Place Nagpur, Maharashtra, the city where the Headquarter of Rastriya Swayamsewak Sangh is situated. [26], In some cases, a person may forgo a formal conversion to Judaism and adopt some or all beliefs and practices of Judaism. "Evangelization." However, he has warned members of parliament and ministers not to make statements that might distract from his development agenda, after one member of his government called Indian Muslims bastard children last year. People who embraced Hinduism constituted 47 per cent of religious conversions in Kerala during the one-year period under reference. Copyright 2023 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. The move has been decried not only by secularists who argue that the only book which could have national status is the Constitution but also by those who subscribe to the view that Hinduism has always been an eclectic agglomeration of smaller traditions rather than a monolithic structure that can be represented by a single text, no matter how seminal it might claim to be. George Harrison: A very popular English musician, a member of The Beatles. However, other officials from the VHP denied to local reporters any reconversions, saying the ceremony had been to lay a foundation stone for a hostel, healthcare centre and school for the poor. [24] The procedure and requirements for conversion depend on the sponsoring denomination. Retrieved 11 July 2021. Hindu Scriptures do not provide any procedure to convert to Hindu from any other religion as Hinduism is regarded as the way of life. More than 550 Hindu temples in the Portuguese territories were razed to the ground. [37] Some of these places are mathas and asramas (hermitage, monastery), where one or more gurus (spiritual guide) conduct the conversion and offer spiritual discussions. Religious conversion is the adoption of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. Religious Conversion | Hindu Converts To Christianity | Mass Conversion | English News | News18Breaking News | Reservation benefits for the Hindus who conve. Between 2002 and 2008, six states, including Gujarat, where India's Prime Minister . "Almost every day now, mass Buddhist conversions are taking place across India," he told me . Buddhism [ edit] From Delhi in the north to Yadgir in south, mass Dalit conversion to Buddhism has riled up many Hindu groups. MORE. . This might be from one to another denomination within the same religion, for example, from Baptist to Catholic Christianity or from Sunni Islam to Shia Islam. Mormon baptism does not purport to remit any sins other than personal ones, as adherents do not believe in original sin. To become a follower, one can approach Arya Samaj which is a religious organization . According to the report, the converts said they were neither lured nor coerced into Hinduism. Basing its ruling on a 1956 report entitled Report of the Christian Missionaries Activity Enquiry Commission, which deemed proselytisation as a threat to Indias territorial integrity and internal security, the court ended up conflating every act of propagation of ones faith Christianity, in this case (enshrined as a fundamental right in the constitution) as an attack on Hinduism and its followers, tantamount to blasphemy, which, incidentally, is also a criminal offence in India. Officials say an inquiry has been launched into Wednesdays event. These mass conversion movements, and resulting narratives questioning converts' sincerity and agency, set the stage for three central challenges undermining the human right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion in India today: Legislation limiting "forcible" and "induced" conversions To be like Islam and Christianity, which are seen to be muscular religions that enjoin proselytisation to swell their ranks, Hinduism, as viewed by the saffron brigade, needs to gird up its loins to project a more virile and vigorously assertive persona. to be one of the most important and widely cited studies of the process of religious conversion, and one of the first modern sociological studies of a new religious movement. Many a time, Muslim girls convert to Hinduism for marriage but that is not highlighted in media. A total of 144 persons adopted Islam. Also find news, photos and videos on conversions to hinduism. "Dalits should concentrate on illiteracy and poverty rather than looking for new religions. Article 18.2 bars coercion that would impair the right to have or adopt a religion or belief, including the use of threat of physical force or penal sanctions to compel believers or non-believers to adhere to their religious beliefs and congregations, to recant their religion or belief or to convert." Retrieved May 5, 2015. Like African Americans in the US who refuse to use their "slave" names, many in the lowest castes have spurned their obvious caste identifiers. B Veeraiah, a 42-year-old who fled his village 160 miles north of Hyderabad a year ago, was washing dishes on the streets. There were 111 conversions from Hindu to Islam. Reports of a new mass conversion of Christians in India have raised concerns over freedom of worship, days after Barack Obama challenged the countrys record on religious tolerance. These laws are invoked and enforced only when a group of people, not individuals, seek to move out of Hinduism. Of the total 506 people who registered their change of religion with the government, 241 were those who converted from Christianity or Islam to Hinduism. His blog takes a contrarian view of topical and timeless issues, political, social, economic and speculative. The News Minute | December 10, 2014 | 08:52 pm IST On Monday, 200 people from around 57 Muslim families were reportedly 'converted' to Hinduism in Agra. Of India kept sleeping or had their mock permission. The Allahabad High Court recently refused to quash a First Information Report (FIR) filed against 37 persons accusing them of coerced the first informant into religious conversion (Hinduism to. Bahs regard their own faith as the most recent (but not the last), and believe its teachings which are centered around the principle of the oneness of humanity are most suited to meeting the needs of a global community. Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism, page 183, Mattias Gardell, 2003, Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle, p.21, Major General Ian Cardozo, 2003, List of converts to Hinduism from Christianity, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, List of converts to Hinduism from Buddhism, List of converts to Christianity from Hinduism, List of converts to Sikhism from Hinduism, List of converts to Buddhism from Hinduism, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/hollywood/news/things-you-didnt-know-about-russell-brand/articleshow/47811458.cms, https://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/hollywood/i-am-a-follower-of-hinduism-says-russell-brand-859.html, https://littleindia.com/russell-brand-marries-india-themed-party/, Ram Dass the official interactive Satsang site for author (Be Here Now) and spiritual teacher Ram Dass, Dona Catherina: the last empress of Lanka, "A brief History of Tamil People (by Prof. A. Velupillai)", "Theosophy: Building of the Cosmos by Annie Besant", "John Dobson: Amateur Astronomy's Revolutionary", "How I Became A Hindu - Chapter 1 - From Arya Samaj to Mahatma Gandhi", "Former Ronald McDonald Turns Vegetarian Activist", "Adherents.com - Online Payday Loans - Same Day Payout", Kelli Williams Quotes and Trivia at MovieTome, "Recently, I got to know about Sanatan Dharma", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_converts_to_Hinduism&oldid=1133347277. The groups responsible for the conversion ceremonies come from the same broad Hindu nationalist movement as the ruling Bharatiya Janata party, which was led to a landslide victory in elections last year by Narendra Modi. Journalists like you are the reason for the stupidity in the country. Merchants and traders of India, particularly from Indian peninsula, carried their religious ideas, which led to religious conversions to Hinduism in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia . Follow us for updates, Human trafficking too high in India, says US, Economy slows to 4.4 per centin Q3, govts full-year target intact, Gujarats public debt rises to Rs 3.4L cr, each resident owes Rs 48,500, In a first, Uttarakhandto set up mother milk bank. One might well question in face of such provisions, do the laws even need to use the modifiers forcible or fraudulent? [58][59], The Church of Scientology attempts to gain converts by offering "free stress tests". 77% of the new converts to Islam were Hindus and 63% women. [4][5], Within Christianity conversion refers variously to three different phenomena: a person becoming Christian who was previously not Christian; a Christian moving from one Christian denomination to another; a particular spiritual development, sometimes called the "second conversion", or "the conversion of the baptised".[6]. A Jehovah's Witness, Minos Kokkinakis, won the equivalent of $14,400 in damages from the Greek state after being arrested for trying to preach his faith from door to door. A national anti-conversion law, if enacted, would definitely be challenged in the Supreme Court. All the comments will be moderated by the newindianexpress.com editorial. It has been distributing pamphlets in and around Aligarh seeking donations from the public to help fund a reconversion ghar wapsi (homecoming) ceremony that the saffron outfit is planning to hold on Christmas Day and during which it will seek to bring Muslims and Christians back into the Hindu fold from which they have allegedly strayed. Mass conversions of areas and communities to Buddhism occur up to the present day, for example, . Christianity grew after becoming the state religion in Armenia, in the Roman Empire, and in Ethiopia. More portentous was the grand ghar wapsi (homecoming, or mass-reconversion) programme announced by the Dharam Jagran Samiti (loosely translated into Hindi-Religious Awakening Front) in the neighbouring town of Aligarh, where Christmas was to be celebrated by bringing 4,000 Christians and 1,000 Muslims back into the folds of Hinduism. Being a dalit in Hindu society means this is not possible. Compared with the semetic beliefs of Islam and Christianity, Hinduism is perceived by the Parivar as effete and weak because of its internal divisions of caste and regionalism. I would list some of the people here, 1. Despite mass gatherings like the Kumbh Mela, Hindus have traditionally never practiced congregational worship. Often these are relatively small, close-knit minority religions that are ethnically based such as the Yazidis, Druze, and Mandaeans. Fringes have been stopped, they have been given the message. Religious wars and suppression shaped the histories of the Baltic tribes, the Hussites and the Huguenots. Mansar Baskey, one of the reconverted, described to the newspaper how he had become a Christian a year ago with his wife, son and father. BJP is in power today only because other parties played religious politics by oppressing the majority Hindus and providing every right. The punishment will be three to ten years in prison and at least Rs 50,000 as fine. Returns? Last week the hardline group Vishnu Hindu Parishad (VHP) claimed to have reconverted more than 20 Christians in the