1981 Meenakshipuram conversion

Last updated

The 1981 Meenakshipuram Conversion was a mass religious conversion that took place in the Indian village of Meenakshipuram, Tamil Nadu, in which hundreds of "oppressed" caste Hindus converted to Islam. This incident sparked debate over freedom of religion in India and the government decided to introduce anti-conversion legislation. [1] Later, many converts converted back to Hinduism, citing the lack of fulfillment of promises made during the conversions. [2] [3]

Contents

Conversion

Meenakshipuram is a village in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, India. The scheduled caste members in the village were segregated by the other castes, who referred to them as untouchables on the basis of the Indian caste system. [4] The district had a long history of caste-related violence. [5] They embraced Islam, tired of upper caste atrocities, mostly by the landed OBC Thevar community in the village. [6] [7] The scheduled caste members, who belonging to the Pallar community, had historically tussled with the majority Maravar community. The Pallars were considered untouchable by the majority community. They were predominantly employed as farm labour and their income and education was lower. During the time of conversion, there was reportedly 40 per cent of Pallar youths were educated who induced the conversion. [8] Though originally 220 families were registered for conversions, about 40 of them changed their mind and 180 families attended the ceremony held on 19 February 1981. [9]

Aftermath

After the incident, the Tamil Nadu government set up an inquiry commission to investigate the conversion. The commission in its report suggested an anti-conversion bill to be passed by the state government, but the government put it on hold. [10]

The media reported that the conversion took place by force, using foreign funding. [11] [12] [13] While some converts denied the allegations, [14] others said that they had been bribed. Ayyappan, a resident of Meenakshipuram, said that he had declined an offer of Rs. 500 in cash to convince him to renounce his faith. [15] One news paper had also printed a photo of a currency note from a Gulf country. [12]

The official report of SC / ST, the Government of India on the conversions said: "Dalits were those who contacted Muslims for the first time ... they went to Tirunelveli to ask Muslim leaders to join Islam; Their elders have considered converting to Islam for 20 years. Converts contributed Rs 41,000 for their conversion ceremony. An estimated of 1,100 scheduled caste members from the village had converted to Islam. [16]

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reportedly unhappy, and Home Minister Zail Singh questioned if "a conspiracy or political motivation" was involved in these conversions. [12] A number of press reporters and politicians such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee [17] and Yogendra Makwana [18] visited the village.

Most of the converted Dalits became supporters of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), while the upper caste Thevars have aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). [19]

The BJP later took the issue of Meenakshipuram conversion to the Parliament when it reached the Lok Sabha in 1984 with two seats. Its cause gathered momentum over the years and culminated with the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. [20]

Many of the converts left Islam later on. [3] By July 1981, some of the converts returned to Hinduism. [21] In 1991, a decade later, 900 out of 1,100 converts returned to Hinduism, citing the lack of fulfillment of promises made during the conversions. [2] In 2015, 33 years after the incident, Rediff.com conducted a survey in the village and reported that those who converted to Islam said they were happy. [22] In 2019, The Muslims insist that they are now being accorded dignity and respect. [23] Of the many who continue to remain Muslims, almost all have reconverted to Hinduism after conversion. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iyer</span> Tamil Brahmin caste

Iyers are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins. Most Iyers are followers of the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara and adhere to the Smarta tradition. This is in contrast to the Iyengar community, who are adherents of Sri Vaishnavism. The Iyers and the Iyengars are together referred to as Tamil Brahmins. The majority of Iyers reside in Tamil Nadu, India.

Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK), literally meaning Hindu People's Party, also pronounced as Indu Makkal Katchi (IMK), is a right-wing, Hindu nationalist party in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalit</span> Marginalized castes in India and other South Asian countries

Dalit, also some of them previously known as untouchables, is the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna of the caste hierarchy and were seen as forming a fifth varna, also known by the name of Panchama. Several scholars have drawn parallels between Dalits and the Burakumin of Japan, the Baekjeong of Korea, the Hukou system of China and the peasant class of the medieval European Feudal system.

