The word “Secular” is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as ‘not concerned with religion,’ and that’s exactly what the Hindus did for the longest time. They chose to not be concerned with their own religion their own language and their history. They did not aggressively promote or propagate religion in their families, and communities, instead accommodated and included people of all beliefs in their systems, and festivities. On the face of it, we will term this as a very kind and human approach toward people around us for co-existence. But the end result is not that pleasing. In the bargain of being liberal, modern and secular, Hindus never made rituals mandatory for their children. To go hand in hand with globalization, gave prominence to the English language and did not bother to emphasise teaching the mother tongue All other religions are very fanatic and strict about their practices, scriptures and religion all throughout. But the Hindus were the only ones who preferred being secular. The younger Hindu generation now is adaptive and ultra-secular to such an extent that they do not realise it could lead to losing their identity, freedom and their country. Being kind and adjusting to everything is really good, but not at the cost of identity and life.
The recent incident at the Sunday Street at Marine Drive on 16 th April 2023 is a reflection of how subtle religious influencing is a type of bullying that still exists in a forward urban city like Mumbai. Like every Sunday Street day, many youngsters gathered at Marine Drive for strolls, conversations and various activities that make that place lively on the weekends. This street becomes very crowded and lively at these times. There were a few girls wearing hijab sitting there, holding a placard that said “Would you like to try the modest fashion?” Under the pretext of modest fashion, the women were calling Hindu girls and making them wear hijabs, calling it a demonstration of the modest fashion that they were promoting. The overly world- trained Hindu girls were kind enough to try the hijabs. If it was vice versa and if Hindu girls were promoting “Saffron dupattas” the Muslim girls would never have bothered to even go close by. Think about it. This is not just scary but questioning the whole sanctity of our faith in our own teachings and the secularism that we have been blowing hard for ages. Aren’t all supposed to be secular and mind their own religion and business? Why are only Hindus expected to be secular all the time? Why cant there be equal freedom to all? Will Shiv Sena, BJP, Raj Thackeray or Uddhav Thackeray have anything to say about this? Everybody including the Government is silent about these subtle conversion activities that are seeping into the schools, colleges and mindsets of the young ones. We are not talking about Mumbra, Dongri or Malvani; This is Marine Drive. Here we hold debates if love jihad exists or not and if conversion is a problem or not, while conversions are happening, increasing and not put into order by any authority. We all know this is happening but there is nothing that is being done. There are several people who are instrumental in converting the masses and later deny doing such a thing. We need anti-conversion laws in place to save people from going through this kind of turmoil.
On January 12, 2023, the alarming news that more than 200 Hindus are being converted there each year came out of Daund, Maharashtra. Hindu homes in Daund said that Muslim teenagers are paid Rs. 5 lakhs to convert Hindu females and that they are compelled to live in fear. Local Muslims also forcibly circumcise the Hindu spouses of Muslim women. Times Now reported this and said that while the police provide little assistance, the political establishment, including MPs, supports the forced conversion proposals. It is supposedly done to convert Hindu men by luring them into honey traps. Every year, more than 100 men in the area are coerced into becoming circumcised. Hindu victim girl: “I thought that since he is a Hindu boy, my family would welcome him and there wouldn’t be any issues. But at that point, when the court paperwork was in front of me, I learned that the boy was Muslim. I asked him how he dared to commit this deception against me since I was startled. However, he was accompanied by unidentified friends. I am a girl who is dependent. He promised to look for my family as well. Then he explained the entire plan to me.”
A local said, “Here, between 100 and 200 individuals get converted annually. The majority of them are female. When it occurs, they are just 17 or 18 years old. When these individuals brainwash kids, some of them will be in college. They talk about getting married, but when these females give birth, their marriages fail, and they are left alone and divorced. Then they prepare for their second marriage.”
Hindus are hesitant to speak out because the perpetrators of the forced conversions abuse and threaten the girls. Even when they eve-tease these young girls in public, no one is able to report them. No one is prepared to speak up because every politician present supports these men. People are too afraid to even bring up the subject. The Muslim teenager receives approximately Rs 5 lakhs from the community if a Hindu girl marries a Muslim boy. These actions are being carried out by a few persons. They go by the names Farooq, Kumel, Ashib, and Farhaan Qureshi. Nobody criticises them or uses their names. Another citizen of Daund spoke up and claimed that he had been forcibly circumcised and forced to convert to Islam after marrying a Muslim woman, despite their desire to live as an interfaith couple. They restrained him and began using a mobile to shoot footage, he claimed. His legs were grabbed by Kamel Qureshi, while Asif Sheikh gripped his arms. They then requested that a doctor begin the procedure. They later abandoned him bleeding on the ground. Additionally, according to his wife, Kamel Qureshi threatened to kill him if he didn’t convert. Notably, Kamel Qureshi, also known as Haji Saheb, is currently detained. He is regarded as the brains behind these coercive conversions occurring in Daund, Maharashtra. His arrest occurred as a result of forced circumcision and conversion. On one occasion, Asif Sheikh and Kamel Kureshi broke into one victim’s home in the Kumbhargalli neighbourhood of Daund while bringing a Muslim doctor with them. Before they forcefully circumcised the victim and converted him to Islam, they threw out the victim’s wife and daughters.
In some places it’s lethal and violent, in some places it's subtle and sugar-coated. Whatever the style, CONVERSION and promotion happen on daily basis and is an important issue that Maharashtra Government needs to look into. All those who have been screaming out the songs of secularism are answerable for where we have reached today. Is it fair? And If it has reached Marine Drive in Mumbai now, It can surely reach your doorstep soon.
