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This question bothered Indian Americans the most, for it came to the fore when Vice-President JD Vance expressed the hope that his Hindu wife, Usha, will one day embrace Christianity. While this statement is widely read as his attempt to curry favour with the Christian Right who look at Usha as an interloper in their Christian country, it raised hackles all around in the Indian community.
But here’s the result: Among Hindus and those with no religious affiliation the rejection of conversion after marriage is rejected by more than three-quarters of the sample surveyed. Hindus said no 77 percent and those without religious affiliation 75 percent.
But this should be no surprise: Among Indian Christians, 43 percent said it would be okay to seek a conversion of the spouse, and among Muslims it was 57 percent.
This is consistent with the fact that both Christianity and Islam seek conversions, and true believers often have to affirm that theirs is the only true religion. So why should spouses be left out of the process of conversion?
The survey also highlights another reality: Hindus are the ones most willing to believe in letting spouses retain their religions.
Now, go figure which community is most religiously liberal? If Indian Muslims and Christians who have migrated or settled in America can still believe that conversion should follow marriage in large numbers, why would that same attitude not prevail in more conservative Indian Christians and Muslims in India?
RCPIM is a substantial reality in India.
