Brother Nand Kishore, a noted Backward Caste leader from UP might have given a call to Dalits and BCs to embrace Sikhism to get rid of their slavery. We fully agree with him. But he is only giving expression to his innermost agony as a victim of the Brahminical Social Order. (DV June 16, 1992 p.9: “Mass conversion to Sikhism alone can save cowbelt”).
But the only people who can translate his agony into a weapon of social change are the Sikh religious leadership. But this leadership is not only badly divided but hardly gives any thought to religious conversion, the most important Instrument of social transformation, let alone mass conversions.
Religious conversion is the best and most effective weapon in the hands of social engineers. That is why the BSO is up against Muslims, Christians and Sikhs, forming about 20% of India’s population.
Buddhism is almost forgotten after the death of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Neither the Dalit politicians nor Dalit movement leaders think about it today.
Church gives up evangelism: Upper caste Christians do not want to offend their Jatwalas and hence have given up their evangelistic work which is part of their Christian duty. The church is the only religious institution which has a very effective religious ma- chinery for conversion. But today church has almost abandoned this work.
Conversion to Islam has also come to a standstill after the country-wide brahminical uproar over the “Meenakshipuram mass conversion,” which brought sleepless nights to BSO. Except for some mere talk of conversions recently in Tamil Nadu, nothing tangible has happened in that State.
As for Sikhism, we have neither heard of any missionary machinery nor any efforts at conversion. Sikhism has confined itself to Punjab and the surrounding areas. Upper caste Sikhs are closer to upper castes/Hindus than Dalits or Muslims.
Now that we are publishing Nand Kishore’s article at the instance of a dedicated Sikh social organisation, we need a debate on the subject. Is the Sikh religious leadership Interested in pursuing the historic task of social change? If so, what steps it is taking to trans- form the lives of millions of oppressed Dalits and BCs? – EDITOR.
