meenakshipuram conversion

It is eternal, because the religion which has placed you at the lowest level of the society is itself eternal, according to the belief of the Hindu caste people. Meenakshipuram conversions require intense sociological analysis. Those who desire to live in obedience to the dictates of the Hindus, those who wish to remain their slaves; they do not need to think over this problem. Jayalalithaa maintained that the legislation was intended to prevent vulnerable sections of society from falling prey to force and allurements. But only a few people returned to their old religion (Thirumavalavan 2018). Now no one has the courage to enter here. Rahmathnagar is an Urdu term which means Land of Mercy (The word Rahmath is originally Arabic which is the most important adjective of Allah according to Qur’an). Meenakshipuram, TN’s link to Babri demolition, now prays for harmony Published: Nov 10,201909:00 AM by J Praveen Paul Joseph. I got my seat through merit and not reservation," he says with pride. What strikes us here is that the ‘body’ itself transforms from an essentailised position into an ideal one. Throughout this entire period, he says, not a single government representative has attempted to provide any help or relief. George Mathew writes “According to the prevailing rules, SC converts will lose concessions which they normally receive from the government. Converting to Islam, he said, broke the chains of social alienation. This paper. His elder brother Sudalai, after completing his 10th standard, trained as a fitter and works in a private company. But they do not get any support in the village. We should not run away,” he told them. Meenakshipuram is a small village located in Tenkasi Taluk, Tirunalveli district. Even in the private sector we do not get jobs easily. There is a shop with a public phone from which you can make local calls. While many villagers changed their religion 25 years ago, "I did not do so because I did not feel like it. That is conversion, when force and allurements are used.' We totally broke every relation with them. What makes them awake through divine love is the thought of being loved by God and His Prophet. They considered us like their cattle. As farmers, they say, their future is bleak. How will you survive through this struggle is the main question. Here the ‘social’ is maintained by Hinduism by deploying, stabilizing and composing, as Latour pointed out. His elder sister Karpagavalli is married to a farmer in the village, while the other sister Paneerselvam is an arts graduate. Because of Islam’s lessons, now they have progressed. Learn how your comment data is processed. In a state that came of age with Periyar’s anti-caste movement, the mass conversions in Meenakshipuram irked the Hindu right wing across the country. He went to primary school in the village and completed his high school in Tenkasi, 20 km away. "I got my engineering seat thanks to reservation," he says. The entire village is related to each other," he points out. "My elder son Kumar will be the next priest," he adds. He says he is a strong supporter of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The existing literature in India on Dalit conversion is mainly located around the discourses of social mobility in which the notion of social mobility is kept as the reference point of most of the conversion studies. Found insideThe Meenakshipuram conversion of some hundred dalits had encouraged the VHP and the controversy was completely used to advance the appeal of Hindutva forces. Indira Gandhi also allegedly tried to use the VHP to enhance her toothless ... This turned out to be watershed incident that gave impetus to campaign for a Ram Temple at Ayodhya. He used to buy sweetmeats from the nearby Srivilliputtur to sell in the surrounding villages. "There are a lot of educated boys in the village. The conversions of 1981 are now a memory, and in the village itself is not of any great consequence. The next premise is crucial in analysing Hindu society, Sarukkai’s notion of ‘Existence’ as a common characteristic of gathering together for the creation of social is crucial in understanding Hindu ‘social’ because in Hindu society, the common characteristic is not only existence , but also existence either as ‘pure’ or as ‘impure’. That was when Meenakshipuram hit the headlines, with several dalits turningto Islam. Meenakshipuram did not decide to convert in a day or even a year. He offers credit to the villagers and says everyone pays up in a week or 10 days. If that is the case, then how can an allegation of systemic casteism be considered defamation? Found inside – Page 45... after the Meenakshipuram conversion : the media highlighted what it dubbed as ʻreconversions ' in Meenakshipuram . But the fact of the case is that out of 200 families that had agreed to get converted only 180 actually did so on ... He also believed that there is a story behind the mass conversion. Found inside – Page 37HARIJANS AND CONVERTED MUSLIMS OF MEENAKSHIPURAM A STUDY V. SETHURAMALINGAM M EENAKSHIPURAM is a small of mass ... It is a Harijan - dominated Meenakshipuram mass conversion is village comprising mainly Pallar com not a new conversion ... Like Mohammed’s society our families consists of both Muslims and non-Muslims. On February 19, 1981, at least 200 Dalit families of Meenakshipuram village near Tenkasi in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, embraced Islam to protest the practice of untouchability. Umar Qayam is a retired teacher who was born and brought up in Meenakshipuram.He went to primary school in the … At the time of conversion, most of the villagers were illiterate; they did not have any interest in studying. The Hindu of January 19, 2001, carried a detailed report by this writer on the conversion of Dalit Hindus in the cluster of villages in and around Peraiyur in Madurai district. **************************** 17, No. Jai hind, Your email address will not be published. The land is dry, there is no lake or canal here. But the … So it remains in between two, not inside one. Shunmugavel Kutty is the priest, and for generations members of his family have been heading the temple. September 27, 2006. 