The term Dalit Christian or Christian Dalit is used to describe those who have converted to Christianity from other forms of religion in the Indian subcontinent, and are still categorised as Dalits in Hindu, Christian, Muslim, and Sikh societies in South Asia. Hindu Dalits are sometimes referred to as Harijans. About 90% of Pakistani Christians are Dalits from the Chuhra caste and at least 9% of Indian Christians are Dalits, categorised thus by the greater societal practices in various parts of the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar</span> Indian politician

Ukkirapandi Muthuramalinga Thevar, also known as Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, was a politician, patriarch of Thevar community. He was elected three times to the national Parliamentary Constituency. The birth anniversary of Muthuramalinga Thevar on October 30 is celebrated annually by the Thevar community in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu as Thevar Jayanthi.

Chuhra, also known as Bhanghi and Balmiki, is a Dalit caste in India and Pakistan. Populated regions include the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, as well as Uttar Pradesh in India, among other parts of the Indian subcontinent such as southern India. Their traditional occupation is sweeping, a "polluting" occupation that caused them to be considered untouchables in the caste system.

The Pallar, who prefer to be called Mallar, are an agricultural community from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Pallars traditionally inhabited the fertile wetland area referred to as Marutham in the literary devices of the Sangam landscape. Today, they are the dominant Dalit community of southern Tamil Nadu and have developed a reputation for being assertive about their rights. Due to the demand of the pallar community to classify them under a more dignified generic name Devendrakula Velalar, recently they together with six other related castes have been given the name Devendrakula Velalar; however their original caste name remains valid and they are still part of the Scheduled Caste list.

The Mukkulathor people, who are also collectively known as Thevar, are a community or group of communities native to the central and southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India. They comprise the Agamudayar, Kallar and Maravar communities that share a common myth of origin and claim to have once been members of various ancient South Indian dynasties.

The caste system among South Asian Christians often reflects stratification by sect, location, and the caste of their predecessors. There exists evidence to show that Christian individuals have mobility within their respective castes. But, in some cases, social inertia caused by their old traditions and biases against other castes remain, causing caste system to persist among South Asian Christians, to some extent. Christian priests, nuns, Dalits and similar groups are found in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindu Munnani</span> Indian political party

Hindu Munnani is a right-wing Hindu nationalist organisation based in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Hindu Munnani was set up by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) The organisation was founded in 1980 by Ramagopalan, a member of RSS and since its formation served as the platform for RSS and its subsidiaries known as the Sangh Parivar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violence against Christians in India</span> Anti-Christian violence in India

Anti-Christian violence in India is religiously motivated violence against Christians in India. Human Rights Watch has classified violence against Christians in India as a tactic used by the right-wing Sangh Parivar organizations to encourage and exploit communal violence in furtherance of their political ends. The acts of violence include arson of churches, conversion of Christians by force, physical violence, sexual assaults, murders, rapes, and the destruction of Christian schools, colleges, and cemeteries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishva Hindu Parishad</span> Hindu nationalist organisation

Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) is an Indian right-wing Hindu organisation based on Hindu nationalism. The VHP was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with Swami Chinmayananda. Its stated objective is "to organise, consolidate the Hindu society and to serve and protect the Hindu Dharma". It was established to construct and renovate Hindu temples, and deal with matters of cow slaughter and religious conversion. The VHP is a member of the Sangh Parivar group, the family of Hindu nationalist organisations led by the RSS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immanuvel Devendrar</span> Indian freedom fighter (1924–1957)

Immanuvel Devendrar, who later took the name Immanuel Sekaran, was a freedom fighter, civil rights activist, former soldier and a party worker for the Indian National Congress in Tamil Nadu, India.

Harijan Sevak Sangh is a non-profit organisation founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932 to eradicate untouchability in India, working for Harijan or Dalit people and upliftment of Depressed Class of India. It is headquartered at Kingsway Camp in Delhi, with branches in 26 states across India.

Ghar Wapsi is the programme of religious conversion to Hinduism from Islam, Christianity, and other religions in India conducted by Indian Hindu nationalist organisations Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and their allies. The term owes to the Hindu nationalist ideology that all people of India are ancestrally Hindu and, hence, conversion to Hinduism is one of "returning home" to their ancestral roots.

Uthapuram is a village in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for a wall which segregated Dalits from the village for two decades.

Samathuvapuram officially Periyar Ninaivu Samathuvapuram is a social equality scheme of the Government of Tamil Nadu to improve social harmony and to reduce caste discrimination. Under the scheme, villages of 100 houses each are being created to accommodate the various castes, with one community hall and burial ground to be shared by all. The scheme is named after the social reformer Periyar E. V. Ramasamy.

