?Beacons of Hindu spiritual Mission?, an article (Organiser Independence Day Special), wherein the editor has narrated the sad story of poverty of two Vanvasi girls from Jharkhand, named Suchitra and Sujata living in Delhi. Sujata lived with her uncle and aunt, who became Christians, because her uncle was working in a missionary school. Sujata who was studying in the same school also became a convert. She started getting not only free education but also a good sum as pocket money from the government through the school, because of the implementation of Sachar Committee report. Whereas Suchitra, a Hindu poor girl, who is working day and night to earn her livelihood gets no favour from the government for her son studying in the same school. This is a legalised entice to poor Hindus to become Christians or Muslims.
This reminds us about the Muslim'srule when conversions to Islam were forced by sword or by imposing jazia on Hindus. Similarly, the British government also persued this objective of conversions to Christianity through allurement. Their pay structure was such that Britishers and Anglo-Indians got about five times more pay pocket compared to Indians for doing the same job. Still among Indians, Christians got a few more chips as Christianity allowance. Even British firms gave priorities to Anglos and Christians.
All these benefits for following the state religion were stopped after India got freedom, as the Constitution, which assured equality for all, came into force in 1952. That was the true interpretation of secularism by the thinkers and writers of Constitution.
Christian missionaries who now found difficult to achieve their objectives in urban and rural areas, because of awakening among the people, became active in Vanvasi areas. They did their work unabated for more than a decade. Conversions were one way traffic. Poor Vanvasis were victims of entice from moneyed missionaries. Shuddhi workers of Arya Samaj of course tried to abate them but not with much success against missionaries number and money power.
When RSS and VHP penetrated in Vanvasi areas in 1960?s, it was much to the dislikes of Christian missionaries, as their efforts resulted in number of reconversions to Hinduism. Their irritation some times still results in conflict with RSS and VHP workers.
It was also in 1967 that Congress government in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa passed a law declaring that propagation of one'sfaith through allurement a criminal offence. In 1968-69 father Farhar who succeeded in converting a large number of poor Hindus to Christianity, was unceremoniously made to quit the country by the then Congress government of Maharashtra. After that even BJP ruled states also passed identical laws.
This is how judiciary and legal experts interpreted the meaning of secularism that time. After that Congress ruled over the country for about 25 years and no body thought of giving any benefit to any community based on religion except Haj subsidy and that was the start during Narasihma Rao'sPrime-Ministership.
Since Smt. Sonia Gandhi has became president of Congress party and the day UPA has come in power at Centre, they have been only thinking of vote bank to fight the next election, for the past four years. Here, Justice Rajindra Sachar (Retd.) has been helpful. The definition of equality, justice and fraternity has undergone a change to benefit Muslims and Christians. The UNO'sdirective to treat a community, who are 10 per cent or less of total population, as minority community has been ignored.
Justice Sachar did not do his soul searching to realise that there are millions of Hindus living in hardship to arrange two times meal for their families and they also expect the same what has been granted to minorities by the government. So, Mr. Sachar will this not ultimately induce poor belonging to majority community to become Muslims or Christians? This actually means conversions by allurements which was illegal through legislation passed by State Congress Governments in 1967 and afterward. UPA has now come out to encourage it by spending through public exchequer.
Again coming back to the story of Suchitra and Sujata our law and government recognised that Sujata as poor and deserving girl, only after she embraced Christianity, whereas her cousin Suchitra'sson a Hindu but equally poor has no chance to get any help from government. Perhaps he also might be tempted to become a Christian under compulsion to substantiate his livelihood, and likewise many more might follow.
So, Justice Sachar! one question to you. Is it social justice or creation of privileged communities? Your report has no compassion for deserving millions who are Hindus.
(The writer can be contacted at 89/7, East Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi-110 026.)
