>Your son or daughter stops praying with you in the temple or mosque you
having being together for ages.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 7:16
PM
Subject: [Assam] Part 2: Scenario : Right
to Convert OTHERS --why and whynot!!
New Convert's early life and relationship changes:
The other issue when someone from your faith is getting converted to
another is of family tensions. Your son or daughter stops praying with
you in the temple or mosque you having being together for ages. As the saying
goes " A family that does not pray together does not stay together" - or
something like it. Further, your grand children will also not follow
your faith but that if their converted parent/s - thus you would not relate to
your coming generations. You will not be able to narrate to them stories from
your culture or faith - if their parenst do not follow your faith. As the
saying goes " Naya Musalmaan Zyadaa Pyaaz Khataa hain" - meaning a new convert
to Islam (from Hinduism) eats more onion - since most Hindus considered
onion as bad and not muslims.
So a new convert is more zealous - and if your offspring becomes a
convert - s/he would not allow you or engage in discourse of cultural or
religious nature. Political lines will also get drawn sharply. Thus, if
your child converts to another faith - most families face enormous tensions
and upheavals (unless other family members practice their faith only in
name).
Similarly, you can say about close friends (of those who follow your
faith) and relatives. Ofcourse, many a times the new converts
themselves beccome the most vocal proponent of their faiths - seeking to
convert others (from among their friends etc). This brings us to the main
issue. What if the convertor is given the Right to convert OTHERS?
Myself a neo-convert
Before I go further, I may add that I myself have been a new convert of
sorts -- and have witnessed many of these upheavals. I have sought to change
my own ideologies or mind set -- and marked change in behavior . For instance,
I do not rush to touch feet of elders - a sign of respect -- since I do not
wish to propogate that old is Gold and new is silver. I do not hesitate to
argue in favor of my lifestyle - with senior relatives - even was
ordered out of their house once. However, I have never sought to actively
convert others to my views or beliefs. If I was really given a right to
convert others then what are the possibilties?
I may repeat that such a right was demanded and fought out in Supreme
Court of India by Christian missionaries. What harm in that?
Armed with Right to convert Others - Action Plan
To convert others you need to get in touch with other people and use
these opportunities to spread one's beliefs.
Analogy: life insurance agent - I recall when a
colleague of mine from Indian Express joined ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.
Later he helped another get a job there. The second one was more zealous and
very hard nosed salesman. He tried to sell insurance to me and to all my
friends. Whenever I would go to his house - near mine - he would call me more
often - he would immediately act business like and show me all the policies
and make every effort to make me buy them. The visit started and ended like
that every time. Needless to say I started visiting his house only when he was
not there - for courtesy call to his family - or only when a group of friends
had gathered so as to have casual conversations.
So even among friends repeated efforts to convert (into a sale
of insurance policy) can damage relationships.
Hard nosed journos Some might recall how Princess Diana died in
1997 - trying to escape from papparazi photographers - and banging her car on
the wall. The journos were trying to exercise their right for freedom of the
Press. They might say we meant no harm -- just were taking pictures or taping
their phone calls etc or pressing them for interviews. They were not trying to
bring a sea change in the life of the target.
They were not trying to cause a disruption in relationships of the person
-with all others. They were merely taking photographs or seeking
interviews. Some ofcourse, take actions which border on veyourism or
gossip.
Hard Sell : I read a book on "hard sell" or hard nosed
journos - while doing MBA. They mentioned what is acceptable and what is
not. They said that it is acceptable to seek an interview with a person
by calling him/her on phone or by ringing the door bell. However ,
it is not acceptable to be waiting outside a person's door - in hope that
someday s/he would come out --even if s/he does not respond to your overtures.
It is also not acceptable that you bang the back door or tap the windows to
draw attention.
Ofcourse, salesmen or journos do not have a right to seek interviews.
They do not have a right to sell concepts (selling concepts is the essence of
seeking converts).
I was in the business of selling concepts - as selling newspaper
advertising space - trying to convince even semi-literate traditional people
why it would be a good idea to advertise all over India when their products do
not sell well even in their town. I had to observe limits of
propriety.
I have the Right!! -- then..
Only a constitutional Right to concept selling or seeking converts
to my view --would make me oblivious to what is socially acceptable
. I would do as i like and make conversions regardless of the means. I have
the Right!!!
Whether I dish out money to my target audience or threaten them with harm
-- its my right to do so. After all , the Indian constitution has given me a
right to convert otthers. So convert others I will -- noone can take away my
right. Who dares?? I will seek the international support from human rights
watch dogs, religious leaders like the Pope or Imam of Mecca or Shankaracharya
etc .
Since everyone would be given the right to convert others --it would be
somewhat like Holi festival -where everyone has a right to throw colors
(or mud or paint) on others. Many do not like that kind of freedom?
Do you?
Umesh
Umesh Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College
Park, MD 20740
1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]
Ed.M. - International
Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard
University,
Class of 2005
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