'The Indianisation of our culture has to be done'

What is Hinduism? Who is a Hindu? As far as I understand with my limited knowledge, a Hindu may be a worshipper of an idol; a Hindu may deride an idol; a Hindu may be going to the temple everyday. A Hindu may not be going to the temple at all... A Hindu may be a believer; a Hindu may not be a believer. Yet the whole community is known as Hindu. Everything is known as Hindu. But things are changing.

It is mentioned in our scripture, in our holy book: "Truth is one and intelligent people express themselves in different ways". It is not confined to the Hindu religion alone. It is so encompassing the whole human kind.

There are many religions in this world. There are many religions that evolved from this part of the world. When China was bereft of any religion, it was craving for something through which they can hold upon the society, to rely upon. That time, Buddhism gave them the way.

I was told by one of my history professors, what is Christianity? It is but a distant drum of a rebel child of Hinduism. I may believe in that usage; I may not believe in that usage. But people have started interpreting the religious belief in such a way that suits their own conduct, that suits their own belief.

I would start by saying here, it was in late 1950s, perhaps in 1958 or 1959, maybe after 1959, a Bill was moved in the Odisha Assembly to restrict conversion. A large number of conversions were taking place, especially in the tribal areas of Odisha. It was a concern not only in Odisha but also in the undivided Madhya Pradesh, undivided Bihar, parts of Bengal and large parts of the north-east. But the attempt was first made in 1959, a Bill was moved. That was all part of history.

The Bill was passed by the Assembly but before it could get the assent from Rashtrapatiji (the President), the House fell. Subsequently, when another Government came, after 1967, it was the Swatantra Party and Orissa Jana Congress government, a coalition government, which had ousted the then Congress government, and had come to power. The first Bill, as far as I remember, was relating to stop religious conversion. That was passed by the House. But a Christian body went against that Act to the Odisha High Court and the court quashed that Act. Subsequently, it was in the 1970s when the Congress government was in power in Odisha, the government moved the Supreme Court. I am mentioning all this so that we can understand, cutting across party lines, how the anti-conversion idea has moved in this country.

During that period, a Bill was also moved in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, and both these Bills went to the Supreme Court. And very peculiarly, I would say, if I may use that word, the Supreme Court held up the Bill that was passed by the Odisha Assembly, and quashed the Bill that was passed in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. What did that Bill say? That Bill mentioned Article 25 of the Constitution. Article 25 says, right to freedom of religion.

While explaining it, free of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion. In sub-section 1, subject to public order - I would come to this aspect again and again - morality and health and to the other provisions of this part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience, and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion. This explains everything, everything in the sense that I am free to practice, to profess, and also to propagate.

What did the Supreme Court say? Yes, one is free; my freedom is limited till it touches your nose. I am free to wield my hand, but it should not hit the other person who is before me. My freedom is restricted to that point; if I hit him, I break the law. But when I profess, when I propagate, when I practice, if somebody else is hit, if somebody else is offended, if somebody else feels bad about it, then, public order is disturbed. What is 'public order'? Who is in charge of 'public order'? It is the state government.

The issue that we are discussing today, I think the Government of Uttar Pradesh is the right authority to determine whether public order has been destroyed or not been maintained. Of course, this House has the right to discuss all matters that are of greater importance for this country. It is not only confined to our country. The whole world also, who have interest in India, will be looking at it. In that respect, I would only say that proselytisation has taken place. Here, I remember a person who had moved from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, went to Manoharpur in the Keonjhar district of Odisha, had created an incident there in which two children and one Australian were burnt alive. The person was not from Odisha, he was from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. There were other incidents also that had occurred. There was a time in Odisha, I would say, when foreigners and those who wanted to preach a specific religion were not allowed to enter certain districts of Odisha, particularly the southern districts. Now that provision is not there, that has been withdrawn. At that time, when a discussion was taking place in our Assembly - I can mention this out of my memory - unanimously an opinion was created that if we are against proselytisation, against conversion and if somebody does not want this to happen - especially in the tribal-dominated areas where education was very less, health service was very poor, economic activities were not carried out during that time - why not other organisations of Hindu community go into those areas and do the work? At that time, Vanvasi Kalyan Samiti was created. A large number of people went into the tribal belt of Odisha and they have done work. I am also aware as to how the Ramakrishna Mission went into Arunachal Pradesh. Today, when someone goes to Arunachal Pradesh, the effect is, when you do namaskar or pranam, they will say: "Jai Hind". This is the nationalism that Ramakrishna Ashram has instilled in Arunachal Pradesh. But that has not happened in other parts of north-east. The Indianisation of our culture, of our philosophy has to be done. It should not be only done by the government or the party that is in power in the Centre. It has to be done by all the political parties that want to serve this country.

---

Edited excerpts from Biju Janata Dal MP Bhartruhari Mahtab's address in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on religious conversion, December 11