Religious Conversions

Nowadays listening to Arnab Goswami's diatribe is an exercise in tolerance .

We hear only his voice- most of the time complaining or making a point and when not,  proclaiming how his channel is No. 1, since eons- ha ha

Sometimes, just for the heck of it or for want of any interesting content on the TV- I watch it.

Today it is about Mohan Bhagwat's remarks about Mother Teresa.

At the outset- let me once again emphatically say that ' The practice of Religion should stop at the threshold of the house of the practitioner.

Be that as it may- I do not have a fan following and thus , am aware that none is going to listen to my views.

I have great respect for the humanitarian, cause Mother Teresa espoused and the work she did.

But I take it with a grain of salt in it. The basic aim in all this social work was to augment the Christian flock.

When I make this sweeping statement, I also perhaps concede that whatever time the Hindu religion came into existence , the following years may have been devoted to indoctrinate others [ It's a matter of contention, whether any other religions existed then], into this religion

One thing is sure- Christianity is documented to have started around 2000 year ago and the faith of Islam- around 1300 years ago, while the Hindu religion preceded it by quite a few millenniums.

Be that as it may.

I studied in a Convent School- from 3rd standard to 7th in Victoria High School, near Sitala Devi Temple Road and Lady Jamshedji Road junction in Mahim, Mumbai [ it was Bombay then ].

Victoria high School was Victoria School, when I enrolled. A small 2 storey building, attached to dilapidated Church. Each year one standard was added. After 7th standard, we were all en-block, enrolled in St. Michaels's High School [ yeah the same Church, which has now become a hot pilgrimage spot every Wednesday for the weekly Novena- it was not so when I was enrolled there..

However the glory starts rising only when a few believers are the recipients of some benevolence from the Almighty.

Now coming to the crux of the matter-and this is what it is all about==

When I was in 9th standard, we had a Principal by the name of Father Frank Lobo .

I came from a very humble background. My father was a lower middle-class government servant, with many mouths to feed, being the eldest son [ which included his brothers and sister]. Needless to add here that my father was barely able to manage the monthly fees.

To make matters short, I was offered a free-ship [exemption from fees ], free uniform etc. from the School in the academic year 1962-63, by Father Frank Lobo [ not aware if he is alive and can defend himself ]. That was a lot then. However, as per my father's advise or rather diktat from him- I didn't acquiesce.

So conversion- forced or coerced did take place

Hence to say conversions- forced or coerced -do not take place is a fallacy. They took place 50 years back and they took place 1500 years back.

It will be difficult to imagine the population of Christians and Muslims in India to have multiplied manifold- only due to childbirth.

Muslims since the last 700 years and Christians- since the Britishers and Portuguese etc. embarked upon creating new frontiers.

Yes conversions did happen- we all need to accept that . However now in a more civilized society , with many laws to protect all- these should be stopped.

Whether what Mohan Bhagwat said about Mother Teresa is true or not is for the Law of the land to judge and act on- with the same jurisprudence to examine- if there is any truth to his say.

As far as I am concerned- Religion is the ROOT cause of all conflicts and should be banished or kept confined to the respective practitioners threshold.

Now and forever

Dilip Apte

 February 24, 2015