CONVERSIONS

Conversion is a change into a new set of beliefs, especially in religion. There are several religious groups operating in India which are struggling to intensify their strength and to consolidate their power in that group. Religious places for different sects are being constructed at the cost of millions of dollars, where devotees congregate for religious practices, and worship God according to their holy scriptures. Hindus believe in idol worship, which they think is their imagination of what kind of their god could be, and concentrate their thoughts for devotion through them. They listen to the preaching of saints and bow before idols in reverence to their gods. Some sects like Muslims and Christians do not encourage idol worship, considering it as transgression of theological principals. Even Arya Samajists, a group from Hindu religion have no faith in idols; they believe in outstanding personalities having magic powers and were great reformers. Muslims have their holy book �Kuran�, and Christians have a �Bible�.

There are several sub-divisions among Hindu religion like Sanatan Dharma, Arya Samajists, Buddha, Jains, Akali�s, Osho, Sai Baba and several others. Some so-called saints also sprout every now and then, and there is no dearth of followers. They come with different cult to exploit people with their story telling art. Some of these newly developed groups are so rigid that they have stopped calling them Hindus, though they belonged to this religion earlier. These water tight compartments have created rift among different sects who want to gain advantage over the other, working forcible conversion from one group to the other. According to our constitution people are permitted to practice different faiths, but are not allowed to criticize the faith of other people. All the religions, including Hindus believe in one God who is the Almighty, but different groups call Him by different names. Muslims call Him Allah, Christians believe in Christ and Hindus believe in idols of their gods having millions of names. They also worship some semi-gods like Sun, Moon, and trees which give us shadow, heat and oxygen.

The holy books of different groups preach them to surrender themselves to god and enjoy everything on His name. People adopt different methods to attain god who is one and the same for all. Some people of Hindu religion offer water to Sun while taking a holy dip in a river on auspicious occasions. Some hermits entwine themselves with tree branches for austerity and to purify their soul. Recently a Sadhu has been shown on TV sitting with burning tree logs all around him, and that too in the blazing summer sun seeping heat of 48 degree Celsius. People having faith in hermits bowed before him, and at one moment he cleared his purpose to purify the wickedness and immorality in the world. It is amazing to think that if the purpose of all religions is the same then what is the need of conversion from one religion to the other? It creates division in society and rivalry germinates between different sects. The activists translate the law to their own advantage and create violence, which is another form of terrorism. Some rival countries take advantage and create disturbance in the country.

To curb this malady Gujarat Government proposed Freedom of Religion Amendment Bill 2006, making the situation explosive, and people of different sects opposed it on different grounds. For Muslims and Christians the state government proposed (amendment) Bill 2006 that caused great resentment among different religions. It encouraged a go-ahead to different sects within the same religion that caused great resentment among different religions. Some parties resorted to peaceful protests, openly defying Hindus, naming them idol worshippers. Unease brought their distinct identity issues to the fore and some activists took it vociferously and demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister. The activists propagated that choosing faith is a personal matter, guaranteed by the constitution, and as such they don�t need permission. They continued resorting to indirect conversions.

To stop this forcible conversion government started taking affidavits from the converts, stating they got converted by their own will and were not forced under any pressure or allurement. Use of such tactics imposed punitive action with fine and imprisonment and both. Conversion was a burning issue in 2006 and several states passed laws to curb forced conversions. Muslims and Christians went on with conversions in remote areas, where poverty was rampant. The Christian missionaries philanthropic activities were a protective face covering and Hindu activists confronted them which disturbed the normal atmosphere of the country. It is really stunning to realize that people take long to cotton on the simplest reality of one God with different names, to prefer solidarity and not enmity in religion.

While surfing the internet we come across a click up site for conversion to a Muslim religion. The author claims that Islam is the only religion with no other religion parallel to it. It is an indirect condemnation of the other religions which is illegal. If Allah, Ram, Guru Nanak, Christ and many other names of reformers belong to one god, then where lays the need of converting people by threatening, alluring and using fraudulent means. Some communities are overgrowing to come in majority to overpower other groups, completely neglecting the much needed family planning. There is a race between different groups to gain over the other on the name of religion. The desire of seeing them at the apex has made them completely forget the existence, specialty and uniqueness of God.

With innovation there is an advancement of knowledge and technology; the world has shrunk, and we have come very closer to each other. We aspire for undivided world government, which will eradicate all religious enmities. People in that Government may feel proud of being good human beings, where goodness may be their religion, with no conversions to breed hostility between different religions. Let there be love and reverence in different religions rather than cohesion in a particular religious group.