Author: Swati Das
Publication: The Times of India
Date: December 7, 2002
Challenging the Tamil Nadu government
legislation banning forceful conversion, Dalit groups had proposed a mass
conversion of 3,000 people on Friday morning. But the much-publicised programme
turned out to be a damp squib as only 40 changed their religion to Buddhism
and Christianity.
Even as TN governor PS. Rama Mohan
Rao gave his assent to the piece of legislation earlier this week, Dalit
Panthers of India leader R. Thirumavallavan (DPI) announced the mass conversion
in Selaiyur in the southern suburbs of Chennai. He had quoted 2,000 persons
converting to Buddhism and 1,000 to Christianity on the 46th death anniversary
of Dr B. R. Ambedkar (December 6). The event was mooted by Dalit intellectual
Kancha Illiah.
A wedding invitation was printed
which claimed that Dalits from all over TN would "enmasse embrace non-casteist
faiths". A pandal was erected in front of the Pentecostal Church on Velacheri
Main Road at Kamarajapuram in Selaiyr (East Thambaram). But on Friday morning
when the people arrived there, there were only 40 instead of 3,000 who
wanted to get converted.
Though the function was to begin
at 10 a.m., it was delayed by almost two hours, as Thirumavallavan had
not arrived. After 11.30, the function began with Illiah and All-India
Confederation of SC/ST Organisations chairman Udit Raj addressing the gathering.
Four persons, two women and two
men, were symbolically converted to Christianity by a bishop from Rajastan
who washed their feet on the dais. The, rest, who converted to Buddhism,
repeated a pledge read out by a Buddhist Sena leader.
