1. An Argument Against Conversion
To
- The Hon. S. Srinivasa Raghava Aiyangar,
- Dewan Bahadur C.I.E.
- Inspector General of Registration
- Madras
- Sir,
In your recent report to our gracious Government, on a poor class of people who were anciently known as Dravidians but who are now called Pariahs, you have made a remark that these people can make no progress but by becoming either Christians or Mahommedans. Though a consideration of the motive of this remark leads me to the clear conclusion, that you have thus remarked, as knowing as you do their present deplorable condition, you have the good intention at heart of wishing them every success, yet the particular good that may result from a change of their religion is not perceived by me. To learn this, therefore, from you and get my doubt cleared I have undertaken to bring the following facts to your notice.
The Christians are divided as is well known, into Catholics and Protestants. In some of the Catholic Churches separate seats are assigned for Pariahs, and as they are often despised as low caste men, their feelings are much wounded thereby. Even in the Protestant Churches of some countries they are likewise insulted and sometimes excluded from Church and Lord's Supper. Besides this, the members of this community who have retired from Government service on pension are particularised as Pariah Christians. It does not appear that even those Christians who at the present day, have risen to high position, have done as simply because they became Christians; but, on the other hand, there is reason to suppose that they have so risen by securing to themselves good and decent appointments by means of the education bestowed on them by the Missionaries, who gave them food and clothing as well.
As for the progress this community would make by becoming Mahommedans, it is a thing well known to all that the Mahommedans as a class are going backward, as regards their education, and this fact has already attracted the attention of our benign Government, which has therefore made some special concessions to them. Under the circumstances I do not know what worse condition the Pariahs will come to, if, by becoming Mahommedans, they are to share the hardships of born Mahommedans.
These, then, are the several grave doubts I have entertained in connection with your proposal. But allow me to explain briefly the real cause of the backward condition of the Dravidian people who are called Pariahs, as far as I, a member of this community, have been able to ascertain it from my own personal experience.
First — In practice, the proclamation of 1858 made by our Gracious Sovereign, the Empress Victoria, and the Statutes passed by the Houses of Parliament in 1833 regarding India, are so applied that I am rather led to believe that these enactments are intended for all except the Pariahs. For, when a high caste man commits the serious crime of torturing people
