Evidence of conducting puja alone cannot define a Hindu, says HC
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TNN | Oct 31, 2013, 09.14 PM IST
CHENNAI: Holding that not conducting puja by a Hindu in puja room regularly cannot be a conclusive proof to declare that he is not a Hindu, the Madras high court has quashed cancellation of community certificate of a dalit panchayat president, who had reconverted from Christianity.
A division bench comprising Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice K Ravichandra Baabu, concurring with the submissions of senior advocate K Duraisamy on Thursday, said the village administrative officer and the revenue divisional officer were not correct in concluding that K Vasikaran was not a Hindu, merely because his house had a puja room but there was no evidence of prayer/puja there. They also reported that words from the Bible were found at the house and a cross had been inscribed on its pillars.
Vasikaran was elected president of Gerugambakkam panchayat, which is a local body reserved for dalits, in October 2011. After the poll loss, his rival candidate moved the state election commission to strip him of the post, saying he was a Christian and that his community certificate too should be cancelled. The matter was referred to the revenue authorities for filing of a report.
The officials visited his home and held inquiries before submitting a report favouring cancellation of the dalit certificate.
Vasikaran said the district collector had sent his notices to an addressee K Victor, which was his name when he was Christian. He had become a Hindu by undergoing a 'shuddhi' ceremony by the Arya Samaj at Chennai, and a certificate too has been given by the organisation. Noting that his community has accepted him, he said he had polled more than 2,600 votes, which was another indication of acceptance by his community.
Concurring with him, the bench said Vasikaran had been described as a dalit in his school certificate in 1989. The Sriperumpudur tahsildar issued a proper community certificate in 1996. But, his poll rivals had not raked up his caste status before the election, the bench said.
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Some comments:-
pvsat ()
What Mr.Subramanian Swamy was referring to was this. If you accept that your ancestors belonged to this land, you accept that there are many faiths that could be followed and can co-exist in the soceity, you are a Hindu. You may not go to Shiva temple or Vishu temple or even not visit any religious place at all and can even try to reach the god thru pure medidation without any religious affiliation and with pure spiritual process and you are still a Hindu. Even if you call yourself an atheist you are a Hindu because for all other religions you must accept the religious figure such as Jesus, Allah as the godman or god, but not necessary in Hindu school of thought. Even Hiranyakashipu did not believe in the Lord Vishu and considered himself as the invincible and he was depicted in Hindu puranams making him a Hindu.
bonnymoraes (goa)
As I have always maintained, conversions are not for salvation but for material gains. And just for information, is it compulsory for all Hindus to gave a puja room in their houses? Are they banned from having a cross or Bible quotations in their house. What happens when a Hindu resides in a rented house belonging to a Christian. And this final thought : I was given to understand that only Christian missionaries were converting people of other religion into their fold.
