Dalit-Backward Hindus Easily Fall into the Trap of Illegal Conversions

by Sanjay Saxena

Lucknow: In India, the roots of the illegal conversion syndicate run very deep. Significant funds come from Arab and various Muslim countries to promote conversion through channels like hawala. This is not a hidden fact, but the laws in place to counter such activities have never been effective enough to prevent foreign funding for conversions. This was evident when the ATS-NIA court in Lucknow completed hearings on illegal conversions and revealed that the reach of those funding conversions from abroad was extensive. Nevertheless, the court sentenced 12 people involved in illegal conversions through foreign funds to life imprisonment and four others to ten years in prison each. This will likely have some impact. Several cases of systematic inducement leading to conversions have emerged in the state, and the fact that the ATS has successfully secured convictions for so many individuals simultaneously suggests that such activities may decrease. The convicted individuals were part of a gang that lured people away from Hinduism to Islam, particularly targeting the disadvantaged and Dalit communities, who are more easily swayed by promises of a better life. The extent of brainwashing can be seen in how converted youths became actively involved in the conversion efforts.

Foreign funding for conversions has been reported before. The ATS and NIA should now work towards dismantling this entire network. The Yogi government is already stringent on this issue, as evidenced by the introduction of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021. People have the right to choose any religion of their choice, but coercion or inducement behind such conversions is unacceptable. Every religion has its own beliefs and the faith of individuals is deeply rooted, making it difficult to uproot. Those with malevolent intentions attempt to do so. Such attempts at conversion aim to create social imbalance, and hence, strict action should be taken against them.

It was also revealed that a significant illegal conversion operation was being funded through a Delhi-based NGO. NGO operators Mohammad Umar Gautam and Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui from Meerut had mobilized large sums of money from abroad, which were channeled to gang members for converting mute and deaf children, women, and economically weaker individuals through intimidation or inducements.

In this disturbing case, crores of rupees were sent to agents via hawala to incorporate Hindus into the Muslim community. Thanks to the effective prosecution by the ATS, 16 accused, including Umar and Kaleem, were sentenced on September 11, 2024. It is noteworthy that the conspiracy behind illegal conversions was first exposed in June 2021, when two suspicious youths, Vipul Vijay Vargiya and Kashif, attempted to enter the Shiv Shakti Dham Devi Temple in Dasna, Ghaziabad with harmful intentions. During interrogation, it was revealed that Vipul, originally from Nagpur, had converted to Islam some years ago and married a Muslim woman in Ghaziabad. Kashif was his brother-in-law. The inquiry identified Mohammad Umar Gautam and Mufti Kazi Jahangir Alam Kasmi from Jamia Nagar, Delhi, as those responsible for Vipul’s conversion.

Umar had converted Vipul and renamed him Ramzan. Umar operated the Islamic Dawah Center in Jamia, Delhi, with other accomplices. Maulana Kaleem from Meerut played a highly active role in this scheme. Kaleem managed the Jamia Imam Waliullah Trust, which received funding. The ATS investigation revealed that Kaleem’s trust received Rs 1.5 crore in a single transaction from Bahrain. It was also found that the same sources that funded Umar Gautam’s Al-Hassan Education and Welfare Foundation were also funding Kaleem’s trust. Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui from Muzaffarnagar primarily operated his activities from Delhi. Evidence showed that Kaleem’s trust received over Rs 20 crore in funding. Umar Gautam’s active associate Dr. Faraz Shah was arrested by the ATS from Yavatmal, Maharashtra. Faraz, an MBBS doctor running a clinic near his home, was involved in illegal conversion activities.

UP DGP Prashant Kumar stated that the ATS-NIA court’s decision affirms the effectiveness of the UP ATS’s actions and quality investigation against illegal conversions and disruptive elements. The conviction of the 16 accused in the illegal conversion syndicate clearly indicates that there is no place for antisocial and anti-national activities in Uttar Pradesh.