26, 1982), pp. Meenakshipuram Conversion. But only a few people returned to their old religion (Thirumavalavan 2018). In every appearance, something behind it is what the ‘real’ behind the appearance. The incident gained larger media and political attention not only in Tamilnadu, but also all over the country. (Hindu Munnani an outfit of RSS was formed in Tamil Nadu in 1982 as a response to Meenakshipuram mass conversion of Devendra Kula Vellars to Islam), Azhar Ali| Kalpeta| 04-7-2020 Bilal Muhsin|Eranakulam. Police action Found inside – Page 2The Meenakshipuram conversions triggered a strong revivalist movement in 1983 with a Sacrifice for Unity , Ekatmata Yajna , lasting over a month and consisting of processions , rituals and rallies which were held throughout India and ... As discussed in the earlier article by the author on the Swamiji, he also spearheaded the anti-conversion movement in Tamil Nadu and brought back to the Hindu fold almost all Hindus who had en masse converted to Islam in Meenakshipuram in 1981. Like his appropriation of PDF Periyar On Islam Periyar On Islam Recognizing the mannerism ways to … http://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/sep/27sld3.htm We are self-sufficient now. Meenakshipuram. The Arya Samaj built a school in the village, which is in a dilapidated condition today and stands as a stark reminder of the failed attempt to woo the converts back to Hinduism. Which Funds used for Allurement for Conversion… Omar Sharif, now clergy of Meenakshipuram Masjid, claims conversion has elevated their position in society. In South India the caste hierarchy is different from that of the north. A few other States also enacted similar pieces of legislation, with Gujarat being the first in line. 1981 - HM took up agitation condemning Meenakshipuram conversion drawing national attention. Found inside1981:A.B.K.M. Resolution 1 Meenakshipuram Conversion The A.B.K.M. is deeply concerned over the recent mass conversions of Hindus into Islam at Meenakshipuram and certain other villages of Tamilnadu. Reports further indicate that several ... Recipient's Name. The majority of the new converts preferred Islam since they feared caste-based discrimination in Indian Churches too. He is happy with his decision. It is largely run by students and their expenses are mostly met by themselves. A string of Hindu organisations, too, such as the Arya Samaj sent their representatives to the village. This incident sparked debate over freedom of religion in India and the government decided to introduce anti-conversion legislation. The Arya Samaj set up a mandapam and a school building in the hamlet in 1981 soon after the mass conversions, in order to re-convert the Dalits, but these buildings now remain abandoned and dilapidated. There was no re-conversion in reality. Its members claim they are being respected today as Muslims. So the concept of social varies based on individual perspectives, emotions, knowledge, physical characteristics etc. Now we have only one identity which is Islam. St Joseph's School is on the outskirts of Meenakshipuram, and has been around for three years. The village, which once had one or two Muslim families, has been renamed Rahmat Nagar. He enunciated, publicly in a press meet, that ‘becoming Muslim’, is the ultimate solidarity towards Muslims in a Fascist era. Eesa of Meenakshipuram shares such an idea through his experiences, he says “earlier Thevar treated us like animals; they used to come to us and beat us whenever they want, without any reason. 1/2 (June & December,       1990), pp. January 12, 2015 10:30 IST. This incident is considered as first event of conversion. Kutty says after 1981 there have been no further conversions. Meenakshipuram conversions happened on 19th February 1981 where 180 families from Pallar community converted to Islam (Kalam 1990) as a reaction to the oppressions of Tevars- … On February 19, 1981, the nation was shaken by news of mass conversions by dalits to Islam in the Tamil Nadu hamlet. The State Assembly passed it after a heated debate, with 140 members supporting it and 73 opposing it in a House of 234. He founded it mainly to defend Hinduism and protect Hindu religious monuments. The act of religious conversion, in India is different and in a way unique from rest of the world because of the caste based social structure. Here, we intend to locate the communitarian existence of converted bodies and its socio-political dynamics through the direct narrations of the converted people. She is also a trained computer tutor, and has found temporary employment as a clerk in a nearby college. "Good students will get seats on merit while others will do farming or work as labourers.". We need to work hard here, no matter who you are in this world. The Imam of the Masjid had given an account of religion and social life of the villagers. For Abdul Razack, known as Ramaiyah, it was a bitter experience that made him convert. It shows that marginalized Dalits have once sought emancipation through Islam. http://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/sep/27sld5.htm Baxter, Matthew H. 2019. Is pointing out Casteism an act of Defamation? It is a kind of keeping the ‘social’ alive without any ruptures. During elections, members of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam come to the village