Indian lawmakers demand Modi to speak on mass conversions
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NEW DELHI: Opposition lawmakers, charging that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done little to stop hard-liners in his party from forcibly converting religious minorities to Hinduism, threw Parliament into an uproar Monday, with the upper house of Parliament adjourned after descending into shouting matches.
Right-wing Hindu groups allied to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party — and whose members are overwhelmingly BJP members — have conducted a series of ceremonies across India over the past week to convert Christians and Muslims to Hinduism.
Some of the Muslims have complained that they changed their religion out of fear. India is largely Hindu, but has large Muslim and Christian minorities.
Read: India ruling party chief urges law against conversions
Modi, an avowed Hindu nationalist and longtime member of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Dal or the National Volunteers Association, one of the main groups behind the conversions, has remained largely silent on the issue.
Parliament has been repeatedly thrown into an uproar over the past week amid arguments over the conversions. Opposition lawmakers say Modi's silence is damaging the secular nature of Indian society and the religious freedoms guaranteed by its Constitution.
The Upper House of Parliament was adjourned Monday after opposition lawmakers demanded that the prime minister clarify his position on the conversions.
Muslims make up about 13 per cent of India's 1.2 billion people. The Muslim community has been particularly wary of Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which won a huge majority in general elections in May.
Read: RSS to press ahead on conversions in challenge to Modi
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (44) Closed
Dec 22, 2014 01:38pm
Sad to see its happening in world largest democracy
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Dec 22, 2014 01:55pm
Well Mr modi is ready to form a LAW against that but it seems opposition does not want it because it will stop them to convert Hindus to christians/Muslims which is more prevailing oin India. BJP will any day welcome such law.
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Dec 22, 2014 01:57pm
Its not rashtriya Swayamsewak Dal - its swyamsewak Sangh
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Dec 22, 2014 01:57pm
They just want the anti-conversion law to be passed. Religious conversions are wrong. Be it to- hindu or from-hindu. A coin always has two sides. What goes around comes around.
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Dec 22, 2014 02:01pm
If democracy can't protect minorities in the developing world, then what can?
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Dec 22, 2014 02:05pm
2 state theory proven yet again
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Dec 22, 2014 02:08pm
Immediately after the Prophet S.A.W, a claimant of false Prophet Hood Aswad Ibn 'Ansa Yemenite, forced a Muslim, Abu Muslim Khulani, for conversion and thrown him in the fire. That true Muslim remained unhurt by the fire. The Indian Muslim Brothers should adopt that example.
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Dec 22, 2014 02:13pm
Really what is happening is the people who got converted from hindus to muslims and christians are getting converted back without any force, they themselves are happily coming back.
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Dec 22, 2014 02:44pm
To be honest, I was surprised and disappointed to see when Modi swept the General Elections. I, as a neutral observer, was thinking that Indians this time around will look towards a new, moderate party like that of Mr Kejriwal's AAP. Indians, by electing a known right winger and that too a controversial one, have done nothing but damaged the truthfulness of their own claims (claims made by Indians on Dawn group) that Indians are liberal and progressive people.....
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Dec 22, 2014 03:00pm
@A Canadian ur two nation theory became two state theory ???
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Dec 22, 2014 03:02pm
To be fair there is no forced conversion here. People are taking money and other perks to get converted. Minorities like christians and muslims are doing this for a long time in india and now its done by VHP. Although I feel it personally distasteful even if somebody is getting converted for money and other perks but again its his personal choice and no law enforcement agency can prosecute that.
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Dec 22, 2014 03:03pm
This is sad. No body should be forced to adopt any religion. But indian democracy is strong enough to counter such menace. There is strong protest in the parliament against this development and our constitution clearly mention of freedom of religion.
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Dec 22, 2014 03:14pm
It's an absolute disgrace to India. Let people follow whatever faith they feel gives them peace. As an Indian i can say that this VHP and RSS are getting pretty close to having an image like Taliban and ISIS.
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Dec 22, 2014 03:31pm
What is wrong with conversions?? It has been happening for hundreds of years in India. It is allowed by the secular constitution of India. People change religion as per their wishes. Modi or for that matter any Indian authority cannot do anything about it.
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Dec 22, 2014 04:09pm
@anas LOL, LOL, LOL
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Dec 22, 2014 04:17pm
@Munir Ahmad
Do you truly believe in this fable? Use your brain for once.
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Dec 22, 2014 04:18pm
@anas I doubt that very much.
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Dec 22, 2014 04:24pm
Modi's silence gives more credence to his part in massacre of Muslims, in Gujarat riots.
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Dec 22, 2014 04:27pm
@Amigo4444
a bigg lol lol lol LOL... u all dont know the actual Fact......!
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Dec 22, 2014 04:52pm
Modi has got nothing to do with it
In any case all religions are a man made fantasy, what is all the fuss about.
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Dec 22, 2014 05:00pm
@A Canadian You are totally wrong
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Dec 22, 2014 05:10pm
Mass conversions to Hinduism should be allowed as long as they are not forced violently.
