The mass conversion of untouchables in Meenakshipuram and other districts of Tamil Nadu has created a country wide flutter. Even if there had been an earthquake in that place, it would not have created so much of news, and invited so much of attention. Even Union Minister of State for Home Makwana visited the village for a spot study.
We reproduce below two versions on the Meenakshipuram “earthquake” and readers may come to their own conclusion:
RSS journal “Organiser” writing under the headline ‘Mass conversion through force and fraud’ quotes from the “Vedanta Kesari” published by the Ramakrishna Math, Madras, which “has taken the strongest objection to this mass conversion with the help of massive foreign funds”. The “Organiser” published yet another report from its New Delhi correspondent under the headline “Rs 500 – for each Harijan convert”. A sub-heading says: “59 minors circumscised”.
The reports says P. Ramachandran and K.S. Anantharama Seshan, president and Secretary of the Hindu Samudaya Valarchi Manram, an organisation formed by the Hindus of Meenakshipuram and villages around it have disclosed that the Harijan converts were given Rs 500 each for changing their ancestral faith and that for that matter the conversions were illegal. The Organiser report adds they were “talking to the Press at the Press Club of India in New Delhi on June 10”, and says: “An Arab priest and the Speaker of the Sri Lanka Parliament had taken part in the conversion ceremonies”.
Surprisingly, “the Hindu” report of the press conference held at Hyderabad by the same leaders mentioned above contradicts the version given by the “Organiser”. The Hindu staff reporter’s story published on 18-6-81 says: “A delegation of the Hindu Samudaya Valarchi Manram, Tirunelveli district, led by its President Ramachandra Thevar and secretary Anantharamakrishna met the Prime Minister on June 11 and demanded judicial inquiry into the mass conversions”. The report added that they told newsmen that some of these Harijans who were converted to Islam on Feb. 19 at Meenakshipuram village were also present when they met the Prime Minister. According to them “it was not a case of Hindu-Muslim quarrel but one of covert move on the part of international conspirators to exploit the religious fanaticism among Muslims to destabilise the political set-up in India”. “Over Rs. 50,000 was spent in a day to convert about 600 persons belonging to 100 families on Feb-19. The head of each family was paid Rs. 500 as inducement money, Anantharamakrishnan said”. That means we have two versions of the Press Conference held by the same delegation. According to the RSS mouthpiece, ‘Organiser’, “Harijan converts given Rs. 500-each”, and according to the Hindu staff reporter’s versions heads of each family was paid Rs. 50- inducement money.
The same delegation speaks, one in Delhi and another in Hyderabad, which of the reports is correct?
Should there not be consistency while speaking falsehood?