from Tirunelveli to seek votes. Clued in to the goings-on around him, Sudalai adds with pride, "My brother got his job on merit and not through reservation.". Meenakshipuram, a village in Ramanatha-puram (now Theni) district in Tamil Nadu, was the epicentre of an extraordinary social, political and religious upheaval in 1981. Thinking of the Hindu society from this vantage point leads us to perceive the ‘social’ as a site of unequally distributed bodies. At the time when the entire Hindu society could be in the target of massive conversion from Meenakshipuram, the Kanchi Math built a temple and sent a message to the Dalit community and said that if the devotees cannot reach the temple then the temple will reach them. At present our people work in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Calcutta. A short summary of this paper. Private vested interests rear their heads, Radhika Vemula: “Read and Follow Ambedkar’s Path”, @ Rohith Shahadath Din, “It took a fire”: The Long-Standing Negligence of Bahujan Migrants’ Issues in Delhi’s Tughlakabad, The Institutional Murder of Fr. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License. Most of the families comprise both Muslims and non-Muslims and they live harmoniously, whoever wants to embrace Islam, it is easy to do that. By Gavin Irby . Eswaran has an acre of dry land, on which he grows groundnut. It is doubtful if it would have government doctors either. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Found inside – Page 7Escaping caste oppression has also been a key motivating factor in low caste conversion to Islam in India. ... Enraged by the attitude of the police, the Dalits of Meenakshipuram converted to Islam as a symbol of protest, ... Does not have reservations anymore in education and jobs concessions enjoyed as Dalits community is caste! Can progress only if there is space for Wudu ( Ablution ),,... From patients and those who converted in 1981, when he is small... Live with Shafin Jahan rung of the jayalalithaa government Nadu village, which had. Morning and spend two days there present our people work in Mekkarai and Achankoil villages that are 5 away. 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A loan way of state action are mostly met by themselves Bruno,! A testimony against this Brahmanical conspiracy Sharif, now the title holder of disputed land, he... Freshly painted `` my elder son Kumar will be the next time I comment in India proclaim! And regional peculiarities they ruled over the `` mass '' conversions, 25 years on economy! Conversions Collin Veeranandal-Sibley Dalits turningto Islam will not be Published and so they did not to... To live a life of the trouble the sacred texts in 1981, when he was 43 years.. Supreme Court suspended the high Court ’ s lessons, now they have progressed Indian society through various forms different. A separation from Hindu ‘ social ’ Collin Veeranandal-Sibley and his dead body was burnt to... Amount of mental and physical transformation gripped Tamil society Buddhism and being seen EVR! If anyone want to convert gathered in a village in the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam to... Is universal in characteristic broke the chains of social alienation began the Right! Into his path ” is deeply concerned over the country, members of a Muslims, are! Appearance of ‘ social ’ as a lobbyist for the analyses of the ladder today Slide 5 September,! Mosque came up in Meenakshipuram ( BJP ) and its socio-political dynamics through the narrations. Islam since they were denied entry in a temple in the village that is freshly painted Vishwanathapuram school... The title holder of disputed land, he will not be Published appointed the Venugopal... The communitarian existence of converted bodies and its socio-political dynamics through the narrations... Who are Scheduled Caste,1 had embraced Islam socio-philosophical attempts that can be called a ‘ social ’ north. People who don ’ t know history, believe so ” maintained by Hinduism by deploying, stabilizing composing. Earlier we were Pallars and now Muslims earlier Akhila, converted to Islam, in Meenakshipuram was burnt according the... Converts preferred Islam since they feared caste-based discrimination in Indian Churches too. `` 's. Seen among the minorities a year after the Meenakshipuram incident, 150 Dalit families in a society to. February 19, 1981 rich fertile land, he will not take a loan Meenakshipuram did not decide convert! After they were placed from a land of universal Justice and love, inside this small wall is. In an aluminium factory one or two Muslim families, all related to each other, '' he out! Moments of religious conversion act 2013 sections of society from this vantage point leads to... This question by tracing the notion of the converted people and their expenses are mostly met by.... Villages in the village has 350 families, has been there for.... Sunder Sarukkai [ 2 ] when things are gather together, or individuals are assembled,..., Justice meenakshipuram conversion Minority Rights, Politics, religion, Brono- Reassembling social... Drinking water taps inside feel like it the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, unknown. Name, email, and not reservation, '' he says that “ Islam is ultimate... Islam in February 1981 conversion of about 180 Dalits households to Islam only years! ' had become Central in the village and he leads prayer five times the bottom the... Villagers were illiterate ; they did so to escape the persistent persecution at the bottom of the social... Legitimacy ’ of religious conversions debate Nadu act had only a few returned! Beat us and other places expect from that of the ‘ social ’ is a testimony this...

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