Vice President of India, CP Radhakrishnan, on Sunday, May 31, said religious conversions should stop if harmony among different faiths is to be preserved. He said that secularism means treating all religions equally and not appeasement of any one faith.
Speaking after inaugurating the SIRI Mathrushree Industrial Park in Dharmasthala, Radhakrishnan said every individual has the right to remain in the religion they profess and worship in their own way.
He said secularism should be understood in its real sense as treating all religions equally and respecting people of every faith. He added that secularism should not be reduced to appeasement of any one religion.
“I believe in Lord Manjunathaswamy and pray in my own way. If somebody believes in Christ, let them pray in their own way. That is real secularism.”
Speaking of religious conversions, the Vice President said conversions often create confrontation between communities and weaken interfaith harmony.
“If harmony has to prevail among all religions, there should be a full stop to religious conversion. Religious conversion creates confrontation between faiths and does not promote harmony,” he said.
It is to be noted that Article 25 of the Indian Constitution does give the right of religious conversion, as it allows Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion.
Recalling a conference he attended in Kerala with more than 100 Christian bishops, Radhakrishnan said he had told them he respects all religions but opposes religious conversion.
“I told them every individual has the right to remain in his or her faith and the freedom to worship in the manner they choose. God is one, and every religion helps humanity reach the feet of God through bhakti,” he said.
He added that devotion, rather than religious identity, was central. “Whether it is Christian bhakti, Islamic bhakti or Hindu bhakti is irrelevant. Bhakti is what matters,” he said.
“We never hesitate to accept Allah as God. We never hesitate to accept Christ as God. What we say is only this, do not force me to give up Lord Manjunathaswamy. Let me worship in my own way. Where then is the question of harming another religion?” he said.
Radhakrishnan was in Dharmasthala to inaugurate the SIRI Mathrushree Industrial Park, a seven-acre rural industrial initiative promoted by Dharmasthala institutions run by Rajya Sabha MP D Veerendra Heggade.
Praising Heggade’s work, the Vice President described his life as “a message to society” and said he had, for nearly six decades, demonstrated how spirituality can become a force for social transformation.
Radhakrishnan said Dharmasthala stands as a model of coexistence and harmony at a time when the world is increasingly speaking about peaceful coexistence.
“At a time when the world is talking about coexistence, Dharmasthala has been practising it for centuries,” he said, adding that under Veerendra Heggade’s leadership, it has evolved into both a major spiritual centre and one of the country’s most respected institutions dedicated to social service.
Earlier in the day, Radhakrishnan visited Dharmasthala Sri Manjunatha Temple, where he offered prayers and interacted with devotees. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, MP Capt Brijesh Chowta and MLC Pratapsimha Nayak were present at the event.