Author: V Sundaram
Publication: News Today
Date: July 4, 2006
URL: http://www.newstodaynet.com/2006sud/06jul/0407ss1.htm
In Andhra Pradesh we have a Congress gvernment
under a Christian Chief Minister who takes instructions from an effete UPA
Government in New Delhi which is under the stranglehold of International Roman
Catholicism. The Andhra Pradesh government has been using its official agencies
for purposes of State-sponsored, State-aided and State-abetted proselytism
in Andhra Pradesh in a shamelessly flagrant manner during the last two years.
Y Samuel Rajasekar Reddy seems to be under
the mistaken impression that he can behave like Henry VIII (1509-1547) of
Tudor England and that he can take Andhra Pradesh back to the 16th century
using the International Roman Catholic might of the UPA government in New
Delhi.
A great champion of Sanatana Dharma and one
who is known for her fearless journalism, Sandhya Jain has rightly observed
in a recent article entitled 'Sacrilege at Tirupati Hills: 'The current initiative
of Sri Swarupanandendra Swami of the Visakhapatnam-based Sri Sarada Peetham
to mobilise Hindu seers to protect dharma in the face of rising depredations
by evangelists has not come a day too soon. While religious conversions are
innately offensive, the rising political eminence of an Italian-born Roman
Catholic has witnessed a corresponding growth of aggressive proselytising
at famous Hindu pilgrimages and holy sites. Sonia Gandhi has reinforced missionary
muscle by sponsoring the rise of Christians in Congress State governments
and party units on an unprecedented scale. Non-Christian Congress Chief Ministers
have been made to acquiesce in missionary activities, and outrageously 'leaky'
welfare schemes have been floated for the benefit of the tax-free NGO industry,
most of which is anti-Hindu.'
With his known hatred for Hinduism, Y Samuel Rajasekhara Reddy is unlikely
to ban physical and psychological encroachment upon the sacred spaces of Hinduism.
What is for Hindus, of cosmic, significance and for proselytizers, of cosmic,
significance, is that the Andhra Pradesh government does not permit Panchayat
elections in Tirumala in view of its spiritual eminence and at the same time
a Seventh Day Adventist Chief Minister permits predatory monotheistic faiths
with a proven criminal record of international terrorism and violence for
more than 1000 years to have a free run of the Tirumala hills. The Governor
of Andhra Pradesh should take serious note of the blatantly anti-Hindu postures
and policies of an Evangelical Chief Minister in Andhra Pradesh and recommend
to the President of India the institution of appropriate proceedings for the
prevention of inter-religious wars in Andhra Pradesh and more particularly
in Tirumala hills area.
If Hindus in majority throughout India do
not resist the diabolical moves of Andhra Pradesh government and Sonia Gandhi,
sooner than later we are bound to have a significant Christian lobby in Parliament,
through a fraudulently conceived amendment altering the basic structure of
the Constitution of India. Sandhya Jain rightly concludes that an East Timor-like
situation could develop in any part of the country where Western Christian
nations have a geo-strategic or purely economic interest. Their lust for the
mineral-rich north-east predates independence and is fostered by insurgency
movements backed by various church denominations.
Such fears are not unfounded even today. Four nuns were arrested from the
premises of Sri Venkateswara Ruia Government Hospital on charges of alleged
proselytism in the last week of June, 2006. According to hospital sources,
the nuns, who visited the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) funded government
hospital, asked the patients of their names and details to perform 'healing
prayers' in a local church last night. The hospital staff and attendants asked
the nuns not to indulge in such an act and leave the premises. On two earlier
occasions also, nuns had indulged in evangelical activities in Tirumala hills
and at the Sri Venkateswara University. By maintaining an attitude of Christianity-coveting
secular indifference, the Andhra Pradesh government has so far remained neutral
between the fire brigade and the fire.
Taking note of the serious situation developing
in Tirumala hills, His Holiness Sri Sri Visweswara Theertha of Pejawar Mutt,
Udipi appointed a Fact Finding Committee in April, 2006, under the chairmanship
of Justice G Bikshapathy. This committee was requested to ascertain the factual
position as regards the activities of Non-Hindu religious communities in Tirumala
and Tirupathi and to furnish a report to His Holiness for considering the
steps to be taken to prevent undesirable activities of the Christian and other
Non-Hindu communities.
