Karnataka: Back to Hinduism after embracing Islam 24 years ago

Mysuru: Twenty-four years ago he changed his religion and  from being called Sheshadri came to be known as Syed Abbas. Having converted to Islam, the lorry driver from Mandya, went on to marry a Muslim woman and have two sons with her. 

But on Tuesday Syed Abbas reverted to Hinduism  in a “Ghar Waapsi” programme conducted by Sri Ram Sene chief, Pramod Mutalik, at the Aarya Samaj and assumed his old name.  His 22- year- old son, Syed Aarthik, who also decided to embrace Hinduism, now has a  new name,  Harshal.

Now 52,  Sheshadri was born in a Hindu Brahmin family, but lost his mother when he was two- years- old, and his father when he was in class VII.  Working with a Muslim lorry driver , he became interested in Islam and embraced it in 1993. While he married a Muslim woman, she  left him two years ago, and his younger son recently left to stay with her too.

“I wanted to return to my religion but needed some strong support. So I contacted Mr Pramod Mutalik and now my son who stays with me and I have reverted to Hinduism,” he told Deccan Chronicle.

Denying that he was under any pressure from anybody to return to the religion of his birth, he said, “ I don’t belong to the BJP or the Sri Rama Sene and I have no interest in politics either. I have the freedom and the right to follow any  religion I am comfortable in. I have only returned to my nest. If my wife and other son come back to me, I will leave it to them to decide if they want to take to Hinduism or remain Muslims. I will take care of them whatever their decision.”

Harshal who is doing his MSc in Chemistry at a college in Toobinkere, said he  was impressed by Hindu philosophy and so decided to convert. “There was no pressure,” he insisted.