Renewal of Attack on the
Hindus
Renewal of Attack on the
Hindus
Title: Renewal of attack on the Hindus
Author: Ashok Chowgule
Date: 24 January, 1999
The Christians will use the incident of burning of the priest in
Orissa to once again mount another attack on Hinduism and India.
The incidents in Dangs, in Gujarat, have been clearly established
to be a reaction to conversions. Even the so-called main line
churches are admitting that the so-called fringe churches are
creating problems. I have made an article in this respect, which
is being sent as a separate message.
Two things happened which turned the tide in favour of the truth.
One was the letter written by two Sarvodaya leaders who have been
operating in Dangs for the last fifty years have asked for a ban
on conversion. They also narrated that eighteen mandirs were
destroyed in Dangs in the last few years.
The second was a call for a debate on conversions by the Prime
Minister. Although this was guardedly welcomed by the Christian
churches, their apologists, both Christians and non-Christians,
vehemently criticised the Prime Minister. However, once the
conversion issue was in the open, many other things started to be
written, and this placed the anti-Hindu protagonist on the
defensive.
Moreover, incidents like Jhabua have been established to be
secular ones and not communal as it was first alleged. What
embarrassed the anti-Hindus is that right from the day one, they
had accused the members of the RSS and the VHP as being behind the
crime. Their mind set is exposed when one realises that they have
not apologised to the RSS and the VHP for holding them
responsible, and this crime is still included as one of the
incidents of attacks on Christians.
The incident in Orissa will give the anti-Hindus new vigour for
making further attacks on Hindus. The VHP has issued a statement
denying their involvement in the incident. They have also asked
for a proper inquiry and the guilty should be punished. The VHP
has also denied that any of the persons named as perpetrators of
the crime are in any way connected with the VHP or the Bajrang Dal.
Of course, this will not stop the church, and their apologists, to
mount their misinformation campaign, which contains of telling
lies and perversions.
The Australian missionary who was burnt, Fr Graham Stewart Staines,
has been conducting jungle camps in the area since 1980. The
objective of these days camps were to get people to convert. Most
of the success were from people in the category called Scheduled
Castes. Due to the political patronage that was available upon
conversion, many such converts used to do a lot of dadagiri in the
area, which caused friction with the Vanvasis. About two months
ago, two such converts had looted a bus, many of the passengers
being the Vanvasis. Although the two were arrested, and put in
jail, no further actions was being taken. Due to a lack of proper
governmental action, the Vanvasis decided to take the law in their
own hands. They stormed the jail, took out the two and lynched
them. It is to be noted that in this action none of the other
prisoners were hurt.
From the church documents, some of which is also available on the
net, it is clear that Orissa is one of the target for conversion
in India. The various Christian missionaries have devoted a lot of
their resources for this activity. At the same time, Hindu
organisations have also mobilised themselves, and operate in the
area. What has to be recognised is that there is a Hindu reaction
to a Christian action. The Christian provocation has not stopped,
as can be seen from continued simmering all over the country. As
the Hindu organisations have been saying, time and time again, the
problem is conversions. Unless there is a clear stop to such
activities, the Hindu reaction will continue. But, while
condemning the reaction, let us also condemn the action. And let
there be a clear undertaking about when the actions will stop.
It is unfortunate that the Government of India is taking an
apologetic position on the issue, particularly the case of
internationalisation of these attacks. The Government of India
must come out forcefully and say that it is the Hindu tradition to
not attack members of other religion. But, it is also a Hindu
tradition that they will not retaliate if the attacks by others
persist. In the aftermath of the Satanic Verses controversy,
Clifford Longley, who advises the Prince of Wales on Islam, wrote:
“The very presence of Muslims in Britain can only be on terms
which are acceptable to the majority.” Is it too much to ask the
Christians to reciprocate the same sentiments? Are the Hindus so
depraved that they need to seek salvation from an alien religion?
Particularly a religion which is on the decline in the Christian
countries?
When the Germans talk to India about the incidents, let there also
be a discussion on the treatment of the Turkish guest workers in
Germany. When the British talk to India about the incidents, let
there also be a discussion on the ‘dot-busters’ in Britain.
When the Americans talk to India about the incidents, let there
also be a discussion on the destruction of more than a hundred
black churches by white supremacist in the United States. When the
Australians talk to India about the incidents, let there also be a
discussion on the treatment of the aborigines in Australia.
The intention is not to justify the incidents, and there is no
objective of saying two wrongs make a right. The intention is to
place the incidents in the right perspective, and also to tell
them what is internal affairs and what is not. The intention is
also to expose that the whole process of internationalisation is
because the country is India and the faith is Hinduism.
For the last one year, there have been Christian-Muslim riots in
Indonesia. Not only have the churches been destroyed, but
Christians have been killed. As recent as January 20 or 21, seven
Christians were killed in that country. The attacks have been not
only on the Chinese, but also the tribals converted to
Christianity, most of whom are quite poor. The church in Indonesia
has sought to down play the incidents, which are much more brutal
and organised than in India. And in most cases, the attacks on
Christians have been an action taken by the local Muslims, and not
a reaction to a provocation by the Christians. At the time of
Christmas celebrations, the church hierarchies asked their flock
to tone down the celebrations, so as not to ‘provoke’ the
Muslims.
The Hindus want to know what is the reason for the double
standards. It is clear to them that the Christians are abusing the
hospitality that is offered to them by the Hindus.
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