Mass Conversions of Muslims Leads to Uproar in Parliament, RSS Plans Bigger Event on Christmas

NEW DELHI: The villages of Western Uttar Pradesh are swarming with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and front organisation workers with rumours and terror being unleashed at different levels, according to civil society groups visiting the area following incidents of communal violence in many districts, including Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Moradabad and Meerut to name a few.

Parliament erupted in anger following reports of the forcible conversion of 57 Muslim families in the Agra district to “Hinduism” with local RSS pracharaks being quoted by the media. Reports reaching Delhi suggest that the RSS and Bajrang Dal members had prepared a list of the families to get their voter ID’s and Aadhaar cards made under their new names. BJP leader Vinay Katiyar was quoted in the local media as saying, “people should be free to choose their own religion. If they have again adopted Hinduism, there is no harm.”

Local reports suggest that a larger conversion ceremony is being planned in the Aligarh district by the RSS where it plans to convert 4000 Muslims and Christians to Hinduism on Christmas day. "Come to Aligarh on 25th, both Christians and Muslims will be converted under Adityanath's blessings," said a local activist Rajeshwar Singh to reporters. He was referring to the BJP MP from Gorakhpur who was recently in the eye of a storm over hate speech.

Before the news agitated the Opposition in Parliament, the Bajrang Dal and the Dharma Jagran Samanvay Vibhag had claimed that the families were converted “back to Hinduism” in what they decribed as the “purkhon gi ghar vapsi” ceremony (coming home to the ancestors). These front organisations claimed that 200 Muslims were so converted. Significantly, several such organisations have mushroomed in the western UP districts as reported by The Citizen earlier, and were active earlier in using the ‘love jihad’ handle in fomenting unrest and tension in the districts of western UP.

Meanwhile the extremely poor and backward Muslims who were re-converted said that they had no idea about the nature of this ceremony. They were told to wear their best and collect at the spot for their Aadhaar cards. They were made to wear skull caps as well.

FIRs have been filed and cases registered against those responsible for the conversions. The Samajwadi party government insisted that it would take strong action against those responsible.

The issue was first raised by Bahujan Samaj party leader Mayawati who attacked the BJP and the NDA government saying, "Forced conversions will trigger communal tension in the country. The central government is responsible for this. The central and Uttar Pradesh governments must take this issue seriously. Communal forces must be stopped from doing such things." She was joined by the entire opposition with Congress MP Manish Tiwari pointing out, “"If in a secular nation, focible religion conversion is taking place, the government must take action against the people doing this." CP(M) leader Sitaram Yechury wanted the government to clarify

Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, put up a weak defence for the RSS saying, “ in my knowledge, an FIR has been registered over the issue. It is wrong to drag any organization into this due to political reasons." However, BJP leader Kalraj Mishra defended the ceremony with, “this is not at all forcible if someone wants to change his or her religion on her own. Our Constitution gives them that right, so what's wrong in it? It shows a deliberate attempt on the part of state government to make it an issue."

In a recent memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Christian organisations had detailed attacks on their churches, and efforts in different parts of the country by the RSS and its front organisations to harass and pressure the priests to stop religious ceremonies and carry figures of gods and goddesses inside the churches.