Kausalya is a prominent Indian anti-caste activist. She became a cause célèbre after her former husband V. Shankar was hacked to death by killers hired by her family. They were opposed to her, a Thevar, marrying Shankar who belongs to Pallar caste. Her case, known as Udumalai Shankar murder case became emblematic of the endemic issue of "honour killings" of intercaste couples as well as the enduring issues of caste violence in Tamil Nadu. On 9 December 2018, she wedded Mr. Sakthi in Coimbatore. Her decision to get remarried was received well with wishes pouring in from many sections.

The 2019 Mettupalayam wall collapse refers to the collapse of a 20-foot wall on several houses during heavy rains in December 2019 which killed 17 people during their sleep, all members of the Dalit community. The incident happened in small village called Nadur in Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, in southern India. The incident led to protests mostly from the local villagers and pro-Dalit organizations who claimed it was built to segregate the members of the Dalit Community.

The 1995 Kodiyankulam violence occurred on August 31, 1995 when a force of 600 policemen attacked the all-Dalit village of Kodiyankulam in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India and destroyed property and took away cash and jewellery worth several lakhs of rupees. The police raid was on the instruction of the dominant caste officials. The raid was reportedly held to destroy the material prosperity of the Dalits.

References

  1. ↑ "Sudden spurt in conversions of Harijans to Islam forces govt to study the 'issue'". India Today. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Meenakshipuram Harijans flip-flop between Islam and Hinduism". 1991.
  3. 1 2 "Meenakshipuram in Tamil Nadu becomes battleground of Hindu zealots and Muslim fanatics". India Today. 15 March 1983. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  4. ↑ Akshayakumar Ramanlal Desai (1 January 1991). Violation of Democratic Rights in India. Popular Prakashan. pp. 12–13. ISBN   978-81-7154-529-2.
  5. ↑ Manjari Katju (2003). Vishva Hindu Parishad and Indian Politics. Orient Blackswan. p. 32. ISBN   978-81-250-2476-7.
  6. ↑ "Flashback: How 800 Dalit Hindus in Meenakshipuram were converted to Islam 33 years ago". 12 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Oldenburg, Philip (1991). India Briefind, 1991. Avalon. p. 119. ISBN   9780813382548.
  8. ↑ B.S., Chandrababu (2001). Subaltern revolts in Tamilnadu. Madurai: JJ Publications. pp. 53–6.
  9. ↑ Averting the Apocalypse: Social Movements in India Today . Duke University Press. 1990. p.  346. ISBN   9780822310297.
  10. ↑ "Jayalalithaa's anti-conversion law causes political polarisation in Tamil Nadu". India Today. 18 November 2002. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  11. ↑ Jan N. Bremmer; Wout Jac. van Bekkum; Arie L. Molendijk (2006). Cultures of Conversions. Peeters Publishers. ISBN   9789042917538.
  12. 1 2 3 Averting the Apocalypse: Social Movements in India Today . Duke University Press. 1990. p.  347. ISBN   9780822310297.
  13. ↑ Jaffrelot, Christophe. Religion, Caste, and Politics in India. Primus Books. p. 162.
  14. ↑ "Ayodhya, the Battle for India's Soul: Chapter Three". WSJ. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  15. ↑ Swarup, Devendra (1986). Politics of Conversion. Deendayal Research Institute. p. 30.
  16. ↑ "Flashback: How 800 Dalit Hindus in Meenakshipuram were converted to Islam 33 years ago". 12 December 2014.
  17. ↑ Mumtaz Ali Khan (1983). Mass-conversions of Meenakshipuram: a sociological enquiry. Christian Literature Society. p. 49.
  18. ↑ MGR: A Life. Penguin Random House India. 2017. p. 276.
  19. ↑ "Flashback: How 800 Dalit Hindus in Meenakshipuram were converted to Islam 33 years ago". 12 December 2014.
  20. ↑ "Meenakshipuram, TN's link to Babri demolition, now prays for harmony". DT Next . 10 November 2019. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021.
  21. ↑ The Demolition: India at the Crossroads. p. 129. Meenakshipuram. In July 1981, some of the converts to Islam had re-converted to Hinduism.
  22. ↑ "Meenakshipuram, 33 years on: Muslims happy, Hindus not". Rediff. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  23. ↑ "In Meenakshipuram, conversions continue in hope of social dignity | Chennai News - Times of India". The Times of India . 17 April 2019.
  24. ↑ "Meenakshipuram: Harijans flip-flop between Islam and Hinduism".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.