It is a pity that despite Hinduism being such a glorious religion, so many Hindus, who marry Christians but do not themselves convert, allow their children, nonetheless, to be baptised into Christianity instead of allowing them to grow up and choose for themselves, if they so wish, whether to opt for Hinduism or Christianity. Hindus marrying Muslims but not under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, have to themselves undergo conversion into Islam which is an even worse case scenario and the question of their children being converted does not even arise for they are born Muslims. And this is the case whether the Hindu boy marries into the other fold or the Hindu girl does so. What a tragedy it is for this noblest of religions, that accepts all religions as valid paths towards godhead, that its adherents are ever under threat of conversion from marriage situations when Hinduism neither allures others into its fold through conversion nor imposes such conversion conditions on cross-religious marriage! Hinduism is such an enlightened religion that it does not even believe in the principle of religious conversion. Growing in numerical strength certainly is not on the agenda of Hinduism for it is an impossibility considering the fact that the Hindu holds the whole of humanity as a single spiritual family and, as such, has no political compulsion to multiply in any nefarious manner such as bringing members of other faith traditions to its fold. The Hindu does not believe that conversion does any good to a human being, especially spiritually, which is after all what it is supposed to be bringing about as per the pretentious claims of proselytizing religions. The Hindu believes only in transformation of the spiritual state of man and this can never be effected through conversion but must be brought about by the practice of spiritual sadhana (austerity and purified practice). Thus, to convert a Hindu to the Christian fold or the Islamic one, through marriage or otherwise, is causing the greatest injury to this glorious spiritual tradition and is an act of the gravest violence to humanity. The United Nations must denounce this practice the world over as a most barbarous act of medieval violence, a cultural sacrilege for it sure injures local culture and often, as we know from historical experience, eliminates an indigenous culture wholesale, supplanting a foreign culture there, which is a gross violation of human rights and a threat to the flourishing of natural human diversity of life and living. So far as Hinduism is concerned, conversion into Islam through marriage is the most common one, for Islam does not recognize so-called idolatrous Hinduism as a valid religion at all and does not allow marriage of a Muslim with a Hindu infidel but does allow it once the hapless Hindu boy or girl converts to Islam. This is a very fine way of reducing the strength of the Hindu population while bolstering that of Islam and is merely a political agenda having no place in spirituality whatsoever, but then who cares for spirituality after all in this world? These proselytizing faiths are only intent on world domination through increase of numbers but alas! that is never to be. The days of singular ideological expansionism are gone forever and whosoever tries to bring back the evil days of old is indulging in an exercise in futility. The liberal Hindu is foolish enough to fall prey to the exigencies of emotion and unsuspectingly loses both religion and culture for the sake of earthly love which trades at the outset by robbing the innocent one of habitat. It is a diabolical practice, this conversion, and to see helpless Hindu girls being cut off their cultural roots thus to bear the fruits of those that hold Hinduism as false, is the most painful experience especially for those that know the glory of the Sanatan Dharma which is the mother of all religions. If to enforce payment of dowry to allow marriage to take place is deemed illegal in this country and is punishable under law, then why is the conversion condition imposed on all Hindus wishing to marry Muslims not likewise a punishable offence? My fervent plea goes out to all Hindus, especially our daughters, "Do not in the name of your forefathers ever convert to Islam or Christianity or any other religion but stay grounded in your own spiritual tradition to live this life and to conquer it, to overcome death and attain to immortality, for it is the highest purpose of your life, the supreme end of your earthly evolution. May you all be blessed, my beloved sisters and brothers, with the vision of the one God that resides in the core of your consciousness, in the depth of your spiritual heart, the one God who is the essence of your being, your Self (Atman), He who appears in diverse forms to fulfil the aspirations of His devotees but who never seeks propitiation through puerile passage to putrid paths." Jai Ramakrishna! Jai Hind!
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