TNPSC reported in 2013 (4) CTC 53 rendered by His Lordship Mr.Justice V.Ramasubramanian (As His Lordship Then Was), it was held that TNPSC was right in treating a candidate who converted to Islam as belonging to the category of “other communities”. Interestingly, the Hon'ble Judge described his earlier decision rendered in W.P. Nos.9150 and 10859 of 2012 dated 10.1.2013 as not representing the correct position in law. Reliance was placed on Kailash Sonkar v. Maya Devi (1984) 2 SCC 91 and G.Michael v. S.Venkateswaran [1952 (1) MLJ 239 ]. In G.Michael, it was observed that a member of one of the castes or sub-castes when he is converted to Islam ceases to be a member of any caste. He becomes just a Mussalman and his place in Muslim society is not determined by the caste to which he belonged before his conversion. This decision of the Madras High Court was approvingly cited in K.P.Manu v. Scrutiny Committee (2015) 4 SCC 1 . In Kailash Sonkar , it was held that the caste to which a Hindu belongs is essentially determined by birth and that if a Hindu is converted to Christianity or another religion which does not recognize caste, the conversion amounts to loss of the said caste. The original caste remains under eclipse and as soon as the person is reconverted to the original religion, the eclipse disappears and the caste automatically revives.
