Mahatma Gandhi had strong
views on religious conversion. He believed all religions were equal and
therefore the need to switch from one to other religion was seldom justified,
especially in the then prevailing Indian scenario, where he believed the Christian
missionaries were indulging in proselytizing in the name of humanitarian aid.
Gandhi held the belief that "religion
was not like house or cloak which can be changed at will".
He used to say that he was
not against conversion when it was in its purest form, driven by heart's urge
for higher purposes like peace and spirituality. His eldest son Harilal had
converted to Islam in May 1936. Gandhiji condemned it saying Harilal's decision
was based on greed and sensual pleasures and he could never be a true follower
of Islam.
"I just read in the
paper about Harilal's exploit. There could be no harm in his being converted to
Islam with understanding and selfless motives. But he suffers from greed for
wealth and sensual pleasures. I shall be spared all mental pain if I find my
impression wrong and he turns a new leaf," he wrote in a letter to his
other son Ramlal. And indeed Harilal was driven by lesser motives as proved by
his reconversion to the Hinduism fold just five months later.
He would say time and again
that how happy he would be had the Christian missionaries be content with the
humanitarian aspect of their work only and not in increasing the count of
Christians. Following are views expressed by Mahatma Gandhi from time to time on
religious conversion being performed by the Christian missionaries as available
on www.mkgandhi.org.
WHEN GANDHIJI WAS ASKED BY
CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES, WHETHER HE WOULD ALLOW CHRISTIANS TO CONTINUE WITH
THEIR CONVERSION ACTIVITY WITHOUT ANY HINDRANCE, GANDHIJI REPLIED (YOUNG INDIA
27-10-20.)
"(And) if a change of
religion could be justified for worldly betterment, I would advise it without
hesitation. But religion is matter of heart. No physical inconvenience can warrant
abandonment of one's own religion."
GANDHIJI'S VIEWS FROM BIHAR
NOTES (8-10-1925) INDICATE THAT:
"Christian missionaries
have been doing valuable service for generations, but in my humble opinion,
their work suffers because at the end of it they expect conversion of these
simple people to Christianity ...How very nice it would be if the missionaries rendered
humanitarian service without the ulterior aim of conversion."
SPEAKING ABOUT THE BHILS, THE
TRIBE FROM CENTRAL INDIA, GANDHIJI SAID (NAVJIVAN 18-4-1926):
"These so-called
uncivilized communities are bound to attract the attention of missionaries, for
it is the latter's duty to get recruits for the Christian army. I do not regard
such proselytization as real service to dharma. But how can we blame the missionaries
if the Hindus take no interest in the Bhils? For them anyone who is brought into the Christian fold, no matter how
he has become a Christian, has entered a new life and become civilized. If, as
a result of such conversion, converts rise spiritually or morally, I personally
would have nothing to say against their conversion. But I do not think that
this is what happens."
GANDHIJI SENT A TELEGRAM TO
THE EDITOR OF DAILY HERALD, LONDON, (AFTER 23-4-1931) STATING, THAT THE REPORT
ABOUT THE FOREIGN MISSIONARIES WAS DISTORTION OF HIS VIEWS.
"Am certainly against
the use of hospitals, schools and the like for purposes conversion. It is
hardly healthy method and certainly gives rise to bitter resentment, conversion
matter of heart and must depend upon silent influence of pure character and
conduct of missionaries. True conversion comes imperceptibly like aroma of
rose. Thus, am not against conversion as but am certainly
against present methods. Conversion must not be reduced to business depending for increase
upon pounds, shillings, pence. I also hold that all great religions are of
equal merit to respective nations or individuals professing them. India is in
no need of conversion of type described. Whilst under swaraj all would be free
to exercise their own faiths. Personally, I would wish
present methods adopted by missionaries were abandoned even now and that under
conviction not compulsion."
SPEAKING AT THE CONFERENCE OF
THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY, WHICH WAS HELD AT CHURCH MISSIONARY HOUSE, LONDON, ON
8-10-1931. GANDHIJI SAID:
"The idea of converting
people to one's faith by speech and writings, by appeal to reason and emotion
and by suggesting that the faith of his forefathers is a bad faith, in my
opinion, limits the possibilities of serving humanity. I believe that the great
religions of the world are all more or less true and they have descended to us
from God.
...Religion is like a rose.
It throws out the scent which attracts like magnet and we are drawn to it like
involuntarily. The scent of religious contact has greater pungency than the
scent of the rose, that is why I hold my view with reference to conversion."
GANDHIJI FELT THAT HIS CAMPAIGN
AGAINST UNTOUCHABILITY SHOULD NOT BE A REASON FOR THE MISSIONARIES TO GET
DISTURBED. (HARIJAN, 25-1-1935.) HE SAID:
"But my trouble is that
the missionary friends do not bring to their work a purely humanitarian spirit.
Their object is to add numbers to their fold, and that is why they are
disturbed. The complaint which I have been making all these years is more than justified
by what you say. Some of the friends of a Mission were the other day in high glee
over the conversion to Christianity of a learned pandit. They have been dear friends,
and so I told them that it was hardly proper to go into ecstasies over a man forsaking
his religion. Today it is the case of learned Hindu, tomorrow it may be that of
an ignorant villager not knowing the principles of his religion... Here is
Miraben. I would have her find all the spiritual comfort she needs from
Christianity, and I should not dream of converting her to Hinduism, even if she
wanted to do so ...Take the case of Khan Saheb's daughter entrusted to my care
by her father. I should jealously educate her in her own faith and should
strive my utmost against her being lured away from it if ever she was so
inclined. I have had privilege of having children and grown-up persons of other faith with me. I was thankful to find
them better Christians, Mussalmans, Parsis or Jews by their contact with
me."
WHEN A. A. PAUL FROM
FEDERATION OF INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP HAD ASKED GANDHI TO DEFINE CONVERSION,
(HARIJAN, 28-9-1935.) GANDHIJI STATED:
"My own detached view
may now be stated in few words. I believe that there is no such thing as
conversion from one faith to another in the accepted sense of the term. It is highly
personal matter for the individual and his God. I may not have any design upon my
neighbour as to his faith which I must honour even as I honour my own. For I
regard all the great religions of the world as true at any rate for the people
professing them as mine is true for me. Having reverently studied the
scriptures of the world, I have no difficulty in perceiving the beauties in
them. I could no more think of asking a Christian or a Mussalman or a Parsi or
a Jew to change his faith than I would think of changing my own.. .It is a conviction daily growing upon me that the great and
rich Christian missions will render true service to India, if they can persuade
themselves to confine their activities to humanitarian service without the
ulterior motive of converting India or at least her unsophisticated villagers
to Christianity, and destroying their social superstructure, which
notwithstanding its many defects has stood now from time immemorial the
onslaughts upon it from within and from without. Whether they—the missionaries—and
we wish it or not, what is true in the Hindu faith will abide, what is untrue
will fall to pieces. Every living faith must have within itself the power of rejuvenation
if it is to live."
GANDHIJI WAS HAVING
DISCUSSIONS WITH HARIJAN WORKERS IN BARDOLI ON 8-1-1942. QUESTION WAS PUT TO
GANDHIJI THAT, HOW ONE DEALS WITH THE TEMPTATIONS GIVEN BY THE MISSIONARIES IN
FORMS OF BOOKS, SCHOOL FEES ETC., TO WHICH HE REPLIED —
"The missionaries have
of course the right to preach the Gospel of Christ and to invite non-Christians
to embrace Christianity. But every attempt to press material benefits or attractions
in the aid of conversion should be freely exposed, and the Harijans should be educated
to resist these temptations."
©SantoshChaubey
