The Madras High Court in a significant ruling has upheld a “shuddhi ceremony” conducted by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to convert a Christian woman to Hinduism. The high court has upheld her selection and appointment as a junior graduate teacher under the Scheduled Caste (SC) category.
Justice R Suresh Kumar, pointing to the relevant government order which allowed such conversion or reconversion and resultant benefits, said, “The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, one of the reputed and internationally acclaimed organisations for Hindu religion, which is constantly and steadfastly propagating the greatness and richness of Hinduism and Hindu rites and customs in this country, had performed the necessary pooja called ‘Shuddhi Satangu’ on November 1, 1998. The name of the petitioner, which was originally Daisy Flora, has been changed into A Megalai. On completion of the pooja by pandits of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, it has been declared that she had converted from Christianity to Hinduism.”
Justice Suresh Kumar also referred to the government order deciding to extend benefits available to SC candidates, to those who had converted from Christianity to Hinduism or those who reconverted to Hinduism, provided the community accepted such conversion/re-conversion.
Daisy Flora, who is now Megalai, was born into a Christian (Paraiyar) community and subsequently got married to a man named Vanavan who belonged to the Hindu (Paraiyar) community. Since her conversion, she was given the SC community certificate.
The court came to her rescue when she participated in the selection process for the junior graduate assistant but her application was rejected on the grounds that she was not entitled to the benefit as she was a reconvert.
However, the interim order of the high court in March 2005 allowed her to be appointed to the post and later re-designated her BT assistant (science).
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