Author: M.G. Vaidya
Publication: Organiser
Date: September 3, 2000
The 18th August newspapers
carried a report of the discussion in the Lok Sabha about attacks on minorities.
I was glad to notice that the discussion was serious. But I was disappointed
to read Shri P.A. Sangma's charge that the attacks on Christians
increased after the BJP-led NDA Government came to power at the Centre.
I have always regarded Shri Sangma as a very reasonable person. He
is not a rabble-rouser. Even he chose to make that charge, in the
face of so many truths and falsehoods that came to light subsequently,
betrays that his being a Christian has overpowered his reason.
Shri Sangma very well
knows that 'after it' does not mean 'because of it'. What did the
BJP-led Government do, as regards the minorities, especially the Christian,
to earn their displeasure? Prime Minister Vajpayee visited the strife-torn
Dangs, he simply said that there be a national debate on conversion.
What was wrong in this? Why was the Church afraid of a debate? Does Sangma
want the whole of Bharat be left as free field for the Church to proselytise
people by means foul or fair? Unfortunately that is the impression that
he gives. The anger of the people is not against the Christian society,
it is against the Church which is hell-bent on employing aggressive methodology
for conversion.
I will not dilate on
the methods adopted by the Church in the middle ages. Their notoriety
is well known. I will request Shri Sangma and the people of his ilk
just to go through a document, entitled Ecclesia in Asia which was presented
by Pope John Paul II, to the Bishops' Conference in Delhi on November 6,
1999. In the introduction to Ecclesia in Asia the Pope exhorts the
bishops and priests of Asia as under. I will quote just a few exhortations
of His Holiness:
(a) "Just as in the first
millennium the Cross was planted on the soil of Europe, and in the second
on that of Americas and Africa, we can pray that in the third Christian
Millennium a great harvest of faith will be reaped in this vast and vital
continent."
(b) "The Second Vatican
Council taught clearly that the entire Church is missionary and the work
of evangelization is the duty of the whole people of God."
(c) "Catholic schools
should continue to be places where the faith can be freely proposed and
received. In the same way Catholic Universities, in addition to pursuing
the academic excellence for which they are already well-known, must retain
a clear Christian identity in order to be a Christian leaven in Asian societies."
(The word "leaven" is significant.)
(d) "Indeed they (Synod
Fathers) expressed the convictions that the heart of the Church in Asia
will be restless until the whole of Asia finds rest in the peace of Christ,
the Risen Lord." The intention behind the outwardly spiritual language
is quite obvious and that is to convert people to Christianity. If
Hindu organisations rise to halt the rampant and aggressive conversion,
should we blame them? Someone may ask why Hindu organisations alone? Because
the Church dare not touch the Muslim population. Are not Muslim poor
and illiterate? Why does the Church not go to their localities to preach
the Gospel? No. They will never dare to go there. They will
target the Hindus only, because they think that Hindus are a soft target.
Hindus tolerate anything,
even insult and denigration of their religion and religious symbols.
Now the RSS and other organisations that are inspired by it have decided
not to tolerate the insult to their gods and religions. They have
made abundantly clear that they would not tolerate fraudulent and forceful
conversion. The Church is jittery because it is not succeeding in
its efforts as before. Have Hindu organisations no right to defend
their religions? One can understand Congress Party's haste in trying to
dislodge the Vajpayee Government.
Why should the Christian
Church entangle itself in the political web? Take the case of Jhabua rape
episode. Why should the Church issue statements and arrange demonstrations
against the RSS, VHP or Bajrang Dal? The Church did not mind playing the
Congress game, though they knew that the perpetrators of that heinous crime
were some other people. In the Dangs, crescendo grew even louder,
obliviating the fact it was a conflict between the newly baptised Christian
tribals and other Hindu tribals. In Orissa's Baripada rape episode,
it was established that there was no rape, only a false hue and cry about
it.
In missionary Stains'
murder, the Wadhwa Commission report is there for all to base their conclusions.
As for the alleged attacks around Agra and Mathura, the Minority Commision's
findings are there for all to see. So were the incidents in Haryana.
And then came very recently, the attacks on churches and Christian graveyards
in AP, Karnataka and Goa. Without an iota of evidence, RSS was maligned,
and through RSS the whole of Hindu society. And what was the demand
of the Christian leaders in AP? Withdraw support from the NDA Government.
Can you blame anyone
if he says that the Church was hand in glove with the Congress party in
maligning the BJP-led Government? In a conspiracy to tarnish the RSS the
Church has tarnished itself. Why has the Church become so active
in political stratagems? Is it because it wants Sonia Gandhi, who is a
Roman Catholic Christian, to be the Prime Minister?
May I remind the members
of Parliament, of all hues and colours, that the States of MP and Orissa
passed a law against conversion by force, fraud and allurement. They
were not BJP Governments. Why were these States required to enact
such laws and why did the Christians rush to the High Courts to challenge
the laws? I hope Shri Sangma and his secular friends will ponder over this
question.
In these two States,
there is no ban on conversion. I am of the opinion that there need
be no ban. But the means must be decent. There are rules framed
by these Governments, for conversions to take place. But throughout
these three decades Church is flouting these rules with impunity.
Contrast this with the procedure adopted by the Puri Sankaracharya, when
he reconverted a few Christians to their original faith. He had given
a notice to the DM, as was required by the rules. Show me a single
instance when Church followed this procedure.
Christians have no reason
to feel insecure. They are not feeling insecure. Localities
of Christians are not attacked. No Christian has been rendered a
refugee like the Reangs from Mizoram or Hindus from the Kashmir Valley.
And Mizoram is a "Christian majority State". Why can't just five
per cent Reangs live there in peace? It is the Church leaders who feel
insecure because their nefarious dream of evangelization is not fulfilled
in the measure that they hoped for. I will not go back to Rajkot
where Bible was torn by angry guardians of the students studying in a Christian
school.
All people now know that
it was due to the mischief played by the Headmaster of that school in getting
a declaration from those minors that they regard Christ as their Saviour.
But I will quote a recent news-item from The Telegraph of Calcutta dated
July 25, 2000. The news- item, inter alia, says, "The National Liberation
Front of Tripura's alleged drive to forcefully convert Buddhist Chakmas
and Mog tribals in the State (read Tripura) has evoked a strong reaction
from the two minority communities. ... Expressing concern over
the issue, Chakma leader Indrakumar Chakma said, 'Changing one's religious
faith is a personal prerogative of any individual. But the way the
NLFT has been putting pressure is a matter of deep concern'." Let the so-called
secularists raise their voice for the woes of Chakmas, Reangs and Mogs,
instead of raising a false alarm about the attacks on Christians.
(The author is a member of the Kendriya Karyakari Mandal of the RSS.)
