Letter to the Editor - ToI Excerpt
There is a superb letter to the Editor in today's Times of India (Page 13, column 6) that I just HAD to post here...
to clarify, this IS NOT a letter written by me, but it certainly does make one think:
Congress is destroying the secular fabric of India.
While the attacks on the churches and Christians is condemnable, what is really surprising is that none of the "secular" leaders of the UPA and the Congress have questioned how missionaries have granted themselves the right to degrade Hindu gods. It is as though Hindus dont have any sentiments. The Congress has time and again resorted to stamping on the sentiments of Hindus. The action taken by the Centre in issuing an advisory to the BJP government is immediate. But why wasn't a similar advisory issued during Raj Thakeray's anti-Bihari terror, during Hurriyat's anti-India tirade or during anti-Hindu attacks in Kerala?
The Congress confidently declared that Lord Ram never existed. Can it (or will it) similarly question the existence of other religion's gods? This central government seems to be only interested in trampling on the sentiments of lakhs for Hindus for vote-bank politics. This Pseudo-secularism is adding fodder to the agenda of the Bajrang Dal and the VHP. It is a shame that Hindus get such a raw deal in India. More than the BJP, it is the Congress which is trying to destroy the secular fabric of India.
- Hullas Jain, VIA E-MAIL
A most brilliant letter I'd say, although I'm not sure that the BJP govt in Karnataka can be let off the hook that easily... they are guilty of sitting back and watching (and through their justification, indirectly aiding) the Bajrang Dal violence.
However, the Congress' fleetfootedness in coming to the rescue of their votebank is admirable. If only they could continue that protective streak for the rest of the country's 1200 million people.
3 comments:
Hmm. I get the feeling that religion is a highly political topic in India...probably an understatement.
It occurred to me that in the context of India's recent rapproachment with the US (the Nuclear Agreement being the key example) that the Indian Government is being especially kind to Christians. This is also noting that religion (pro Christianity) is an essential element of US politics.
Pete
Lol Pete.... you have no idea!! India survices on three things - Religion, Politics and Cricket, in that order. As it is, religion is a national obsession.
I doubt that India can or will do anything about the money coming from US churches for missionary activities in India.... And as far as we know, there isn't really a conspiracy being hatched in churches in the US to kidnap poor Indians, dunk them in water and call them christians.
The people who are donating - average working joes believe that it will alleviate the suffering of millions of people here, and to an extent, it does.
The main issue is the methods being used by the more militant and aggressive missionary organizations (which are usually small franchised churches). A lot of times, this involves printing up booklets that denigrate and try to destroy Hindu gods - obviously not a good recipe for peace. I've seen booklets like these for years now, and the stuff written can make anyone puke.
The Holy church leaders have GOT to come out against these activities - they no longer have the comfort of turning a blind eye to these things - its only taking away from some of the truly great social services being performed by genuine christian organizations and the church.
As for the govt's response, these activities ought to be checked - unfortunately, the central government is too pusillanimous to isolate a big vote bank, and the state governments have the whole idea backwards, and have no idea how to take a middle road between freedom and social order.
But this aggressive proselytism is no worse than the terrorism being practiced by extreme fundamentalist organizations like the Bajrang Dal - whose ban I totally support btw, especially after the latest violence in Orissa. I guess the Bajrang Dal is worse in many respects.
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