Why it hurts people like you (me)......

Conversion – Reconversion  -- its not about religion , its about Social or Economic acceptance. Look around people who are being targeted for conversion or Recon most of them are among the lowest in the caste (let me put it Indian Caste system) or among the lowest income group. If they were Hindu they were not considered pure enough to be treated as good breed humans –  so probably they thought converting to other religion , they might get better treatment as human beings – but there too many would have found disillusionment – acceptability and if they had any reservation benefits that too they would have lost – (I don’t understand why we need a Anti conversion Bill , government is anyway discouraging people to convert (From Hindu ) to other religion by ensuring that if the ‘Convert’ had any reservation that would be not valid after getting converted to Islam or Christianity  (not sure if this rule applies on conversion to Sikhism/Budhissim/Janisim/Judaism guess the numbers are too small to be a threat).

Since 1998 I have come across quite a few people who have got converted to other religion because of the belief and faith they have in the new religion. And all these people are well educated from good economical background , who have good exposure and experience in life, they need no reservations and no special status in the society, they are doing good in life and they believe their new faith make them happier and better human beings. There are people who have converted from Islam to Christians – people who have converted to Hindu from Islam , Hindu to Christian – Christians who are Sanskrit pandits  - Hindu married to christian or Muslim married to Hindu and without any conversion living their lives …  So that is also possible.

Then I also know people who are Christians in their faith and practices but when it comes to any government dealing/paper work  they are ‘Harijans’ :) best of both the worlds !

Now how do we define forceful conversion – Had there be any forceful conversions from Hinduism to other religion am sure there would have been lot of noise about it  -’ Maybe there was and I did not hear it - as one of my friend  asked ‘Do any one of us remember them making a hue and cry when Hindus were converted to other religions?  But what I have observed is most of the time it’s the prospect of better living condition ( in terms of food, job, family welfare you can read it as trap also) that conversion from Hinduism to Islam, Christianity had happened … and probably they did it quietly – unlike the current Ghar Vaapasi where the agenda seems to be make more noise and tell people about how people are getting Awakened to ‘The Call’ and how leaders of certain group are helping lost people find their way back home –Was wondering what will be the caste of all the these Re-convert people (Upper caste Hindu’s or again Backward Caste)  …..  Wish they had done similar planning for developmental activities ……

So here I am like so many other educated people sitting and writing about a topic I have

no control on, yes I do feel uncomfortable at the thought of being in a minority community in this country,So what if Christianity and Christians  in Kerala   are as old as Christianity itself , so what if I know many things about the Indian Culture  and religion, so what if I know and understand Sanskrit much better than many hindus in this country so what if I am a productive , well educated , tax payer  in this country, the moment people see my name – Ah another ‘Phirangi Dharam waley ‘  and being addressed ‘why this hurts people like you’ ….