CONVERSION MOVEMENTS..........MOTIVE 251
I am trying to serve my people. Mr. Rajah has been opposing me and finding fault with my work. At the same time he has developed the art of self-advertisement through the medium of newspapers. I do not attach much importance to this question but I fail to understand why the movement to renounce Hinduism and the desire on the part of the Untouchable masses to embrace any other religion launched by them should hurt Mr. Rajah ? If Mr. Rajah does not want to renounce the Hindu religion, nobody will force him to do so and for this reason he has no right to comment on it. Mr. Rajah says, “I will live as a Hindu and die as a Hindu.” He is quite free to do so. But 1 would like to tell him one thing, that in making use of his proficiency in issuing statements to press, he has been exhibiting his love for the Hindu religion but until he converts himself to some other religion he will continue to live as a ‘Pariah’ and die as a ‘Pariah’. He must bear in mind the fact that the stigma of Untouchability attached to him due to his caste is not likely to be effaced even a bit if he continues to remain within the Hindu fold. It is nonsensical to say that conversion should be done only for spiritual reasons. I would like to ask Mr. Rajah whether it is only for the reasons ‘spiritual’ that he wants to remain within the fold of Hinduism. If he has no ambition other than spiritual satisfaction why should he bother about the material and political benefits accruing from the reservation of seats in the legislature ? If he is so keen on living as a Hindu and dying as a Hindu, why does he aspire for reserved seats ?
Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Malaviya, I believe, have no moral courage to say anything against the conversion of the Untouchables. They have failed to honour the promises they had made at the time of signing the Poona Pact.
Mr. Gandhi says that he has failed to understand my stand; I would also say that it is difficult for me to understand his language and action. According to him, ‘upliftment of Untouchables is an independent question’. If this kind of language which is used by Gandhiji is used by one saint or another, perhaps, he can comprehend it better, but for an ordinary mortal like me, who is governed by ordinary principles of society in everyday life, this Mahatmatic language of Gandhi has no meaning. Gandhi says that religion is