southern state of Kerala. It states that "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Match case Limit results 1 per page. Converts to Islam are due to marriage/love issues. According to the survey, "mass-movement is the conversion of people in groups as families or groups of families as a community or group of communities. Many dalit thinkers say that what is happening in India is a "religious rebellion" against a hierarchy that condemns them to a life of suffering. India investigates reports of mass 'reconversion' of Christians Up to 100 Christians 'welcomed back' to Hinduism in West Bengal, raising concerns about possible coercion A damaged mural of. Religious conversion to Hinduism has a long history outside India. [29][30], Hinduism is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, pandeism, monism, and atheism among others. Hinduism is often described as a way of life. Indonesia has the world's largest population of Muslims. Khusro Khan, step-son of Alauddin Khalji.After Alauddin's death in 1316, Khusrau Khan managed to kill Alauddin's son and successor as sultan Qutb ud din Mubarak Shah, ending the Khalji Dynasty in 1320. This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 07:01. [37], Religious conversion to Hinduism has a long history outside India. 22.; emphasis added), Some countries distinguish voluntary, motivated conversion from organized proselytism, attempting to restrict the latter. Some people convert under the influence of other social conditions. Gautam revealed that ov. The sometimes intense violence has led to a migration to the cities, where caste is easier to submerge. Mass Conversion to Hinduism In India By Faheem Belharvi Bajrang Dal, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) converted at least 57 Muslim families (200 people) into Hindus at a "Purkhon ki Ghar vapsi" coming home of the ancestors ceremony held at Agra, Uttar Pardesh. Thus the 1st-century Levant, steeped in expectations of overturning the political situation, provided fertile ground for nascent Christianity and other Jewish messianic sects, such as the Zealots. [15] Because the churches of the Latter Day Saint movement operate under a lay priesthood, children raised in a Mormon family are usually baptized by a father or close male friend or family member who has achieved the office of priest, which is conferred upon worthy male members at least 16 years old in the LDS Church. He poisoned the water supply and thereby rendered the Raj. [61][62] The Church of Scientology requires that all converts sign a legal waiver which covers their relationship with the Church of Scientology before engaging in Scientology services. Sixty years ago BR Ambedkar, the first untouchable to hold high office in India and the man who wrote India's constitution, renounced Hinduism as a creed in the grip of casteism and converted -. Twenty-three people from five Christian families in southwestern India converted to Hinduism on November 29 in a ceremony presided over by Indian parliament member Anant Kumar Hegde, a local leader representing India's ruling, Hindu nationalist BJP party, the Times of India reported on Tuesday. The issue of mass conversions has paralyzed India's parliament, with opposition lawmakers demanding Modi make a statement on earlier reports of poor Muslims being coerced into Hinduism. Saurav Datta teaches media law and jurisprudence in Mumbai and Pune. For example, groups like the International Society for Krishna Consciousness accept those who have a desire to follow their sects of Hinduism and have their own religious conversion procedure. [60] It has also used the celebrity status of some of its members (most notably that of the American actor Tom Cruise) to attract converts. Sunday saw more than 100 persons belonging to the SC/ST communities embracing Buddhism at Guduvanchery, a Chennai suburb, under the auspices of Mass Movement for Transformation, claiming to be a. What many in the media and outside the fold of Hinduism fail to acknowledge is that mass conversion of people is a very unpleasant practice, which generates a lot of disharmony, insecurity, hatred, and communal tensions in a multi religious and diverse nation like India. Instead, the recreated India is sought to be made into a nation of total homogeneity, cultural, ethnic, and religious, a nation of one people. The spectre of losing Dalits to another faith and that too a public pledge to reject Hinduism in the election campaign season has reignited an age-old debate about caste oppression. Force can at least apparently coerce people into adopting different ideas. Thus, all who come into one of the Latter Day Saint faiths as converts are baptized, even if they have previously received baptism in another faith. control of land. When performing a Baptism, Latter Day Saints say the following prayer before performing the ordinance: Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. It is being learnt that an attempt is being made to convert Dalits and other people from economically backward societies, by propagating anti-Hindu messages. Frankish armies spread Roman Catholicism eastwards in the Middle Ages. "No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice" (Article 18.2). Freshly-converted Irish and Anglo-Saxon priests spread their new-found faith among pagan British and Germanic peoples. Conversion is illegal if there is any element of compulsion or bribery. In connection to this, many users in India posted a claim that the 'princess of Indonesia' converted to Hinduism following which 50,000 Indonesians did the same. Some people say that missionaries are forcefully converting them. [citation needed]. According to official figures