This document summarizes a survey on religion and human dignity in the context of "ghar wapsi" or religious conversion back to Hinduism in India. The survey polled over 1000 people from marginalized communities in northern Tamil Nadu. It found that many members of scheduled castes and tribes had converted to Christianity to escape caste-based discrimination and seek dignity. However, recent "ghar wapsi" campaigns are challenging their religious freedom and identity. Moving forward, interfaith dialogue is needed to promote pluralism, education, and reconciliation between religious groups.

1. Religion and HumanReligion and Human
DignityDignity
an Inter-Faith Praxis against Caste
Discrimination
IAPT Biannual Conference, Pretoria
16-20 July

2. Outline
1. Brief History of Caste System
2. Conversion as a Thirst for Dignity
2.b Ghar-Wapsi – Drama of Re-conversion
3. Inter- and Intra-Religious Practices for
Human Dignity

3. Caste System :Caste System : varnasaramavarnasarama theorytheory

4. The Brahman was his mouth, of
both his arms was the R janyaā
made. His thighs became the
Vaiśya, from his feet the Ś draū
was produced.
- Hymn of Purusha Sukta, V. 12, Rig
Veda, tr. by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1896]

6. Laws of Manu on CasteLaws of Manu on Caste
 87. But in order to protect this universe He, the most
resplendent one, assigned separate (duties and) occupations
to those who sprang from his mouth, arms, thighs, and feet.
 88. To Brahmanas he assigned teaching and studying (the
Veda), sacrificing for their own benefit and for others, giving
and accepting (of alms).
 89. The Kshatriya he commanded to protect the people, to
bestow gifts, to offer sacrifices, to study (the Veda), and to
abstain from attaching himself to sensual pleasures;
 90. The Vaisya to tend cattle, to bestow gifts, to offer
sacrifices, to study (the Veda), to trade, to lend money, and
to cultivate land.
 91. One occupation only the lord prescribed to the Sudra, to
serve meekly even these (other) three castes.

7. Constitutional Provisions inConstitutional Provisions in
Defence of the MarginalisedDefence of the Marginalised
 Article No. 15(4): Prohibition of discrimination on
grounds of religion, race, caste, sex and place of
birth.
 Article No. 16(4): Equality of opportunity in mattes
of employment.
 Article No. 17 Abolition of untouchability.
 Article Nos. 320(4)/355: Ascertaining appointments
in the functions of Public Service Commission.
 Article Nos.330, 332, 334: Reservation of seats in the
Parliament, State Legislative Assembly.
 Article No. 46 Directive Principles of State Policy to
promote the educational and economic interests of
the weaker section.

8. Gandhi & Harijans!Gandhi & Harijans!
All that Gandhi has said is that caste is an
anachronism. He does not say it is an evil. He
does not say it is anathema. Mr. Gandhi does
not say that he is against Varna system. And
what is Mr. Gandhi’s Varna system? It is
simply a new name for the caste system…
The declaration of Mr. Gandhi cannot be
taken to mean any fundamental change in
Gandhism… The Untouchables will still
have ground to say: “Good God! Is this man
Gandhi our Savour?
Ambedkar, B.R.,1946.

9. ““Hinduism is a veritable chamber of horrors.Hinduism is a veritable chamber of horrors.
The sanctity and infallibility of the Vedas,The sanctity and infallibility of the Vedas,
Smritis and Shastras, the iron law of caste,Smritis and Shastras, the iron law of caste,
the heartless law of karma and the senselessthe heartless law of karma and the senseless
law of status by birth are to thelaw of status by birth are to the
Untouchables veritable instruments ofUntouchables veritable instruments of
torture which Hinduism has forged againsttorture which Hinduism has forged against
the Untouchables. These very instrumentsthe Untouchables. These very instruments
which have mutilated, blasted and blightedwhich have mutilated, blasted and blighted
the life of the Untouchables are to be foundthe life of the Untouchables are to be found
intact and untarnished in the bosom ofintact and untarnished in the bosom of
Gandhism”Gandhism”..

10. GabbilamGabbilam (the bat)(the bat)
Crying I told her of the incident,
Hugging me to her breast and kissing me
She said, ‘Son, this is an awful country,
But don’t complain of caste discrimination;
You’ll lose your food, as a Panchama
(Untouchable)
You have no claim to human rights or your
life.
These gods here won’t grant their favours
They will not accept a Panchama’s worship
The Lord Jesus Christ is your refuge,
Adore Him, He’ll be merciful”.
Jashuva Kavi.
Conversion as a Thirst for DignityConversion as a Thirst for Dignity

11. INCREASE IN INDIAN CHRISTIAN POPULATIONINCREASE IN INDIAN CHRISTIAN POPULATION
1872-19311872-1931
Year Christians Increase % General
Population
1872 1,246,288
1881 1,520,471 (est.)22.0 23.2
1891 2,036,600 33.9 13.2
1901 2,664,313 30.8 2.5
1911 3,574,770 34.2 7.1
1921 4,464,396 24.9 1.2
1931 6,020,887 (est.)34.9 10.6

12. Cry for Dignity & Justice….Cry for Dignity & Justice….
The Depressed Classes of India are desperately
poor. But their chief economic need is not
financial; it is an antidote to the poisonous ideas
that have made them in capable of struggling
successfully with their environment… It is, then, a
true instinct that makes the Depressed Classes
respond more eagerly to the social and economic
ills. The concepts, which the Christian Gospel
gives them of themselves and of God in relation to
their sufferings and sins are worth in comparably
more to them than any direct social and economic
service the Church could render.
W. J. Pickett, Christ’s Way to India’s Heart, Lucknow, 1938,

13. Ghar-WapsiGhar-Wapsi – Drama of– Drama of
ReconversionReconversion
“While the English term ‘homecoming’
seems to be the literal translation of the
expression, ghar wapsi is — and means
- in the hands and minds of its
originators, the ghar is the Hindu
umbrella, which they conveniently call
‘Sanatana Dharma’.
Wapsi is even more dangerous, for it
characterises certain people as lost,
strayed, misled, stolen or captured.


