Twenty years after a helpless Hindu couple was deceitfully converted to Islam in the Poore Ujade village in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, they have finally returned to the Hindu fold, reported Swarajya.
The victims, identified as Shiv Prasad Lodhi and Kavita, were coerced into changing their religion by village pradhan Mohammed Amil Sheikh in exchange for providing government identity documents.
Sheikh told the Hindu couple that it was the only way for them to survive in an “all-Muslim village.” Shiv and Kavita, who hailed from the Varanasi district, had come to Poore Ujade village in search of employment.
However, they had no identity documents – a weakness which helped the village pradhan to exploit them into converting to Islam. After being converted to their new Faith, Shiv and Kavita were readily provided with ration cards and voter IDs.
Shiv was rechristened as ‘Abdulla’ while Kavita was named ‘Fathima.’ The village pradhan Mohammed Amil Sheikh even fabricated the names of their parents.
The prelude to the conversion
According to the Swarajya report, the Hindu couple had to sell their ancestral property in Dulahipur village in the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh due to tragic circumstances.
On the advice of their Muslim neighbour, they migrated to the Poore Ujadevillage in Fatehpur district. Kavita was pregnant at that time. However, she soon suffered a miscarriage. Kavita had previously lost her first child in infancy.
The Muslim women in her neighbourhood began telling her that worshipping Hindu deities would bring ‘no fortune.’ They brainwashed her into praying at a local dargah.
Around that time, Kavita began working at the residence of the village pradhan Mohammed Amil Sheikh. She was told to wear salwar suit and give up her saree, bindi and indoors and live like other Muslim women in the village.
Two years later, her husband Shiv Prasad Lodhi purchased a plot outside the Poore Ujade village from Mohammed Amil Sheikh. After he had paid ₹40000 as part of the deal, Shiv realised that he needed government documents to register the land in his name.
When he sought help from the village pradhan, Mohammed Amil Sheikh told him to convert to Islam. A ceremony was held at a local masjid where Shiv and Kavita were made to recite the ‘Kalma‘ (Islamic oath of allegiance).
Harassment by Muslim neighbours continued for 2 decades
Shiv and Kavita, who had by then become ‘Abdullah’ and ‘Fathima’, received their documents after a month. But the deceitful conversion to Islam did not stop the harassment by their Muslim neighbours.
They were forced to adopt the ‘Islamic way of life’. Shiv was coerced into offering Namaz at the mosque. Kavita was told to keep Roza during Ramzan but not fast during Navaratri.
The couple were not allowed to celebrate Hindu festivities. Shiv was also forced to undergo circumcision (khatna) by Mohammed Amil Sheikh in exchange for registering the property in his name.
Fearing that he would have to circumcise, the Hindu man reportedly stopped asking for registration papers. The house where Shiv and Kavita live today is still registered in the name of Mohammed Amil Sheikh.
Shiv faced social boycott from Muslim villagers for not getting circumcised. He could not find work in the village. Forced by circumstances, he began travelling to Mumbai for seasonal work.
During that time, Kavita would stay back in the Poore Ujade village and face constant harassment from the villagers. She therefore lives in isolation and does not have any friends.
Return to the Hindu fold
In 2023, Shiv Prasad Lodha and Kavita learnt about a local Hindu organisation named ‘Ram Bal.’ They visited the members of the outfit, who reside 2 km away from the village.
‘Ram Bal’ quickly notified the police and organised a havan in the village. They sent out a clear message that the Shiv Prasad Lodha and Kavita will no longer have to live as ‘Muslims.’
While speaking to Swarajya, ‘Ram Bal’ chief Agendra Sahu, informed that Shiv Prasad had expressed the desire to return to the Hindu fold.
In February this year, Shiv and Kavita renounced Islam and returned to the Dharmic path through the ritual of ‘Ghar wapsi.’ They conducted a havan outside their house in the presence of Hindus belonging to ‘Ram Bal.’
The ghar wapsi ritual was undertaken amid tight police security. While speaking about the matter, Kavita said, “We were tricked into conversion. We would have liked Amil (Sheikh) to witness the ritual but he passed away a few years ago.”