The conversion conundrum . a topic of debate

(the Hindu article decode)

“Why conversion is actually a
conundrum? Why conversion concept is a kind of disgraceful concept? Why the
concept of conversion is incompatible with the ethos, with the value and with
the spirit of The Indian constitution?” What we have taken from the past? What
is the legacy that we are having as far as the Indian constitution is concerned?
As far as the Indian constitution is concerned, it is a very liberal kind of
constitution. It is a constitution which is having the ethos of secularism. It is a
constitution which is manifesting the liberty to its core. We’ve adopted this
liberalism during our India’s independence movement. But now the Conversion
that is on-going or that is being resorted by the right wing groups is actually
incompatible with our constitution.
Now, In order to properly understand this, we need to know about the system of
caste and its interplay with religion and its interplay with the economic
setup in India. We need to understand the evolution of this concept of caste.
Why this caste system has actually evolved? Is it something that is not right? Or
is it right but has metamorphosed or moulded wrongly?
As far as the caste system is concerned, generally called as “Chatur varna
system” that is the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras.
It was adopted; it was developed because of the functional necessity. It is very
important to understand its character in the beginning. In the beginning the
character of - the vision of the society in terms of caste was the functional
necessity. It was actually a functional division like a office where you need a
manger, a worker, stuff, clerk etc. to carry out the work of the office. It is like a
functional division that is done in an organization. In a similar manner, for the
development of the civilization, for the development of the society… this
division was done in the society.
The Brahminas, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras…. Right now I
am discussing it only in the context of Hindu religion b’coz in early time; Hinduism was the only religion that was followed in the Indian sub-continent,
rest of the religion like the Buddhism, the Jainism etc… they have come later
on.
Now the division was a functional approach but it got metamorphosed – it got
evolved – it got coloured with the social division with every functional
differentiation. This functional division attached with the rituals, the ideas, the
view points and certain stereotypical things. Stereotypes that are attached with
the Brahminas, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras….. These
attachments of the stereotypes had created the social division of the society.
Now what is the social division? Upper caste and lower caste.
In the beginning, we are just having Hindu religion in the Indian sub-continent. I
am not talking about… which was the religion that incepted first or which is the
religion which had its birth in the antiquity. So after this, the Hindu religion, the
caste system, it is not only prevailed the Hindus. It is prevalent in other religions
like the Sikhs, in the Muslims, in the Christians.
We have this caste system in India sub-continent, whether this is a very rigid
kind of a system or the flexible one?
Now in order to understand, whether this caste system is rigid or flexible? We
need to understand another concept that is SANSKRITIZATION?
Now, what is Sanskritization? Sanskritization means when the people, the
followers or a subset of the people belonging to the lower caste, they try to
adopt the rituals, the ideas, the ethology of the upper class. So sanskritization is
a phenomenon by which you trying to evolve socially, you try to represent
yourself as being ot belonging to the upper caste. Now How this Sanskritization
takes place?
This Sanskritization can take place by your economic development, by the
process of conversion. These conversions is not a recent thing, it is continuously
running from the past. Now In the Hindu religion we have… the Brahminas, the
Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras where the Vaishyas and the Shudras
they are debilitated a lot in the Hindu religion, in the Sikh religion, in
Christianity, in Muslims, everywhere you can find this caste system.
Now, these debilitated sections, in all the religions, they want empowerment,
they want up-liftment, they want resuscitations, they want to upgrade
themselves.How can this upgradation be done? There is a way, there is a loop hole, that loop
hole is conversion. Now the Shudras hindus, they believe that the conversion
can lead to their upliftment because what they believe is ….the upper sections
i.e., the Brahminas, the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas would not allow them to
upgrade in the hierarchy of the social system.
So, this is about the degeneration. This is about the way the caste system is
deliberately working in Indian sub-continent.
Now we have different types of conversions, author is talked about. Read them.
The basic idea is the caste system is actually not a very rigid concept, you can
mould it, to make it flexible by the way of Sanskritization and it is just one way
of sanskritization the things.
The caste system should not be given a colour of socialization; it can be treated
only as a functional entity.

by avesh kumar