HVK Archives: Stop conversions
Stop conversions - The Afternoon Despatch & Courier
A. R. Kanangi
()
November 14, 1998
Title: Stop conversions
Author: A. R. Kanangi
Publication: The Afternoon Despatch & Courier
Date: November 14, 1998
"Who was Krishna? He was a thief Did he not steal butter?' How
can he be God? Come to us, come to the real God and you will be
saved."
That was what the missionary man said - way back in a village.
The British were still ruling India and foreign and Indian
missionaries had a field day. They carried on their
proselytising activities in the open. They held special
meetings at which one of the main attractions was a meal. At
these meetings, Hinduism was attacked, ridicule was heaped on
Hindu Gods. In every village and town, Hinduism was distorted
and misinformation spread. I do not know whether those who did
the propaganda were paid agents. It was obvious of course a lot
of money came from abroad.
Bible classes
In all schools run by Christian missionaries, there were
compulsory Bible classes. Children were brainwashed. Special
concessions were given to Christian pupils. The Hindus or
Muslims got second-class treatment. The Christian boys were the
privileged ones. The rest were unfortunate pagans.
Many a conversion used to take place in missionary-run
hospitals. The dying were administered the holy water, baptised
and sent to heaven. Those hovering between life and death,
requiring treatment desperately had no go but to convert.
These were some of the "free and voluntary" ways of conversion.
It was only in the early years of European rule that torture was
resorted to convert Hindus. Later on, this violent form was
abandoned and subtle ways were adopted to convert people.
They all burned with missionary zeal. They were a committed
lot.
They worked mainly among the illiterate, backward, poor classes.
They left the educated, the pandits and the thinking people
alone. They offered a most effective bait: a meal to the
starving man. They did it with sustained propaganda and food.
Things however started becoming difficult for them after the
British left. They continued for a while but they could not
carry on because they lost the support of the rulers. Hindu
organisations like the RSS, Intellectuals like Vivekananda
initiated moves to stop their proselytising activities. One by
one, the foreign missions have closed shop and left the country.
But operation conversion continues.
We hear every now and then of reports about attempts at mass
conversions. Very often they fail to bring it off as swift
counter moves are made by Hindus to stop them.
The problem is they cannot rest until they convert the pagans.
It is a divine order and they must carry it out. The pagans
will cause problems but "we will overcome". They use the radio
and the TV to carry on propaganda. They use the Sri Lanka TV
and they have a programme on the Chennai radio. They promise
the world to the listeners, they promise all the sins will
vanish. Come to me and you will be healed. A lame man can
walk, the deaf can hear, cancer can be cured. Just get converted
and see what happens. They have lot of printed stuff which they
distribute. Looks like they have a lot of money at their
disposal. Europe and America covertly carry on conversion
activities.
But their wings have been clipped. They are frustrated they
cannot carry on like they could when India was under Christian
rulers.
Hindu organisations like the RSS or Vishwa Hindu Parishad have
nothing against the Christian religion. They have never
interfered with the practise of religion. All the churches in
the country are carrying on as usual. Christians are, like
other citizens, totally free to practise their religion.
All that they say is "stop conversions". Do not claim that
conversions are voluntary and free. Do your own thing, but let
others do their's. There is nothing "spiritual" about
conversions. Do not cheat the poor and the illiterate by
placing illusions
and dangling a loaf of bread before them. Do not unleash
propaganda material printed abroad. Do not receive money from
foreign missions and become their agents. And do not cry from
housetops that Christianity is in danger.
And do not make a political issue out of it.
Leaders of the Christian religion are now being sought after by
politicians, particularly from the Congress party. I was amused
when I read about the Christian rally in Bangalore on Thursday.
Some one lakh Christians attended it. They 'were protesting
against the "destruction of Christian schools and churches in
North India". Can there be a more baseless charge? Not a
single school, not any church has been touched in North India.
How did this lie spread? Who is doing the false propaganda.
The Centre -- the BJP -- is being blamed for not "preserving the
secular, fabric of the country." Justifying conversion, a leader
at the rally said: "We are not in the business of conversion,
but compassion."
The Hindus are to some extent responsible themselves for
creating a situation which lends itself to exploitation by
proselytising missions. Let us have a look at a village scene:
a small street, at the head of which there are the residence of
so-called upper caste persons. Down the road, segregated is a
colony -- of the lower classes. They do menial work as well as
work in the fields of the upper-caste Hindus. Not a single
upper caste man will ever step into the house of the "shudra".
Of course, the girls of the lower class are good enough for
occasional sex.
And then into this scenario, the "compassion" man enters. He
offers a few goodies and what is more, he offers a chance of
equality to the tribal and lower classes. Treated like dirt by
the upper-class, regarded as scums of the village, the people
are ready for conversion.
Hindu society
If the VHP wants to prevent conversion, it must ensure that the
existing divisions in Hindu society are removed. It is
unfortunate that the Shankaracharyas rigidly hold on to the four
class division. They will not accept equality. There is a
change in the perception of the "lower classes" and when they
get an offer from any religion that guarantees them equal
status, they, naturally opt for it. Hence quite a few Hindus
have become Buddhists and Christians. It must be stated however
conversion to Buddhism -- unlike Christianity -- is totally
voluntary.
It is time Christians, Muslims and other religious groups
stopped proselytising completely. Tensions will be created If
attempts at conversion go on. Paid agents of the church have to
look for some other job and save themselves. And also it is
time we stopped false propaganda and the spread of false news.
For instance, a hue and cry was raised when four nuns were raped
in Madhya Pradesh and accusing fingers were pointed at the BJP
The police have now arrested the culprits and out of them one
was a Congressman and three were Christians.
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