Ghar Wapsi not conversion

Hyderabad: Demanding a legislation to ban religious conversions, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday said "Ghar Wapsi" could not be termed as conversion. A joint meeting of central board of trustees and management committee, the highest decision making body of the VHP, which met here passed a resolution demanding that the government make a legislation banning conversions.

Briefing newsmen of the decisions taken at the two-day meeting which concluded here on Monday, VHP international working president Praveen Togadia said they opposed conversions but believe in “Home Coming”. He appealed to all Muslims and Christians in India to come back to "original fold", saying their ancestors were all Hindus who got converted due to persecution or allurements.

Vowing not to allow conversion of Hindus, Togadia said the Constitution was against conversions and that the Supreme Court has also made this clear in 1977. “The Supreme Court has also given a judgment that Hinduism is way of life,” Togadia said. “If a person adopts western, Chinese or Japanese way of life, it can’t be called religious conversions. Similarly, if a group becomes Hindu and adopts Hindu way of life, it can’t be called conversion,” he argued.

“Ghar Wapsi is different. We are in favour of it. All Muslims and Christians living in India are children of those who got converted after sixth century,” he added. Togadia claimed that Ghar Wapsi was going on in the country for 700 years and hence there was nothing new in it. “It is not against Constitution or law. They have a right to make a home coming,” he said. The VHP leader also disagreed that Ghar Wapsi will affect the process of development of the country. He denied that Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposed Ghar Wapsi. The VHP leader also appealed to Hindus to forge unity and end untouchability.