Meet our demands, else we'll convert to Islam, say UP Dalits

[Mythal]

These days religion is just a political tool. Faith comes after money, ego and power.

 

[volcano]

Lol.. castism should be abolished from society. It is againist fundamental right of equality and doesnot suit modern world.

 

[Pakistani E]

They should become Ahmadi.

 

[Hindustani78]

Lucknow: The 're-conversion' efforts of the Hindutva groups may have gone on the low burn in the last few weeks, but the controversy over it has ignited ideas among several Dalit groups. In a new phenomenon, deprived sections of the Hindu community have been threatening to quit Hinduism and embrace other religions if their demands, which are secular in character, were not met.

Recent incidents in Agra and Meerut suggest that Dalits, Valmikis and others have found a new weapon to get their social or development demands addressed by the political dispensation.

In Jamalpur Goma village of Baghpat in Meerut district, dozens of members of ten Dalit families had demanded that they should be allowed to worship at a famous Valmiki temple at Balaini, otherwise they would embrace Islam. They have even given a deadline till January 26 for such permission to be given, and the local administration is on its toes to contain the situation.

A section of locals attribute this development to the alleged control of land adjoining the temple by the temple priest. “We just want to take out a shobha yatra from the Lav Kush Dwar to the temple, and the temple priest is not even allowing this,” said Shyam Singh Valmiki of the Jamalpur Goma village. He has alleged that the local administration was also acting under pressure from the priest.

The temple priest Mahant Lakhyadevanand has also been quoted as saying that there is no dispute over worshipping within the temple. However, there is no clarity on allowing the shobha yatra to be taken out over a stretch of land leading to the temple. Meanwhile, the representatives of the Valmiki families are adamant that if permission for the yatra and worship is not given to them till January 26 they will collectively embrace Islam. The district administration and police have been trying to defuse the situation as the local leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad have also jumped into the fray.

“The issue might seem trivial, but it indicates the social divisions over which opposing sections of society take a tough stand, leading to unrest or violence,” says Dr Rahul Shukla, a professor of Indian history at a Lucknow University college.
In a similar incident in Agra in January, a section of Hindus belonging to Sikandarpur in New Agra area threatened to hold a panchayat on Sunday January 11 to take a decision on quitting the Hindu fold if their long-pending demands were not met. However, the panchayat was put off following an assurance by the representative of the Babu Lal Choudhary, the BJP MP from Fatehpur Sikri.
“We have assured the villagers that their demands pertaining to some facilities in the area and their dispute with another religious group will be sorted out soon,” according to Mohan Singh, a local BJP leader.

“There have also been instances where young people have opted for conversion simply to get married to someone belonging to a different faith,” according to Dr Rahul Shukla. But, he said, the recent Allahabad High Court judgment holding such conversions as ‘void’ puts things in a clearer perspective. “Opting for religious conversion simply for marriage or achieving some narrow personal end is improper and should never be supported, and the court ruling validates it,” he said.
Incidentally, instances of Dalits embracing Buddhism have been very frequent across Uttar Pradesh especially during the regime of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). “Our leader Mayawati has always fought against the oppressive caste system in Hindu society and victims of this oppression are always welcome to become Buddhists, a path shown by Dr Ambedkar,” says a BSP leader.
But Acharya Ramapati Shastri, a Sanskrit scholar and expert in Vedic religious rituals, says that the Dalits have always been at the forefront of protecting Hindu faith and places of worship, and now there is no bar on them to worship in temples. “They are even becoming priests in many temples across India,” he said.

Acharya Shastri also wondered why the Dalits would be raising such demands when they enjoyed the fruits of reservation in educational institutions and government jobs, and their representatives have been in the government. “Why should they leave the blessings of Dr Ambedkar and join any other faith?” he asked.

Another scholar traces a link to the much-publicised incident in Agra on December 8 last, where it had been alleged that the promoters of a re-conversion ritual had offered a BPL ration card and a plot of land to those who agreed to convert to Hinduism. The matter had become more complicated when it came to light that the participants in the ritual could have been illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh.

“If turning into a Hindu could bring with itself the perks of legitimate Indian citizenship, then demanding certain concessions or facilities to remain a Hindu could not be far away,” said Athar Husain, an expert from the Centre for Objective Research and Development, Lucknow. “A recent report from Rajasthan in which residents of a village in Hanumangarh district had threatened to embrace Islam if illegal encroachments were not removed from their village is such an example,” he said.
A leader of the Hindu Mahasabha, however, says that instances of mischief-makers inciting sections of Hindus could not be ruled out since “huge amounts of money are spent to seek conversions of Hindus.”

Ghar wapsi fallout: Meet our demands, else we'll convert to Islam, say UP Dalits - Firstpost

Dalit families threaten to convert after being denied entry to temple in UP | Zee News
January 7, 2015 - 19:43

Meerut: Ten Dalit families of Jamalpur village here have said they will convert to Islam if they are not allowed to worship at the historic Lav Kush Janmabhoomi temple at Baleni.

In a memorandum submitted by the villagers to District Magistrate (DM) Pankaj Yadav and the SSP on January 5, they sought permission to worship in the temple by January 26 and threatened to convert otherwise.

Shyam Singh, a village resident, alleged that the priest had stopped him and ten other Balmiki families from worshipping at the temple on October 8 last year following which they lodged a complaint with the DM.

However, temple priest Swami Lakshyadevanand has refuted the allegations claiming that he never turned anyone away from worshipping.


"A man approached us seeking to lead a procession on Balmiki Jayanti. Since, it was a matter concerning the administration, he was asked to take permission from them," the priest told reporters.

The villagers claimed no action was however taken following their complaint.