14. Is ChristianityIs Christianity
a Homea Home
for thefor the
Marginalized!?Marginalized!?

15. Survey on Religion & HumanSurvey on Religion & Human
Dignity in the context ofDignity in the context of Ghar wapsi!Ghar wapsi!
Religion and Caste are interwoven in Indian
society and Christianity though has offered
asylum to the people of lower strata of the
society, seems to be helpless vis-à-vis caste
hegemony. Christians from the marginalized
communities continue to struggle for dignity
and justice that had been denied to them for
ages.

16. Moreover, their very freedom of religion is
insulted and they their religious identity is
humiliated with the hyped and orchestrated
shows of ‘ghar wapsi’ as if that they were led
by their nose by the missionaries. Their
religious experience is being undermined and
their conversion is adjudged as betrayal of
patriotism. There are many studies in the
recent past dealing with the plight of the
marginalized people and their skirmishes
with religions.

17. But now at the wake of ‘ghar wapsi shows’ there is
an urgent need to study the religious commitment
and experience of the marginalized people and the
contribution of Christian faith in upholding or
diminishing their dignity and self-esteem. Hence, to
collect the empirical data on Christian faith and
practice in reference to caste discrimination, the
motive behind religious conversion, the experience of
dignity and equality within the religious community
and the response to ghar wapsi calls, a survey was
conducted in the four districts of Northern Tamil
Nadu. Total Respondents: 1000+

18. Demographical SketchDemographical Sketch

20. Education LevelEducation Level

22. Communal IdentityCommunal Identity
OC: Other Castes (FC: Forward Castes), BC: Backward Castes,
MBC: Most Backward Castes, SC: Scheduled Castes (Dalits) and
ST: Scheduled Tribes (Adivasis)

24. Time of Embracing Christian FaithTime of Embracing Christian Faith

29. Explosion of Violence onExplosion of Violence on
MinoritiesMinorities
Since the electoral victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) in 2014 in which religious minorities, such as
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, are being targeted by
Hindu ultra-nationalist organisations that have the
tacit support from some in the central government in
India. According to an interim report the first 300 days
of the Modi’s government have been marked by 43
deaths among 600 documented cases of violence
against Christians and Muslims. The threat that
religious minorities face in India is not just a fear of
violence against their physical bodies and religious
institutions, but the fear that their very existence is at
risk in a country dominated by a Hindu majority that
is increasingly taking on a fundamentalist hue.

30. Practical TheologyPractical Theology
of Inter-Religiousof Inter-Religious
Dialogue?Dialogue?
What for??What for??
How???How???

31. Future Trajectories of PracticalFuture Trajectories of Practical
TheologyTheology
Prophetic Dialogue
Plurality of Religious Traditions
Education for Interfaith
Dialogue
Dialogue for the reign of God
Reshaping the Habitus
Deconstruction of Meta-
narratives
Dialogue for Reconciliation
Dialogical Dialogue – not
Dialectical Dialogue…...
…….
Conclusion

32. Religious Belief asReligious Belief as HabitusHabitus
Religious belief as habitus - a characteristic
trait of the individual, and is ‘a cognitive
disposition and orientation of the soul”
(Edward Farley)
Habitus – is ‘embodied history, internalised
as a second nature and so forgotten as
history – is active presence of the whole
past of which it is the product’.
(Pierre Bourdieu)

33. Dialogical DialogueDialogical Dialogue
Dialogical dialogue involves the
entire person, not just our
rational dimension, and it treats
others as “another self (alter) who
is a source of self-understanding
as well as a source of
understanding not necessarily
reducible to my own” (R. Panikkar).

34. Unsere HoffnungUnsere Hoffnung
„Die Welt braucht keine Verdopplung
ihrer Hoffnungslosigkeit durch
Religion: sie braucht und sucht (wenn
überhaupt) das Gegengewicht, die
Sprengkraft gelebter Hoffnung
auszugleichen. In diesem Sinn ist
schließlich die Frage nach unserer
Gegenwartsverantwortung und
Gegenwartsbedeutung die gleiche
wie jene nach unserer christlichen
Identität: Sind wir, was wir im Zeugnis
unserer Hoffnung bekennen“.
 (Beschlußwort der Gemeinsamer Synode der Bistümer in BRD, 1975)
Offizielle Gesamtausgabe I, Freiburg, 19

35. Thank You!Thank You!
Pax et BonumPax et Bonum
Dr. Theo. & Dr.habil. Roy Lazar A
Dept. of Christian Studies,
University of Madras,
Chennai
Co-Researcher
Dr. S. Innasimuthu M.A., Ph.D
Dept. of Visual Communication
Hindu College,
Avadi
Chennai