The report of this committee was handed over
to Sri Sri Visweswara Theertha Swami of Pejawar Mutt at Bangalore on 3 July,
2006. Commenting on the report of this Committee, Pejawar Swami condemned
the evangelistic activities in Tirumala Hills highlighted by the Fact Finding
Committee. He stated: 'Every religion must work with its own precincts. The
trustees and employees of temples must be Hindus and the government should
take action against missionaries who are propagating Christianity within the
Tirumala Temple premises. Temple funds should be used for the propagation
of Hinduism. At the moment they are being used to send people to Mecca'.
The following are the major findings and recommendations
of the Fact Finding Committee appointed by Pejawar Swami:
(i) Members of the Christian community distributed
religious pamphlets and copies of Bible to the students who were returning
after writing the EAMCET examinations conducted at various centres in Tirupathi
in May, 2006. Some student organizations protested against these activities.
Police had to intervene to maintain law and order.
(ii) On 9 April, 2006, two Christians by name
Balaraju (pastor) and Babu while coming down from Tirumala to Tirupathi in
bus distributed pamphlets propagating Christianity to the pilgrims travelling
in that bus.
(iii) As per Rule 197 of APCHR and E Act 1987
the population living in Tirumala shall adhere to the norms and shall follow
the sentiments of Hindu Religion. As such thorough probe has to be taken up
to verify the antecedents of Non-Hindu employees who are working in TTD. The
identified employees and their families shall be shifted from Tirumala.
(iv) Some of the family members of the TTD
employees such as wife, children are practicing Christian ideology and inviting
the Pastors to conduct prayers in their houses at Tirumala. The above aspect
may be carefully examined and steps taken to prevent the above activities
in Tirumala.
(v) Two Christians viz. David (pastor) and
Kumar, were found propagating Christianity in Tirumala and they were handed
over to police. The police seem to have registered a case and kept them for
two days on remand.
(vi) On 21 May, 2006, Special Officer Sri
Dharma Reddy held press conference in which he stated that no Christian religious
propaganda was going on in Tirumala. It is evident that he is not taking a
serious view of these objectionable activities of the Christians at the holy
place of Tirumala.
(vii) Rule 198 of APCHR & E Act 1987 in
which anti-Hindu activities have been prohibited at Tirumala may be enforced
ruthlessly without fear or favour.
(viii) Educational institutions at Tirupathi
were established on TTD land and with TTD funds. It has been brought to the
notice of the Committee that in the colleges and hostels at Tirupathi, Christian
religious propagation is rampant. The Christian students themselves are acting
as propagators. Sri Deva Sangeetham, Principal of S V University College is
openly indulging in propagating and converting the students to Christianity
by making them go to Church, reading Bible and creating disaffection towards
Hindu religion. After Sri Deva Sangeetham has taken charge as Principal, the
practice of garlanding the portrait of Lord Venkateswara was stopped.
(xi) After Veena Noble Das took charge as
Vice-chancellor of Padmavathi Mahila University, she got removed the photos
of Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavathi from all the institutions of the
Mahila University and she also got removed the portrait of Lord Venkateswara
from her office and discontinued the practice of garlanding the portraits
of Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavathi everyday. Instead she kept a portrait
of Jesus Christ and the Cross on her office table. She is sending batches
of students in the University buses to the church. It is also stated that
in the Mahila University, the students are not allowed to have tilak on the
forehead now-a-days and that students putting tilak are being discriminated.
What is happening in Andhra Pradesh can only
be summarized in the words of John E Remsburg: 'The Bible is, for the most
part, the crude literature of the people who lived 2000 years, and more, ago.
Certain principles of right and wrong they recognized, but the finer principles
of morality were unknown to them.'
They were an ignorant people. An ignorant
people is generally a religious people and a religious people nearly always
an immoral people. They believe that they were God's chosen people 'favourites'
and that because of this they had the right to rob and cheat, to murder and
enslave the rest of mankind.
(The writer is a retired IAS officer)
e-mail the writer at vsundaram@newstodaynet.com