CHENNAI: Accepting a "shuddhi ceremony" conducted by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to reconvert a Christian woman to Hinduism , the Madras 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 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.

Megalai was born into a Christian (Paraiyan) community and subsequently got married to a man named Vanavan who belonged to the Hindu (Paraiyan) community. Based on such conversion, she was given the SC community certificate as well. When she participated in the selection process for junior graduate assistant, she was not selected on the grounds that she was not entitled to the benefit as she was a reconvert. However, thanks to an interim order of the high court in March 2005, she was appointed to the post and later re-designated BT assistant (science).

When the case was taken up for hearing, state additional advocate general Narmadha Sampath argued that mere conversion could not get a person the status of member of an SC community, unless he/she was accepted by the community for all practical purposes.

Answering this apprehension, Justice Suresh Kumar said VHP was a reputed Hindu organisation, and that the woman's conversion had been accepted by society as was evident from the fact that people in the locality had also given statements before revenue officials that she had been continuously following Hindu customs and that she belonged to the Hindu community.

"There can be no doubt that such claim made by the petitioner for being a Hindu Adi Dravidar community can very well be accepted," ruled Justice Suresh Kumar.

Since the petitioner had already completed probation, her said selection and appointment shall not be disturbed for the reason of communal status, he added.

