Thanks to Pope
Thanks to Pope
Cho Ramaswamy
BJP Today
December 1-31, 1999
Title: Thanks to Pope
Author: Cho Ramaswamy
Publication: BJP Today
Date: December 1-31,
1999
"Christianity is synonymous
with proselytisation is the view held by some Hindu organisations" wrote
'Economist', a leading magazine in U.K., before Pope's arrival to India.
But one cannot ignore
the several issues which have erupted following the airing of his views
by the Pope when in India.
"Freedom of religion
includes freedom to convert. If one wants to change his religion and get
converted, no one has any right to bring about a change in his intention
directly or indirectly. In the first 1000 years after Christ, Christianity
was established in Europe, in the second millenium in Africa and in the
third millenium Christianity should reap a good harvest in Asia". That
was the papal declaration while in India.
Organisations like V.H.P.
are concerned over whether any such harvest is being planned. And the Pope's
pronouncement shows precisely that such a harvest plan does exist.
The Pope should have
taken care to avoid such talks. It is sad that he did not want to avoid
it. There are lot of noble ideas in Christian religious teaching. Had Pope
dwelt on them, it would have added dignity to his visit. But he has spoken
in a manner which has kicked up controversy. Having accepted the hospitality
of the Indian Government, he has failed to respect the sentiments of the
majority of people of this country.
If Christianity is to
reap a rich harvest in India, it means that Hindu religion stands to lose
a lot. As the pope has not so far spoken of expecting a harvest in Islamic
countries, it is clear that he has no plans to reap a harvest from out
of Muslims and hence Hindu religion is the fertile ground for harvests.
And this shows that the V.H.P. expressing concern is quite in place.
Pope spoke in praise
of secularism in India. In the same breath he talked of reaping a harvest,
giving rise to the question, whether he respects that secularism or intends
to exploit it.
The Church is ready to
enter into hearty dialogue with the followers of other religions, said
the Pope and quickly added the reason for doing so. He has said, that religions
could propagate the beliefs but to attain fulfillment only through belief
in Jesus Christ. That is, while he hints at a dialogue with Hindus it is
just "to seek refuge in Jesus to attain fulfillment". Thus even a dialogue
has conversion as its basis.
In my view, Hindus need
not have to go anywhere seeking fulfillment or perfection. The completeness
of the belief system In Hindu religion is hard to come by anywhere else,
I think. Is there a question that Hindus religion has not analysed? Does
there exist a problem unsolved by Hindu religion? And is it not the path
of Dharma that is shown by Hindu religion?
Hindu religion has the
answer to all questions such as: What after death? Why is it that while
one is happy, the other Is sad? Which way to attain God? The path of Bhakti?
That of knowledge? Or self control? Which one is great, sanyasa or family
life? What are the various stages ordained for a human being?
What are the actions
and attitudes to be discarded by man? What are the thoughts that are harmful
to a human being? What is the right path to be chosen? How to love not
only fellow humans but the flora and fauna in God's creation? How can man
elevate himself What is one's social responsibility?
Hindu religion has gone
into ever so many questions such as these, debated them, accommodating
supplementary questions and answering them as well, so that even a dullard
like me can grasp it. Hindu religion thus helped me to uplift myself. That
is Hindu religion, the path of Dharma.
If one wants to be affluent,
perhaps one can achieve it through other religions. If one craves for fulfillment
one need not forsake Hindu religion.
Hindu religion accepts
that there are several paths leading to God. That is why a true Hindu respects
people following other religions as well. Again, that is how Christianity
and Islam could strike roots and flourish in India. Christian religion
also is respected in India because the true Hindu respects other religion.
Hindu religion never says "If you don't accept my religion, you will languish
in eternal hell". 'Truth is one, Rishis have said it in different ways"
That is how Hindu religion puts it.
Just because we respect
our neighbour, it doesn't mean that all in our house should rush to the
neighbour's house and live there. We cannot think of doing that. Likewise,
just because Hindus respect other religions, it doesn't mean that Hindus
will have to meekly welcome the instigation to desert Hindus religion.
It is one thing for a
person to be convinced and get converted; it is altogether another thing
to attempt converting en masse to effect a harvest. One is the selfish
calculations of an individual: it cannot be questioned. But the other is
the conspiracy of 'child lifters' and it has to be thwarted.
Planned conversion has
in it the tendency of interfere with one' s beliefs. Coming, as it did,
from the head of Christians world wide, the call to "reap a harvest", will
only amount to become a diktat, "go and interfere with the other' s beliefs".
Hence the way Pope has
spoken is very much below his status and dignity and definitely he has
not reciprocated in a fit manner to the official welcome by the Government
of India and hospitality extended to him.
At the same time, we
cannot deny the fact that Pope's visit has added some big gains to India.
Through his speech, the Pope has made it very clear to Indians that leaders
of other religions praise our secular nature A even if to render it subserve
their calculations. Pope's visit has also driven home the point that, if
one has the right to propagate "Yes to conversion", one has also the right
to propagate "No to conversion". Again, Pope's visit has focussed on the
point that though it is very difficult to accept some methods of the Hindu
organisations, there really lies a root cause for their concern. All this
bodes well.
The rich yield anticipated
by the Pope will not materialise. This is because what Pope sowed A having
the harvest in his mind's eye A was not the seed on the field i.e., Hindu
religion. It is manure which he has sprayed and the land of Hindu religion
is beholden to the Pope for that.
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