By Vishwas Dabar
RSS Sir Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat’s speech—mentioning that all people who were forced to leave their original religion to convert to Islam are welcome back—has to be seen in the right perspective. There should be no communal overtone seen in his saying so.
As history is very clear, in India, for hundreds of years, Hindus were forced to leave their religion by Muslim rulers. To convert to Islam or to Christianity, by European rulers they faced persecution, and in many cases, refusal to convert resulted in inhuman torture and brutal killings on religious grounds. There are many Muslims in India who are still preserving their Hindu identity as they are proud of their Hindu heritage.
We should give them a fair chance for home coming.
People were forced to leave their religion against their will and wish. But now, India is a free secular country, and if somebody wants to come back
to their original religion, they can do it without fear and on their own free will.
Islam and Christianity were propagated in India by force and many others in the garb of helping and giving service to poor and needy people. Bhagwat’s assertion is very simple and straightforward: if somebody wants to come back to to original religion of their own choice and free will, we as a Hindu society should welcome them back. They left their original religion under great duress and conditions which were beyond their control. I see no non-secular act in this, as there is no element of duress, greed, or any unethical means. In an independent and free country like India, a change of religion of your own choice is not illegal.
The Hindu religion (Sanaatan) was not only in the Indian subcontinent but stretched beyond to Indo-China, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries. There is significant resurgence of Hinduism in Indonesia, the country with the largest population of Muslims. In addition to the
Hindu-dominated island of Bali, islands like Java and Sumatra are seeing an increase in the Hindu population and the construction of new Hindu temples. Nothing is happening by force or any other wrong means; it is the spiritual resonance of Sanaatan Dharma.
Propagating peace, prosperity, and calmness in the life of a human being is what Sanaatan is doing in many European countries like Poland, Estonia, etc. Hindu (Sanaatan Dharma) has never forced anybody to convert. It is the sense of great spirituality and philosophy—to be good to everybody, think good for everybody, and live in peace with your surroundings and everyone around you. This basic ethos of Sanaatan have helped it survive for thousands of years against all odds and onslaughts.
There are many countries in the world which have changed totally religion-wise, and Spain is one example of that. Spain was under Muslim rule and had a Muslim population for 700 years, from the early 8th century (711 AD) to the late 15th century (1478 AD). During this time, for roughly 800 years, battles between Christians and Muslims were fought, known as the Reconquista, resulting in Spain again becoming a Christian country. History shows quite clearly that where Islamic rule was established, entire countries became Muslim; similarly, where Europeans ruled, they became Christian. However, India and Sanaatan Dharma were able to preserve their identity, even though significant conversions took place under duress. These conversions can be reversed, and people should perform Ghar Wapsi. The fact that Sanaatan survived all those onslaughts for a thousand years is its greatest strength.
In contrast, India’s Sanaatan Dharma survived and prospered without any violence. It is the only way of life which can help our country progress and prosper without any fear, bullets, shells, or inhuman acts that result in the human misery and suffering of common people.
There has been nitpicking by a few so-called intellectuals regarding Bhagwat’s suggestion of Hindus having a minimum of three kids, who can afford giving good upbringing. This also must be seen in the right perspective. Due to low birth rates, look at what is happening in European countries like Germany, Italy, Britain, Austria, France, and Belgium who have very low percentage of young people in their population. They have started facing issues from Expats due to less young population, creating significant law and order problems in these countries. Countries like Japan have also seen problems of greying population due to low birth rates.
In India, the low birth rate in the majority population of Hindus can create a demographic imbalance. To stop this happening, his suggestions on birth rates should not be taken as anything against a certain group of people.
In my opinion, India will be more unified and strong if we take the suggestions of Bhagwat in the right perspective, without any fear or doubt regarding his intentions. As I see it, there is no ill-will toward anybody or any religion in what he said on Ghar Wapsi.
