Author: K. S. Sudarshan
Publication: Organiser
Date: April 29, 2001
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
Sarsanghchalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan called for forming a federation of Indian
Christians who subscribed to the idea of a Swadeshi Church. This according
to him, would be the first step towards the creation of the National Church
in India which would be free from the foreign controls of all kinds.
The RSS Sarsanghchalak was speaking
as a chief guest after releasing the book The Indian Church? written by
senior journalist Virag Pachpore at the Scientific Society Hall here on
the auspicious day of Varsh Pratipada. Director of Indian institute of
Christian Studies, Kottayam, Shri Joseph Pulikunnel presided over the function.
Chairman of Bhaurao Deoras Human Resources' Research and Development Institute/Trust,
Nagpur, Shri Nitin Gadkari, was present at the programme. The Trust has
publisher the book penned by Shri Virag Pachpore, who had spent 14 years
in India's troubled northeastern region working among the Vanvasis in the
field of education etc. This book is the result of his research in the
activities of the Christian Missionaries in that region.
Exhorting the Christian community
to come forward Shri Sudarshan said that the nature of the proposed federation
could be deli upon by all concerned. All sects of Christianity could be
included in the federation, he said. If the Christian community in India
has to save itself from the influence and demerit of the European Christianity
and assimilate with the cultural m of the country, it should adhere to
the concept of National Church, the RSS Sarsanghchalak emphasised.
Shri Sudarshan further said that
the Christian community should come out of the foreign influence and discard
foreign funding, and added that the power and wealth of the Indian Churches
should be concentrated only in the hands of the Indian Christians.
Tracing down the progress of Christianity
right from its advent in India, Shri Sudarshan said that Christians staying
in this country since fourth century had assimilated with the culture and
tradition of the India. An ideal form of Christianity existed in Kerala,
he said, adding that the advent of the Portuguese, who politicised Christianity,
vitiated the atmosphere here.
Commenting on the state of Christianity
in the medieval centuries, he said when Emperor Constantine of Rome accepted
Christianity, it was contended that there would be more discipline as there
would be a command of a single faith. But after the death of Constantine,
the Pope retained all the powers of appointing the king. With this right
the papacy destroyed all the kingdoms and established its supreme power
over the European nations.
Stating that &m is no place
for women in Christianity, he quoted St. Peter's words in which the latter
had said that woman was not in the original scheme of things and that she,
being created out of a rib of a man, was an afterthought.
A debate was spurred in the 6th
and 7th century Europe on the issue of whether woman be considered human
or be classed with animals. In the 18th century an assembly of Bishops
ruled that Christian women may be considered human while women belonging
to other faiths were between humans and animals.
This ruling had an inexorable impact
on the European society where countless women were burnt alive and subjected
to inhuman tortures after being labelled as witches, the RSS Sarsanghchalak
said. Many books are now being written in Europe bringing out the darker
side of Christianity, he informed the gathering.
He further informed that around
1000 representatives of various religious faiths who gathered at the New
York Peace Summit held last year had signed a declaration upholding the
equality of all religions as different ways to reach to One God. However,
the Vatican while decrying the New York summit declaration came out with
a 36page document stating that no other religions are equal to the Roman
Catholic faith. The document also mentioned that those who were trying
to equate with the Roman Catholic faith were crossing the limits of tolerance.
Discussing the issue of Dalit Christians
in India, the Sarsanghchalak said that their condition is worse. It were
the Dalits in the Christian community in Kerala who had demanded reservation
in the Christianity institutions, but were denied the same. A demand that
was later given a national dimension by enjoining it with the demand of
reservation for dalits and OBCs on a national level by the Church leaders.
In his presidential address, Shri
Joseph Pulikunnel strongly criticised the role of priests and bishops in
the country and ill treatment meted out to people by them. Shri Joseph,
who challenged the papal law seeking to establish Pope's authority on the
property of churches in India through the bishops appointed by him, had
written a foreword to the book. Describing the bishops as the new avatars
of erstwhile maharajas, who enjoyed legislative, executive and judicial
powers conferred on them by the Vatican, he said that they did not heed
to the law of the land.
Shri Joseph also said that National
Church was not an agenda of the RSS but the agenda of we Indian Christians.
He thanked Shri Sudarshan for raising this issue at an appropriate time.
Though a staunch Catholic, Shri Joseph was critical of the bishops. These
bishops, he said, were not even ready to have a debate on the issue of
Swadeshi Church. Coming down heavily on the Church leaders, he said that
the Dalit Christians were not given reservation in educational institutions
run by the Church. "There are about 150 Christian colleges in Kerala, but
you will not find any Dalit working there", he alleged.
Later on, while interacting with
the journalists at a "Meet the Press" programme organised by the Nagpur
Union of Working Journalists (NUWJ) at Tilak Patrakar Bhavan here, Shri
Joseph said that in India alone the churches do not follow the state law
while in other foreign countries the churches are required to follow their
respective laws and governments. We feel that churches in this country
are behaving in arbitrary manner which should be checked in time. Therefore,
we are recommending to the Central government to, register all the churches
either as a trust or society, he said.
He said that only 0.9 per cent bishops
and nuns monitor all the decisions pertaining to Church administration
in India, and this should be changed. All the members of the Christian
community should get the right to participate in administration of churches,
he demanded.
Criticising the Bishops, he said
that they act according to the orders of the Pope. Indian churches directly
give reports on financial contributions collected from India and abroad
to the Pope. This system should be, stopped, he demanded.
Shri Joseph said quoting from the
Canon Law, that Pope made a rule in 1999 owing to which the bishops in
India have been bestowed with the responsibility of imposing and recovering
the Income Tax from the members of their respective parishes. He questioned
the logic behind such a decision and asked whether such decision if implemented
in another country would be tolerated.
At the book release function, introductory
remarks were made by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Chairman of the Trust, while author
of the book Shri Virag Pachpore spoke about the background of his book.
The programme was conducted by Principal Suresh Tapas, while Principal
Yoganand Kale introduced the guests to the audience. Executive director
of the Trust Narendra Joshi, former Vice Chancellor of Punjabrao Krishi
Vidyapeeth Dr P.W. Amin were present on the dais.
