegitimate conversions . the former is forced... Try to learn whether the people you addressed derogatorily as BLACK SHEEPS resorted to conversion voluntarily or were forced.... Dont jump the gun Mr.

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownDecember 30, 2014 at 2:53 PM

    You have also cited a report by a leading newspaper in your post. But have you not went through this report by the same newspaper: Umman Chandy's response when asked about ghar wapsis in kerala:
    http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/no-forced-conversions-in-kerala-chandy/article6722679.ece
    Please dont jump headlong and write a half baked post. Kala Pettennu Kelkumbole kayar edukkaruthu!! Its kerala and not north. People here are far more aware of things. The guys themselves approached the hindu organisations. They exercised their choice...... It was not coerced.. I come from alapuzha and have frequented harippad. I know people there: eventhough people fall into low income brackets they know their rights and no one can take them for a ride. this is the case in almost all parts of kerala barring few exceptions..... It is a response from a Chief Minister who is a Christian himself. So donot denigrate them by calling BLACK SHEEPS. It shows that you are really bothered about people who leave christianity and join other religion.

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownDecember 30, 2014 at 2:53 PM

    Coming to the commodity for sale part of your post: The christian missionaries here in chennai and everywhere are thrusting their materials upon house after house. I stay in chennai... ive found well dressed guys approaching me in front of connemara library, commissioner office, hospitals asking me funny questions like have two timed your partner, do you lie to your partner and are you truthful etc and come and attend some suvisheshams etc... Even if i say emphatic no s they still cling on and thrust pamphlets in my hands.Forcing me i mean ! Yes Constitution gives you the right to profess, practise and propogate ones religion. but prohibits assault on "freedom of conscience". I told them this but they kept repeating their part. I had to call police. This happened even during sunday mornings in our flats... We got so fed up that the association had to tell the ones who knock the doors of our houses to stay away or face arrest telling them firmly that if anyone is interested in christianity they will approach you and no need to thrust it upon us....

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownDecember 30, 2014 at 2:53 PM

    The fact is this: Religion is extremely personal... and problems begin when it is picked up by others in the public domain.... Every religon promotes their ideologies including christianity........... Now hindutva is visible since they are in power.... but work by christian missionaries too are going on pace and scale being different......

    Conversions happening in north in Agras ved nagar colony: by Dharm Jagran samiti are forced.... if you had written about them then i would have said it was forced conversions. but the ones which happened in kerala are not forced. People down south are smart, have great awareness and know how to exercise their choices within their limits.... but north is a mess....

    ReplyDelete
  12. UnknownDecember 30, 2014 at 2:53 PM

    So please donot heap blame on Hindus and Muslims alone..... Try to write balanced posts... and wait till you get a rounded picture about the thing which you are writing...... And I recommend you to read the writings of John Dayal he is a christian and has great views too...... He is more balanced....
    Try to be more balanced when you write ..

    John dayal would hate to live in an illusion like you. he is bold brave sensible and reasoned....... and will face the truth and fight against injustice and wont paint everything with same colour like you have done. its a blasphemy that i compared JD with you but its only for sake of difference.....

    Try to read this too : http://www.thehindu.com/sunday-anchor/sunday-anchor-conversion-confusion/article6711663.ece

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownDecember 22, 2015 at 11:35 PM

    Conversion shouldn't be a problem as long as it is voluntary.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ivan the unusual friend

When you are down and out, you will find that people are of two types. One is the kind that will walk away from you because now you are no good. They will pretend that you don’t exist. They don’t see you even if you happen to land right in front of them. The other is the sort that will have much fun at your expense. They will crack jokes about you even to you or preach at you or pray over you. This latter people are usually pretty happy that you are broke. You make them feel more comfortable with themselves even to the point of self-righteousness. Ivan was an exception. When I slipped on the path of life and started a free fall that would last many years before I hit the bottom without a thud but with enormous anguish, Ivan stood by me for some reason of his own. He didn’t display any affection which probably he didn’t have. He didn’t display any dislike either. There was no question of preaching or praying. No jokes either. Ivan was my colleague for a brief period at St Joseph’s
14 comments
Read more

Joe the tenacious friend

AI-generated illustration You outgrow certain friendships because life changes you in ways that nobody, including you, had expected. Joe is one such friend of mine who was very dear to me once. That friendship cannot be sustained anymore because I am no more the person whom Joe knew and loved to amble along with. And Joe seems incapable of understanding the fact that people can change substantially. Joe and I were supposed to meet one of these days after a gap of more than two decades. I scuttled the meeting rather heartlessly. Just because Joe’s last messages carried words that smacked of intimacy. My life has gone through so much devastating fire that the delicate warmth of intimacy has become repulsive. Joe was a good friend of mine while we were in Shillong. He was a post-graduate student and a part-time schoolteacher when I met him first. I was a fulltime schoolteacher teaching math and science to ninth and tenth graders. My dream was to postgraduate in English literature an
11 comments
Read more

Kailasnath the Paradox

AI-generated illustration It wasn’t easy to discern whether he was a friend or merely an amused onlooker. He was my colleague at the college, though from another department. When my life had entered a slippery slope because of certain unresolved psychological problems, he didn’t choose to shun me as most others did. However, when he did condescend to join me in the college canteen sipping tea and smoking a cigarette, I wasn’t ever sure whether he was befriending me or mocking me. Kailasnath was a bundle of paradoxes. He appeared to be an alpha male, so self-assured and lord of all that he surveyed. Yet if you cared to observe deeply, you would find too many chinks in his armour. Beneath all those domineering words and gestures lay ample signs of frailty. The tall, elegantly slim and precisely erect stature would draw anyone’s attention quickly. Kailasnath was always attractively dressed though never unduly stylish. Everything about him exuded an air of chic confidence. But the wa
9 comments
Read more

Machiavelli the Reverend

Let us go today , you and I, through certain miasmic streets. Nothing will be quite clear along our way because this journey is through some delusions and illusions. You will meet people wearing holy robes and talking about morality and virtues. Some of them will claim to be god’s men and some will make taller claims. Some of them are just amorphous. Invisible. But omnipotent. You can feel their power around you. On you. Oppressing you. Stifling you. Reverend Machiavelli is one such oppressive power. You will meet Franz Kafka somewhere along the way. Joseph K’s ghost will pass by. Remember Joseph K who was arrested one fine morning for a crime that nobody knew anything about? Neither Joseph nor the men who arrest him know why Joseph K is arrested. The power that keeps Joseph K under arrest is invisible. He cannot get answers to his valid questions from the visible agents of that power. He cannot explain himself to that power. Finally, he is taken to a quarry outside the town wher
11 comments
Read more

Levin the good shepherd

AI-generated image The lost sheep and its redeemer form a pet motif in Christianity. Jesus portrayed himself as a good shepherd many times. He said that the good shepherd will leave his 99 sheep in order to bring the lost sheep back to the fold. When he finds the lost sheep, the shepherd is happier about that one sheep than about the 99, Jesus claimed. He was speaking metaphorically. The lost sheep is the sinner in Jesus’ parable. Sin is a departure from the ‘right’ way. Angels raise a toast in heaven whenever a sinner returns to the ‘right’ path [Luke 15:10]. A lot of Catholic priests I know carry some sort of a Redeemer complex in their souls. They love the sinner so much that they cannot rest until they make the angels of God run for their cups of joy. I have also been fortunate to have one such priest-friend whom I shall call Levin in this post. He has befriended me right from the year 1976 when I was a blundering adolescent and he was just one year older than me. He possesse
8 comments
Read more