Author: Ramu Bhagwat, Times News
Network
Publication: The Times of India
Dated: October 15, 2002
Nagpur: RSS chief K S Sudarshan
on Sunday defended the ordinance brought out by the Tamil Nadu government
banning conversions by force or allurement. He also recommended a law on
the same lines for the whole country.
The sarsanghachalak even dared Tamil
Nadu archbishop to carry out his threat closing down of all missionary-run
schools in the state if the Jayalalithaa government did not revoke the
ordinance: "let him do that, we will manage the schools, " Mr. Sudarshan
countered. "If the Church leaders claim they never use force or allurement
for conversions, then they have nothing to worry from the law", the Sangh
chief added.
Referring to the recent conversion
of some Sikhs to Christianity at Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, he said the Sikh
member in the National Minority Commission had strongly objected to the
act. "It is the feeling that their religion is supreme that gives birth
to the idea of conversion. If Christians or Muslims begin to accept that
other religions can also help mankind to attain moksh or nirvana and show
tolerance to other faiths, then they will never think of conversion", Mr.
Sudarshan stressed. He urged Muslims to adapt to the changing times and
to take the correct course shown by the Prophet. " Some countries like
Egypt and Malaysia have adopted the interpretations of Koran suited to
the times, but some other countries have not done so. That is the reason
why AI Qaida and Taliban who claim to be followers of Koran go by the wrong
interpretations and resort to in-human violence and fundamentalism.
Criticising the Union government's
economic policies, which were based on western model that was capital-intensive,
high energy consuming, promoting pollution and un-employment, Mr. Sudarshan
said 10 croroe jobless in the country were easy prey for conversion.
The RSS chief was addressing a 10,000-strong
gathering of swayamsewaks, who gathered for the annual Sangh rally for
Sahstrapuja. Meanwhile, the RSS slammed the Karnataka government for defying
the apex court order on the release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu.
Senior RSS leader M G Vaidya wondered
whether Karnataka would have taken a similar stand had there been 'a Congress-led
government in Tamil Nadu or if Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa had
not raised the issue of foreign origin of AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
In an article in RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, he said there was already a
system in place for resolution of inter-state disputes through the apex
court.