Meanwhile, Circle Officer Brijesh Singh said due to some misunderstanding, a dispute had occured between the priest and the families but has now been resolved adding, there is no issue of religious conversion as of now.

PTI


VHP rushes to ‘rescue’ of Balmikis - The Times of India
| Jan 6, 2015, 11.10PM IST

Meerut: Ten Balmiki families of Jamaalpur village in Meerut said that if they were not allowed to worship at the Balmiki Ashram in Baghpat, they would all embrace Islam. Issuing an ultimatum of January 26, they said if they were not allowed to worship at the ashram even after that, they would make good their threat of accepting Islam. Meanwhile, the VHP is attempting to resolve their grouse.

Members of these families - about 60 people in all - had been turned away from the ashram on October 8, when they had gone to celebrate Balmiki jayanti. They said that although the ashram belonged to their community, some high caste priests had taken over its administration.

On Sunday, an agitated group of Balmikis approached the media with their complaints. Shyam Singh, one of the 60 people who issued the threat, said, "For quite some time, we have not been allowed to worship at the Balmiki ashram at Balaini in Baghpat district."

The ashram has a special place in the religious observations of the community. Legend has it that the ashram belonged to Maharishi Balmiki, author of the epic Ramayana. It is believed that Ram's sons Luv and Kush were born there, and Sita became sati there.

After the Balmikis were turned away from the ashram on October 8, they had approached the superintendent of police of Baghpat district, but received not help.

Ramanand Singh, another Balmiki and part of the group that has threatened conversion, said, "The first claim on the Balmiki temple is of the Balmikis. Now, a few high caste priests have taken control of the administration. We are left out in the cold."

Villagers also met district magistrate Pankaj Yadav and submitted a memorandum, claiming that if they were not allowed to worship at their temple, they would convert en masse to Islam. The district magistrate said action was being taken on the complaint.

Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad Sudarshan Chakra said, "We have just come to know of this incident. We back the Balmikis fully and will talk to the priests at the Bailaini Balmiki ashram. A case will be registered against the priests, if that need arises."

They are allowed to worship in the temple, this has something to do with a yatra on temple land.

Though cant disagree with you that UP(and Bihar) is an underdeveloped shithole. It still has caste discrimination. Its lessening slowly though, one can only hope the process quickens.

UP do have many issues which are more or less related to politics but no one can deny the importance of UP in the Indian Civilization as most of the important historical religious events took place in UP.

Caste discrimination don't mind if i say is there because religion is being used to control and all those controls are mainly to control the temple hundis which goes in crores. So here its seems like more with the share in the temple wealth to the people who live around the temple premises.

 

[livingdead]

They should become Ahmadi.

I think they should become mainstream sunni (if they choose islam).. that way they can have bigger group to support them.. also can become martial race overnight..

 

[Pakistani E]

I think they should become mainstream sunni (if they choose islam).. that way they can have bigger group to support them.. also can become martial race overnight..

Sunnis themselves are divided in different groups. Berelvis and deobandis, not forgetting ahle hadith. No matter who they choose though, they'll be kafir in some other upright muslims view. Looks like they're eternally damned.

 

[livingdead]

Sunnis themselves are divided in different groups. Berelvis and deobandis, not forgetting ahle hadith. No matter who they choose though, they'll be kafir in some other upright muslims view. Looks like they're eternally damned.

muslims dont kill each other in India so guess they will be fine... just dont tease the bloody jats...

 

[halupridol]

hindutvas trolled

 

[Hindustani78]

Sunnis themselves are divided in different groups. Berelvis and deobandis, not forgetting ahle hadith. No matter who they choose though, they'll be kafir in some other upright muslims view. Looks like they're eternally damned.

Differences are there within any religion in which they are divided into sects or denominations. Muslims are divided into 73 sects with larger 2 denominations which is similar like followers of Judaism. Christians are divided into more than 200 sects with around 10 denominations and Hindus are divided into 4 denominations which are further divided into hundreds of sects. Hindus are needed to be united and VHP seems to be trying to do that only.

 

[volcano]

Convert to anything but deobandi \ wahabi

 

[Pakistani E]

Differences are there within any religion in which they are divided into sects or denominations. Muslims are divided into 73 sects with larger 2 denominations which is similar like followers of Judaism. Christians are divided into more than 200 sects with around 10 denominations and Hindus are divided into 4 denominations which are further divided into hundreds of sects. Hindus are needed to be united and VHP seems to be trying to do that only.

Out of curiosity what are the main four or five "sects" in Hinduism? And is Sect even the right word? I thought Hinduism is a pretty broad term that includes several "Indian" religions? Something like the word Abrahamic perhaps?

muslims dont kill each other in India so guess they will be fine... just dont tease the bloody jats...

Strange isn't it? Out of all the Muslim countries in the world, they can only live peacefully with each other under a secular government.

 

[Hindustani78]

Convert to anything but deobandi \ wahabi

Distance between Meerut and Deoband 83 kms and Distance between Meeut and Bareilly 206 kms.

 

[livingdead]

Strange isn't it? Out of all the Muslim countries in the world, they can only live peacefully with each other under a secular government.

hmm.. having a bigger enemy helps... were we not living 'peacefully' under british raj?

 

[Green Arrow]

A good way to blackmail the govt

 

[Pakistani E]

hmm.. having a bigger enemy helps... were we not living 'peacefully' under british raj?

Although I understand this angle, I was actually referring to the will of the state to enforce law and order on the population. In other countries, like Pakistan for example, the state becomes bias to one sect over another and acts reluctantly when challenged by their respective darlings. India on the other hand, has no reason to be biased towards one sect over another.

And there has been sectarian violence in India, I remember Ahmadi mosques being attacked in Hyderabad but police was quick to quell the riots and imprison the trouble makers.