Dalits reconverting to Hinduism may reclaim SC status, rules India’s top court
New Delhi: In a move seen as projecting Hindutva ideology, the Supreme Court ruled that Dalits converting back to Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism may reclaim Scheduled Caste status, provided they fulfill stringent conditions. Critics argue this ruling aligns with the BJP’s push for ghar wapsi, or reconversion to Hinduism.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the apex court emphasized that reconverts must provide “credible and unimpeachable evidence” of genuine reconversion, renunciation of the adopted religion, and acceptance by the original community. The ruling has sparked concerns about the government’s intentions to influence religious demographics and undermine minority rights.
A Bench of Justice PK Mishra and Justice Manmohan – which held that a Hindu Dalit person converted to Christianity or Islam can’t claim the Scheduled Caste status and the benefits meant for Scheduled Castes under the Constitution and various laws – clarified that such a person can claim the Scheduled Caste status again if he/she must “cumulatively and conclusively” establish the three conditions prescribed by it.
Writing the judgment for the Bench, Justice Mishra said, “In cases where a person claims to have reconverted from a religion not specified in Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 back to Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist religion… There must be clear proof that the person originally belonged to a caste notified under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.”
The court’s decision is seen as a setback for Dalit Christians and Muslims, who have long argued that conversion to these faiths was often a means of escaping caste-based oppression. The ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for India’s secular fabric and social justice framework.