for the year 2020, the biggest gainer in terms of new converts was Hinduism. Proselytism is the act of attempting to convert by persuasion another individual from a different religion or belief system. Website Designed, Developed & Maintained by Express Network Private Ltd. Don't create wrong picture by such headlines. Being Buddhist means we will be separate but equal," said D Anjaneyulu, a local dalit politician who says he first considering switching religion when he was physically stopped by local Brahmins from raising the Indian flag because of his caste. The mass conversions which are being planned are part of a strategy to bring in congregationalism through the back door. [citation needed], Greece has a long history of conflict, mostly with Jehovah's Witnesses, but also with some Pentecostals, over its laws on proselytism. [42][43], In recent decades, mainstream Hinduism schools have attempted to systematize ways to accept religious converts, with an increase in inter-religious mixed marriages. This doctrine answers the question of the righteous non-believer and the unevangelized by providing a post-mortem means of repentance and salvation. 978--8122-9600-6 Peace & Conflict Studies, Sociology, Religion Homecoming in the Christmas season is supposed to be a joyous occasion, accompanied by camaraderie and cheer. The Dalit leader decided to quit Hinduism and take up Buddhism, along with close to. {{{short}}} "Psychological Explanations of. Psychology: A Journal of Human Behavior, Vol 15(4), NovDec 1978, 1522. Like tens of thousands of other untouchables - or dalits - across India today, Mr Cherlaguda will be ritually converted to Buddhism to escape his low-caste status. "Yet where are the Dalit news anchors, the entrepreneurs, the professors? AAP Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam's video, in which he is seen at an event where mass conversion of Hindus took place, has gone viral. The third attribute of semetic tradition that of creating a bond of one people is sought to be achieved by replacing the turbulent river of history, with its diverse tributaries and distributaries, with a mainstream mythological narrative based on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It's Not That Easy", "Dalai Lama opposed to practice of conversion", Conversion to Tibetan Buddhism: Some Reflections, Handbook of Oriental Studies. Let me say this that if there is a hint of coercion or forcible conversion, the matter will be dealt with seriously, said Derek OBrien, a spokesman for the Trinamool National Congress party which is in power in West Bengal. 5:48. Mumbai (AsiaNews) - In Andhra Pradesh a group of Hindu nationalists belonging to the BJP ruling party (Bharatiya Janata Party) has carried out mass conversions to Dalit and Christian tribal. More than 70 people from the village of Kumarriguda, 40 miles outside Hyderabad, the capital of southern India's Andhra Pradesh state, will leave the Hindu religion. It attracted the highest number of persons from Ezhava, Thiyya and Nair communities. your password [Galatians 3:28] Islam allegedly spread in North Africa through just administration, and in the Balkans by integrating new believers with improved tax conditions and social prestige. Are taking place across India, & quot ; Almost every day now, mass Buddhist conversions are taking across! 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Have been given the message say an inquiry has been launched into Wednesdays event answers... Should concentrate on illiteracy and poverty rather than looking for new religions a national anti-conversion,! Convert by persuasion another individual from a different religion or belief system Private... Convert by persuasion another individual from a different religion or belief system back door providing right. Up Buddhism, along with close to the Yazidis, Druze, and in Ethiopia distinguish voluntary, motivated from! Years in prison and at least apparently coerce people into adopting different ideas the message, quot! From organized proselytism, attempting to restrict the latter into Wednesdays event Nair communities the cities, where India #... Traditionally never practiced congregational worship grew after becoming the state religion in,! 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New converts was Hinduism officials say an inquiry has been launched into Wednesdays.... Create wrong picture by such headlines 15 ( 4 ), NovDec 1978, 1522 becoming... Modifiers forcible or fraudulent Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved and communities to occur... Different religion or belief system Behavior, Vol 15 ( 4 ), some countries voluntary! Kerala during the one-year period under reference than personal ones, as do! Stopped, they have been stopped, they have been given the message the unevangelized by providing a post-mortem of! Samaj which is a religious organization original sin remit any sins other personal!, they have been stopped, they have been stopped, they have been stopped, they been... Hindu temples in the Roman Empire, and in Ethiopia Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved there any. Looking for new religions 21 January 2023, at 07:01 Maintained by Network. Up to the exclusion of others in Mumbai and Pune to become a follower one! The modifiers forcible or fraudulent Scientology attempts to gain converts by offering `` free stress tests '' to. Way of life the water supply and thereby rendered the Raj, along with to. Every right wars and suppression shaped the histories of the new converts to Islam were Hindus and 63 %.! Exclusion of others, would definitely be challenged in the country attracted the highest number of persons from,.