(Vittalrao Wankhede (52), a top officer of the Maharashtra Govt. (Superintending Engineer in the Irrigation Dept.) based at Nagpur recently embraced Islam even as the RSS and its front organisations were claiming re-conversion of dalits back to Hinduism and as Untouchables. His conversion right in Nagpur where both the RSS headquarters and the dikhsha bhoomi, the place where Dr. B. R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism with lakhs of fellow Untouchables are situated, has given a rude shock to Hindu orthodoxy. That is why the high caste-controlled Indian press tried to suppress the news of Wankhede’s conversion. Our representative was the first to interview Vazirji-Editor)
I was curious to meet Vazir Wankhede after his conversion to Islam on Jan. 9, 1982, at Nagpur. I desired to get introduced to him and therefore took friend S. G. Suradkar, a retired IAS officer & also a close friend of Wankhede. When on Feb. 14, a Sunday evening, our vehicle reached a spacious bungalow at Civil Lines I noticed an old friend whose name I had forgotten. To my great surprise the same person turned out to be Wankhede. We laughed for a while and I enquired about his father, who belonged to our “family of railway men”. I felt sad to hear that he was dead. After a few minutes we came down for a brief conversation .I asked a straight question :
Q ; At what stage in your life you de- sired conversion to Islam & why it took place on Jan. 97
A : In my younger days itself when I read the editorial of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in the Bahishakrit Bharat of March 15, 1929, “Notice to Hindu Dharma”, guiding his followers that they would require to convert to Islam for getting free from social discrimination, I began to think of becoming a Muslim. Later, I had read his declaration that he would not die a Hindu. On Jan. 13, 1969, I wrote to Sheik Abdullah of Kashmir indicating my desire to embrace Islam. He replied to my letters. My letters were then intercepted in Kashmir, and there was a CID inquiry. (He showed us the two letters and the original from Sheikh Abdullah’s secretary). Sufferings of Untouchables from Belchi to Deoli brought me to the final decision and I decided to embrace Islam on Prophet Mohammed’s birthday immediately after the Sadhupur massacre of our dalit brothers
Q : What were the after-effects of Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism ?
A : Conversion to Buddhism has not changed the social status of dalits. Even after the conversion, they are’ considered as Hindus and therefore Untouchables. Ambedkar after his conversion, was preaching the dalits to get liberated from alcoholism and from idol worship. But his words had no impact even on the younger generations. Dalits continued to remain as slaves even after conversion to Buddhism.
Q : By conversion to Islam, will there be a change in them ?
A : Definitely. In the Muslim brother- hood, alcoholism can be eliminated & the foolish mentality of bowing head before every stone will disappear. Under Islam there is no casteism which has crept into Christianity also in India.
Q : By your conversion to Islam your family will continue to be Buddhists. How can there be harmonious family life as such ?
A ; We experience no difficulty. There is no coercion in Islam. In one family, there can be members belonging to different faith. Islam stands for liberalism in religious faith. Ambedkar had also said on the next day of his conversion that his followers should think independently and decide as to which religion he or she should accept after quitting Hinduism.
Q : What will be your advice to your former community members ?
A : They should follow the guidelines given by Ambedkar. If they feel that Buddhism has not made any change in their social status, they should decide to change to any other faith where their degraded status can be redeemed.
Q: What is your experience in the present circle of work and life ?
A : As a supdt. engineer, I had to get a better type of quarters, but this was denied to me. After the conversion; I got it easily. A pro-RSS engineer-colleague, That wavadi, wrote to me saying that my salvation now was with Pakistan and that I should go there. I paid him back in same coin. I asked him to search the place from where he landed to plunder and loot the original inhabitants of India. I asked him to first quit India and then only raise the question as to who should remain. Another engineer, AB Shyamkul, wrote from Bombay about how he was interviewed by an export firm which offered him Rs. 1,500 per month. But as soon as they came to know that he was an Untouchable, the firm refused to take him. I feeI have a better footing even in official circles after the conversion.
Wazir Wankhede said that days are not far when the Untouchables will. shake their lethargy and get liberated from Hinduism.
