A Dark day in Hindu History – Meenakshipuram to Rahmat Nagar in a single night

Speak of controversial religious conversions and the storm raked up at the forcible religious conversion to Islam in the quiet village of Meenakshipuram, Tamil Nadu come fleeting into mind. The enquiry commission constituted by the government there after – Justice Venugopal Commission and the subsequent report are matters of extreme relevance. The Commission had recommended a ban on religious conversions in the country.
 
Meenakshipuram conversion episode is one of the most bizarre instances in independent India, where over 800 Hindu Dalits were forced Islam down their throat, in a single day, in a single stroke. All this, using the most devious and manipulative propaganda, of Kali worshipers being nothing but demons. The Islamic Jihadists played their game well. They succeeded in instilling in the minds of the Dalits, a deep sense of belittlement the cultural beliefs they were adhering to and following customarily. And finally, came up the use of money power and a display of muscle strength, to which the entire village had to bow low. But the loss remains unexplained for the Hindu community. They lost 800 of their brethren. This is the story of how Meenakshipuram became Rahmat Nagar on 19 February, 1981- an episode that shocked independent India.

Looking back at the event, it was an Islamic organization Isha Ad Ul Islam that was chiefly instrumental in converting scores of Hindus to Islam, in a single day’s stroke. The backing of Muslim representatives was of course prevalent.
 
 The event saw wide spread protests from Hindu organizations all over the country. Leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited the place. A large nation wide protest was called for by organizing the Virat Hindu Sammelan, which was attended by over 10 lakh Hindus. At the meet, subtle, covert plans of Muslims in resorting to small scale conversions in places like Ramanathapuram and Madhurai, came to light. The plans were abandoned following widespread resentment from Hindus. Following these protests from Hindu organizations, the Union government was forced to constitute Justice Venugopal Commission, which recommended that forcible conversions should be banned legally.
 
The report submitted then was scoffed at by those political parties, who have put on the garb of guardians of religion against the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ ceremony initiated to bring back to the Hindu fold, those who were forcibly converted. The shallowness of the resistance can be gauged from the fact that only a mere six Indian states implemented laws that contested forcible religious conversion. Those who encouraged conversion of Hindus to other religions are the same people and groups that oppose reconversion tooth and nail. They are the ones who reject and ignore the well articulated query of Hindu organizations to bring in strict Anti conversion laws.

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