Ghar Wapsi

Ghar Wapsi (Hindi, meaning "Returning Home") is the programme of religious conversion to Hinduism (and, to a lesser extent, Sikhism) from Islam, Christianity, and other religions in India conducted by Indian Hindu nationalist organisations Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and their allies. The term owes to the Hindu nationalist ideology that all people of India are ancestrally Hindu and, hence, conversion to Hinduism is one of "returning home" to their ancestral roots.[1][2][3]

The programme became a subject of public discussion in 2014.[4][5][6] The Bharatiya Janata Party's Yogi Adityanath has claimed this campaign would continue unless conversions to other religions are banned altogether in the country.[7] According to proponents of Hindutva, such as Sangh Parivar, the process is called "reconversion" of Christians and Muslims who were previously converted.[8] The process is viewed as Shuddhi or "purification" rather than conversion, since they state, through Ghar Wapsi, people from the other religions are returning to their "true" religion.[9]

The Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh organised several Ghar Wapsi events in Telangana,[10] Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Goa.[11][12] The Indian Express reported that Scheduled Caste Manjhi families demanded better facilities along with education and healthcare before they converted.[13]

In a Supreme Court judgment, the judges ruled that reconversion to Hinduism will not prevent a person from accessing quota benefits and adopt the caste of his forefathers. The bench further held that the "Scheduled Caste persons belonging to Hindu religion, who had embraced Christianity with some kind of hope or aspiration, have remained socially, educationally and economically backward."[14]

  1. ^ Rajeswar, Yashasvini; Amore, Roy C. (2019). "Coming Home (Ghar Wapsi) and Going Away: Politics and the Mass Conversion Controversy in India". Religions. 10 (5): 313–. doi:10.3390/rel10050313.
  2. ^ Janardhanan, Arun (31 January 2015). "First 'ghar wapsi' in Tamil Nadu, 18 Dalit Christians 're-converted'". Indian Express. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  3. ^ "In Punjab, Sangh works for 'return' to Sikhism as well; SAD fumes". The Indian Express. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Ghar Wapsi continues in Kerala; 58 more embrace Hinduism". Rediff News. No. 25 December 2014. 25 December 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  5. ^ "'Ghar wapsi' only way to end terror says BJP leader". Hindustan Times. 25 December 2014. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  6. ^ Khan, Arshad Afzal (24 December 2014). "VHP to hold 'ghar wapsi' for 4,000 Muslims in Ayodhya in January". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Ghar wapsi to continue till conversions are banned: Adityanath". The Hindu. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  8. ^ Katju 2015, pp. 21–22.
  9. ^ Vijayan & Gabriel 2015, p. 23.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference deccan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Ramavarman, T. (25 December 2014). "VHP plans 'ghar wapsi' in 5 Kerala districts today". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  12. ^ IANS (28 December 2014). "RSS to Facilitate 'Ghar Wapsi' of Goan Catholics". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  13. ^ "Education, healthcare before ghar wapsi". The Indian Express. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  14. ^ "SC ruling on reconversion: It's a stamp of approval for ghar wapsi, says VHP". Firstpost. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2017.