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A weekly Christian newspaper reaches my home every Sunday. It's not free, of course. I conceded to the request of an acquaintance and paid the annual subscription. The paper usually goes directly to the newspaper stack unread. Today as I was about to shelve it, a report caught my eyes.
The front page report was about a Catholic priest who was arrested in Jharkhand on charges of forced conversions and encroachment of tribal lands. The report also mentions the earlier arrest of a Missionaries of Charity [Mother Teresa's congregation] nun for allegedly selling the child of a young unwed mother. Arrests of Christian missionaries on fabricated charges are becoming a routine affair in many North Indian states, adds the report.
Religion doesn't interest me at all and I usually don't care about such affairs. I don't think converting anyone from his/her religion is necessary in order to do charitable services. However, if anyone wishes to adopt another religion, he should have the liberty to do so. Who else but the individual concerned has the right to decide which god he will worship? What has the government or judiciary got to do with that?
I don't accept the argument that the Christian missionaries are involved in rampant conversions. If it were so, why doesn't the Christian population in the country increase? The percentage of Christians in India was 2.3 in the 1951 census, and it was again the same figure of 2.3 in 2011 census.
Someone once told me that many of the converts are "crypto-Christians" [they don't declare their religion openly]. Given the duplicity that is inherent in the Indian DNA, this may not be a far-fetched claim. If the claim is true, what it means is that such people accept a different religion just for the material benefits it brings them. The religion matters little to them; what really matter are the material benefits. Then the solution to the problem is quite simple: give them the material benefits through government policies and projects. Enable them to live dignified lives and they won't change their religions. Why don't the governments do that?
The governments seem to be more interested in oppressing certain people, instead. Look at Modi's Kashmir and Yogi's UP, for example. 80,000 troops of soldiers have been keeping the people of Kashmir under virtual lockup from 1 August. The roads are blocked, telephones are dead, shops remain closed, and newspapers have shut down. "The state has gone back by 30 years," as a resident told a reporter of the Caravan magazine.
The Frontline quotes Akhilesh Yadav that "no section of the population (in Yogi's UP) is safe from the marauding Sangh Parivar-driven vandals." Fear is the dominant emotion in the state. Anyone can be lynched with impunity, any woman can be raped and/or killed, anything can happen to anyone.
That fear is permeating out of the state into other parts of the country. The arrests of missionaries are just the tip of the iceberg. Anyone can be labelled antinational or something like that and be arrested today.
The greatest tragedy probably is that the majority of Indians seem to love all these. That is the biggest achievement of Modi. He has the support of the majority for perverting the national psyche. India is not one nation any more. The steamroller is moving on, however, and the ever-rising number of arrests is part of the game of One nation, one religion, one language.
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Totally agree with you.
ReplyDeleteBut am afraid Modi bhakts would misunderstand you and may b backlash you.
www.shaandaarjenie.com
The bhakts generally don't understand much of what i write and hence leave me alone.
DeleteI really don't like to make any political comments but glad you express your views on how you feel.
ReplyDeleteCan we live without being political at all?
DeleteI agree to your view. This accusation on the Christian community is age old.Its easy to accuse others but do they have the guts or the will to do what the missionaries are doing?
ReplyDeleteThat's a valid question. I have witnessed what the Missionaries of Charity do for the lowest sections of people. No organisation will ever be willing to do that sort of service.
DeleteReading this article I can't bring myself to comment to one side. It is a grey area. The works of missionaries are questioned for long. Specially around the Bihar-Jharkhand-Odisha belt.
ReplyDeleteMoving to one nation,one religion,one language talk, India is a diverse nation. How can we eliminate our diversity and merge all based on political agenda? No sane Indian would go by the slogan.
In a forthcoming book, “The RSS Roadmap for the 21st Century”, to be released by none less than Mohan Bhagwat, the author states that the final goal of RSS is to create a Hindu Rashtra with little space for non-Hindus. Though a few "sane" people like you argue that it would be neither feasible nor desirable, the majority of Hindus in India seem to be waiting just for that.
DeleteIt's sad that now such things are happening and we are silent and help less.
ReplyDeleteSilent and helpless. Yes. Those who have families to care for won't dare to question the dominant forces. If you question, you're likely to end up in jail if not in your grave. That's the real India today.
DeleteWhen it comes to converting people to give some benefits in someone's name I am not sure I understand it. .. it's charity if you want to do it just do it why conversion or even bother telling i am doing and showing it to others. That's hypocrisy. | #Damurureads #myfriendalexa
ReplyDeleteThe question is how rampant is such conversion.
DeleteBeing in a secular country people have their freedom to follow the rleuguon they wish to and that shouldn't be forced.#myfriendalexa #tmmreads
ReplyDeleteBut India won't be a secular nation anymore soon.
Deleteso well written up it was great reading ...
ReplyDeleteI was able to relate with every word. I have several Christian friends and a product of missionary school. People mix politics and religion to extract their own benefits. I am glad you had the courage to narrate it the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI think if one has to do charity we must not ask the religion. Charity should be done to upliftment of those who are in need.
ReplyDeleteAgreed totally.
DeleteTotally agree with you. Charity shouldn't be dependant on religion
ReplyDeleteI can here agree with you as I don't see every religion secured in One Nation India.
ReplyDelete