India allows religious freedom & tolerance and if someone willfully wants to convert then moral/societal/legal restrictions should NOT be placed.
There is no reason why we can't be a democracy and still have very high count of Hindus.
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Dec 22, 2014 05:29pm
@A Canadian Yeah - and this time it will be taken to its logical conclusion!
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Dec 22, 2014 05:37pm
One of my friends were in one of these events. He said, there is absolutely no force applied on people there. Lots of people were volunteering and many of them could not be accommodated. Almost all the people who volunteered to be reversed to hinduism were people or kins of people who were converted by force earlier.
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Dec 22, 2014 05:55pm
Interesting to see Organization of Islamic countries OIC stance on this...
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Dec 22, 2014 06:35pm
Its not forceful conversions...they are giving them money to convert
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Dec 22, 2014 06:44pm
@Ezio Auditore if AAP can do well in future then indian will give chance to him also... But still his performance for running a govt is Zero..
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Dec 22, 2014 07:10pm
A conversion with free will is all good. However, i see the hindus are taking it the wrong way. My friends if anyone wants to change their belief system using their free will then no one can stop them. However forcing and coersion must not be allowed and thats what modi needs to speak about
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Dec 22, 2014 08:49pm
@Sushant What do you mean to say?Is it okay for Hindus to be converted forcibly?It had been ONE WAY CONVERSION till now.What is wrong now to make you feel so bad?
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Dec 23, 2014 04:46am
Secularism and democratic freedoms are the life blood of India and nobody can't change that. Irrespective of unforced conversion or not there must be transparency in the process. Besides, just let them to be Buddhist if they chose to as Hinduism and Buddhism are way of life than a religion.
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Dec 23, 2014 05:18am
I don't see a problem with a law against forced conversions. Most conversions happen due to external pressure of society, money or employment. In a democracy, forced conversions should not happen.
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Dec 23, 2014 05:24am
@Ridwan minorities started this mass/forced conversions,
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Dec 23, 2014 05:51am
@A Canadian By this logic I guess Canada should merge with USA same religion and all.....
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Dec 23, 2014 07:15am
If RSS or other extremist Hindus think that previously Hindus were changed their religion by force during Muslim rulers time. After 1947 ,tell me how many Hindu changed their religion,notably in Bollywood ? Just see AR RAHMAN & SAROJ KHAN.
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Dec 23, 2014 08:05am
@A Canadian Exactly
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Dec 23, 2014 08:13am
@Ezio Auditore You should not forget that Liberalism is not the only thing that is needed. We needed Economic reforms - AAP ,though a good but novicenparty is yet to become mature. A large no. (though only 30% of the electorate) voted BJP for Development ; now when RSS is trying to rise indeed the BJP will see a backlash from certain of its voters.
But again remember that there are also significant sections within even this group that even though hate "religion intermingling politics" but are also fed-up by the "bade bhai- chhote bhai" secularism practiced by both Congress & the Left. AAP no doubt has at least till now maneuvered itself through this kind of secularism , but it has little experience in running goverenments at local level . How can then it handle a highly complicated country like India??
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Dec 23, 2014 09:43am
Dear Mr. Modi, we voted for you for development and for realising India's potential. I suggest you get on with your job, Sir. If you want to convert, convert people from poverty to affluence. India is a secular country. Lets keep it that way. Reign in your RSS and VHP hotheads immediately. We, the Indian middle class, have absolutely no patience with religion and its outdated practices. Lets be modern and practical. Religion is for the dumb.
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Dec 23, 2014 09:48am
the report is distorted on the point that muslims are being converted using force. 41 poor Muslims in agra were converted back to Hinduism . . The only complaint about this by one Ismail said that they were converted on the assurances of ration card, ( Identity card)and house and or money. yes , this may be said as they might have been lured with incentives but the same is being done by Christians clergy to poor tribalsand others with assurance of better life, education and , job and similar things. Only very very poor are the targets for conversion and Christian missionaries receive a big chunk of fund from abroad to spread christianity. . ( SO THERE WAS NO USE OF FORCE, COERCION OR THREAT FOR THIS CONVERSION TO HINDUISM)
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Dec 23, 2014 10:32am
@Ridwan .In India it is majority that is badly in need of protection from minoroties who have been involved in conversion "business" since ages.
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Dec 23, 2014 10:33am
@Ridwan .What about your country ?
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Dec 23, 2014 10:37am
@Ezio Auditore .Liberal and progressive nature of Indians have been mistaken for weakness for too long.If you are disappointed about last election results that is due either to your bias or ignorance.
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Dec 23, 2014 10:42am
@Syed .Some people are up for sale all the time.They can't be examples.
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Dec 23, 2014 10:44am
@Ahmed USA .Is India under their control ??
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Dec 23, 2014 02:17pm
@A Canadian you are unfortunately wrong.. this is a pretense to tabling the anti-conversion bill. The whole conversion nonsense should stop and be illegal.
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