HINDUS ALWAYS............HINDU SOCIETY 357
WHICH RELIGION FOR UNTOUCHABLES ?
“Fourthly, although the thinking portion of the Scheduled Castes are agreed to leave Hinduism I cannot say that there is complete agreement as to which religion they should embrace. The matter is still open.
“Finally, with regard to the question whether Christians should accept the 50,000,000 Untouchables into their fold without a period of preparatory training (as suggested by Rev. Livingston), I should like to say that those who make that objection do not seem to realise that the conversion of the Untouchables would be the only instance in history of a real conversion. Today religion among Christian as well as Non-Christians, is a mere matter of inheritance. The Christian inherits his father’s property and along with it his father’s religion. He never stops to contrast Christianity with other religions and make his own judgement as to its spiritual value. And historically conversions of Christianity have always been mass conversions and conversions on grounds which had nothing to do with the realisation of the spiritual value at all of the Untouchables convert they will be converted on a thorough examination of different religions and their spiritual and social value. Let nobody, therefore, have any qualms of conscience that the conversion of the Untouchables is anything like a commercial proposition. It is not. If the conversion of the Untouchables brings them any advantages apart from those of a spiritual and social character, they are incidental advantages and not criminal inducement.” Globe.” [1]
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1 : Jai Bheem (Weekly), Madras, dated 25th December 1946.