Author: Editorial
Publication: News Today
Date: October 10, 2008
URL: http://newstodaynet.com/newsindex.php?id=11295%20&%20section=13
The problem in Kandhamal district of Orissa
is two-dimensional.
One is communal and the other is social.
The communal side of the issue is that the
unabated evangelisation perpetrated by the Church & Missionaries in the
name of freedom to propagate their religion is a sheer abuse of the Constitutional
provisions. The social side is the demand of the converted 'Pana' Scheduled
Castes for the 'tribal' benefits enjoyed by the 'Kandh' Scheduled Tribes.
It is not fair on a Scheduled Caste community
to claim the benefits, which are enshrined only for Scheduled Tribes, just
because they speak the same language.
Also when the Church & Missionaries commit
themselves that they would provide education, employment and health care and
convert the Pana SCs, they do it in the name of 'equality'.
Instead of living up to their commitments,
the Church apparently instigates the converted Panas to demand the ST benefits
on par with the Kandhs. So, it not unnatural for the Kandhs to feel agitated.
The evangelical missionaries, with the help
of hired Maoists, are reprtedly instigating riots, as they fear the reconversion
of Panas to Hinduism, especially after the sustained social service undertaken
by Hindu social organisations and religious leaders.
This is what lead to the brutal murder of
Swami Lakshmanananda after several attempts before. This heinous murder of
a nonagenarian Swami and his four disciples on the auspicious day of Krishna
Jayanthi landed as a huge assault on the pride & self-esteem of the Hindu
tribes, who had been revering him.
When a spontaneous retaliation occurred, the
Church and Missionaries, tacitly resorted to internationalise the local issue
and gain sympathy from western countries by playing 'victims'. As the 'secular'
media has also been projecting only one side of the story, the complex catena
of events has been mis-presented.
Anarchy will prevail as long as the laws are
violated and the Constitutional provisions are abused. Abusing the freedom
to propagate religion, converting people en masse through allurement, coercion
and deceit, denigrating Hinduism and demanding reservation benefits on religious
grounds are some of the violation of laws and once such violations are stopped
peace will automatically return.
The Christian leadership must recognise the
root cause of the problem, identify the foreign-funded rogue organisations
within their community, which indulge in irresponsible evangelisation and
prevail upon them for a peaceful solution.
Having this in mind, the opposition leader
L K Advani has taken the initiative of starting the dialogue process, when
he met Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi, Archbishop Raphael Cheenath
of Orissa, Rev Dominic Emmanuel of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese and Swami
Chidanand Saraswati of Paramarth Niketan, Rishikesh, on Wednesday, proposing
an inter-faith dialogue to prevent the recurrence of inter-community conflict.
The joint statement appealing for peace and
dialogue seems to be encouraging; the Catholic Leaders must show sincerity
and seriousness in addressing the root cause of the issue and reining in the
evangelical businesses. The opposition leader has done what the Prime Minister
has failed to do and he needs to be appreciated for that.
The central government must grab this initiative
shown by the opposition leader as a good opportunity and continue the peace
process by cooperating with Advani instead of trying to find fault with the
Orissa government. The Advani initiated dialogue process must proceed towards
achieving the objective pf peace and tranquility for people.