Historical background:
The growth of communalism in India is relatively a recent development. Conversion emerged as a consequence ol’ emergence of modem politics, which marked a sharp break with the politics of medical or pre 1857 period. Traditionally Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs constituted three important religious communities in India. Throughout in the Indian history, Hindu-Muslims and Hindu-Sikhs lived as good neighbours and maintained cordial relations, even though restrictions on communality and intermarriage did exist between Hindus and Muslims. They did not come in the way of co-operation for common economic, political, or social objectives- However, the situation started changing after 1857. The defeat of the mutineers and establishment of British rule in India was disastrous blow to the positions of Muslims in the country. They lost the privileged of ruling class and rapidly fall into poverty and backwardness. The deliberate British policy of discriminating Muslims hastened their decline. On the other hand the growth of education and new opportunities in bureaucracy, trade and commerce benefited the Hindus. They received modem education and were preferred by the British in govt employment and Muslims were deliberately excluded.
However, towards the end of the 19th century the policy of British towards Muslim changed fearing the ruling tide of Indians, especially after the formation of Indian National Congress the British adopted the policy of encouraging Muslim communalism as a counterweight to Indian nationalism. Thus the further growth of Hindus and Muslim communalism were to a large extent was policy of deliberate and rule followed by British. As Mohan Gandhi declared in II round table conference, the problem of communalism was coevil with the British advent. Mr. Beck, the first principal of Sir Syyed College of Aligarh played an important role in creating a sense of distrust and fear of Hindu majority in the minds of Muslim leaders. He was also instrumental in the establishment of Mohammedan Anglo Oriental Defence Association in 1893. At the same time the British got Bengal divided on communal lines. H.H. Risley and Ibbeston played a key role in the partition of Bengal.
In 1909 Lord Minto encouraged some of the Muslims leaders to demand separate electorates during 1930s. The British fanned communal flames between Hindu moneylenders and Muslin debtors. In course of time deliberate communal organisation have come into organisation among Hindus and Muslims. The first All India Muslim League was founded in 1907 under the leadership of Zamindars, ex-bureaucrats. Upper class Muslims like Agha Khan, the nawab of Decca and nawab Mohsur-ul-mulk. The Hindus as well as Muslim communalists tried to create psychological fear among Muslims and Hindus. At about that time the first session of All India Hindu Maha Sabha was held in 1915, but this was retaliated by Muslim Tanjeem and Tabligh. Communalism remained a restrained and moderate phenomenon till 1937 when it started assuming a virulent and extremist form. The election of 1937 showed that majority of both Hindu and Muslim masses were non-communal and did not extend their support to either Hindu Maha Sabha or Muslim League. Failure to secure mass support, the communalists drove them to extremist positions. This was partly to preempt the congress programme of a massive campaign among Muslim masses known as “Muslim mass contact programme.” In this context Jinnah openly advocated the need for creation of Pakistan to save Islam from complete extinction in this country. This Muslim communalists launched a vicious campaign against the nationalist Muslim namely Moulana Abdul Kalam Azam and Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan. The nationalist Muslims were branded as “show boys of congress” and “traitors to Islam” and “annihilators of Marshal Pathans.” On Hindu side K.D. Savarkar and M.S. Gowarkar fanned communal flames. IN August 1946, 5000 people lost their lives in Calcutta in five days. Muslims in Bihar were butchered, everywhere in Merrut, Delhi, Moradabad, Aligarh, and Ahmedabad so on orchestrated butchery took place. The new face of communalism has shown itself in the growth of separatist movement among the Sikhs leading to continuing terrorist violence over several places in Punjab. The partition of India into two countries and then formation of East Pakistan into separate country with the support of India to Bangladesh, frequent wars between India and Pakistan has shown the blaze of suspicion and riots in several states in India. The politicisation of Ramajanma Bhumi verses Babri Masjid, issue on the policy of reservation for backward classes also created psychosis amongst the Muslims.
Present Position:
For a number of centuries in India no one heard about conversion into Hinduism, since their was no recognised practices of conversion in Hinduism as in other religions. If and as and when different ethnic or alien groups were absorbed into the Hindu fold the process was always spread over generations. After foreigners settled in India and gradually accepted the habits, practices and values they come to be absorbed into the Hindu fold with the help of the Jyothi structure. Most of the tribal groups were absorbed into caste hierarchy, became Hindu and also carried out the attempts to Sanskritize without even being converted to Hinduism by any agency or otherwise. N.K.Bose in an Article entitled “Hindu method of tribal association” states that “village Hinduism never made any attempt to convert tribals. Except perhaps of the concept of Shuchi in Arya Samaj. Hinduism as a whole does not prescribe either institutional or other method for converting people to its faith. An example of Hindu method of absorbing the tribals is that of Juangs in Orissa, mainly because of economic problem one section of Juangs took to agriculture as a main occupation in a Hindu village. Since in most of the areas, agriculture existed as a caste free occupation. It was not difficult to get a place in village society. Once the Juangs began to live with caste Hindu they realised that they were evaluated in the caste hierarchy on the basis of occupation and habits.
Their occupation was non-pollution but the tribal habit of eating beaf and offering liquor to deities brought them a low status. Thus Juans gradually started abandoning the nonsanskritic habits of tribe and adopted Hindu traits there by beginning the Hinduization of Juangs. No agency or group, after incorporating Hindu traits, the ritual idioms of superior caste the process would be called Sanskritization. Absorption of Juangs in the Hindu hierarchy shows that – a pluralistic tolerant, all pervasive and synchronic religion. Engulfs small tribal communities without any institutionalised attempts of conversion. The recent state of Harijan conversions to Islam mainly in South India has great importance represent a challenge and an opportunity to Hinduism. Meenakshipuram made dramatic entries in the Hindu consciousness like a ‘dam burst’. Meenakshipuram is a symbol of Harijan guest for equality, not a Muslim challenge to Hindu India. Meenakshipuram is a village in Tanjore district. They were getting inhuman treatment from the upper caste Hindus. In order to escape from this ill treatment they simply embraced Islam under the influence of Muslim leader. They have done this for two reasons
- (1) They wanted to have fair treatment from other members of Indian society.
- (2) Secondly they wanted to improve their economic opportunities, in order to get better opportunities in Gulf countries, they wanted to embrace Islam.
In fact in South India according to figures of 1982, more than 2000 people converted to Islam “between” Feb 1981 to Jan 1982. In Meenakshipuram alone out of 180 houses hold 110-embraced Islam. Thus denouncing the lower caste states.
According to a report of 1984, in Ramanthapuram 950 families belonging to 10 villages accepted Islam. It could have been a concomitant factor but the causes of these conversions line in socio-political reasons. Change of religion is not a disease but it is the symptom of a deeper malaise, which Indian society will ignore at its peril unless this malaise is curd urgently the integrity of Indian society will be in danger.