Wasim Rizvi, who was the president of the UP Shia Waqf Board, had abandoned Islam and accepted Hinduism three years ago. After this he became known as Jitendra Narayan Tyagi. But now he will be known as Jitendra Narayan Singh Sengar.
Wasim Rizvi was the first Muslim. Jitendra Narayan became a Brahmin after becoming a Tyagi. And now if Jitendra Narayan Singh becomes Sengar, he will be counted among the Thakurs.
After becoming Sengar of Tyagi, he is said to have changed caste. But this cannot be said clearly. Because the Supreme Court had made it clear in a decision that a person can change religion, but not caste, because caste is linked to birth.
Can’t caste be changed?
In April 2016, the Supreme Court adopted an important decision in this regard. Then the Supreme Court had said that a person can change religion or belief, but not caste, because caste is linked to childhood.
Actually, the famous singer of Punjab, Mohammad Sadiq, had abandoned Islam and accepted Sikhism. He comes from the Doom community, which is a scheduled caste from Punjab. In the 2012 assembly elections, Sadiq contested and won from the Bhadaur seat on the Congress ticket. His victory was challenged by Akali Dal candidate Darbara Singh. Darbara Singh argued that Sadiq is a Muslim so he cannot contest from the seat reserved for SC.
Sadiq hadn’t even changed his name, he had just changed his religion. The matter was moved from the High Court to the Supreme Court. Then, the Supreme Court also made it clear that it is not necessary for a person who changes his religion to also change his name.
In that decision, the Supreme Court had said: “It is not necessary that if a person adopts a religion his entire family also adopts that religion.” It is an established law that a person can change his religion and beliefs, but not the caste to which he belongs. Because caste is related to birth.
There is no caste, only the last name can be changed!
The caste of any person can be known by his surname. One such case came before the Delhi High Court. Then the High Court had said that the surname can be changed, but not the caste.
This matter came to court last year. Then, two CBSE students requested to change their father’s surname in their 10th and 12th marksheets. When CBSE refused to do so, the matter reached the High Court. Both students were brothers and said they had to face caste harassment because of their surname.
The High Court had directed CBSE to change the surname in the certificate. The High Court had said that if a person does not want to be identified by his caste to avoid discrimination, then he has the right. They have every right to have that identity, which gives them a prestigious and respectable identity in the society.
The High Court had made it clear that changing your surname would not change your caste.
What happens to castes when religion changes?
If a person changes from being a Hindu to being a Muslim or a Christian, there is not much of a caste problem. If a Dalit or tribal converts to Muslim or Christian from Hindi, he does not get the benefit of reservation.
This is because the Presidential Order of 1950 says that only those who are Hindu can avail the benefits of reservation for scheduled castes. Buddhists and Sikh Dalits have also been included in this. This order has been challenged before the Supreme Court. The matter is in the court itself. This order has been declared unconstitutional. It has also been demanded that Dalits who have changed their religion to become Muslim-Christians should also get the benefit of reservation.
The Central Government had submitted an affidavit saying that the Scheduled Castes accept Christianity or Islam so that they can exit the system as untouchables. Because the people of Christian and Islamic society have never had to face such backwardness and oppression.
At the same time, in a decision, the Supreme Court made it clear that if a person changes his religion and returns to his old religion, he will also regain his caste.
In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in a case that a person can receive the benefit of scheduled caste upon returning to the Hindu religion, if he adopts that caste. But that person will have to prove that his ancestors belonged to the same caste before adopting any other religion. In addition, you must also prove that after your return you have been accepted by said community.
In general, caste cannot be changed. The Supreme Court has also considered caste as innate.
