Challenges before the Indian youth
(Speech delivered at the Youth Convention held in
Bangalore (Jigini) on 25 Feb. 2012)
I feel quite young when I am with young people. Mind you, I am 66 years old. But, I can definitely relate to the youth and connect with them effortlessly. I have always felt that young people in our country don't get enough seniors to engage with youngsters, open spaces where they can brainstorm about issues. They have many questions but nobody really is there to answer them. They are being influenced by all kinds of things -media, societal, family pressure etc. Whenever I get an opportunity to interact with young people I thoroughly enjoy it. The candidness with which the young talk, ask questions, share their dilemmas, and I share my experiences. I have always enjoyed that. And that’s why I am here today.
There is the fading away of idealism today. There was a time when idealism was seen as a good thing but today it's seen as a foolish thing to be. 'Nobody encourages idealism in India's youth today' . Idealism is what propels youngsters, motivates them. It's like wanting to dream. If you don't dream you have nowhere to go. In terms of idealism, and I don't want to give a very cynical picture because there are still a lot of young people. As the one in charge of public relations in an engineering college, I meet youngsters who are absolute gems, who in their own way are trying to make a difference. Though smaller in number but for that I don't think I need to blame them because it's just that nobody encourages idealism in the youth today.
The young people in India today are confused. They don't have enough forums where their questions can be answered to satisfaction. They don't have relationships with their parents, teachers, peers where they can really get answers to their deeper dilemmas. If there were some idealistic young people in India there would be 20 other people to pull them down.
The challenges India's youth face in the second decade of the 21st century are manifold. For instance, in the field of education, do we have enough institutes? Does the disadvantaged community get a chance to reach where the privileged are?
There is reservation but that again is a faulty system. We need more affirmative action where people who have been left out because of historical and social reasons need to come at par with others. A lot of rural youth do not want to do farming or rural work because there are less and less takers for it. Unemployment is a major problem with young people. So when we talk of Indian youth we talk of a spectrum of young people.
Many young people are attracted to the politics of chauvinism, language, caste and religion these days. The young would any day choose the more sustainable, life-giving option than getting into the politics of language, caste or religion. The reason they don't is because they are nameless, stateless people with no sense of identity. When you make them feel so miserable the only way in which they can grab attention is by asserting their identities. Many of them are brainwashed into believing that caste, religion, region and, language will give them some sense of self-worth.
By and large our young people are not communal. They just want to get along with their life and survive. But when there is that emptiness, when there is nothing to latch on to and they are given the bait that they have something to be proud of, they start getting communal.
Of course, we have a history of divide and rule. But we all are basically good people and instead of fighting against just the communal forces we should create more positive energy, understand the merits of a pluralistic society, which is what we are.
I am sure there is lot of youngsters out there in different parts of India who are driven, committed and who have the potential to inspire the country's youth. But they are not popular, not in the media gaze so we don't know they exist.
BANISH CYNICISM, CULTIVATE OPTIMISM
Are you not proud that we are a great nation, that we have so many amazing success stories in recent times? We are the first in milk production. We are number one in remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat. We are the second largest producer of rice. Pharmaceutical industry remains a growth story, with revenue growing at over 20 per cent a year. Software remains a stellar success story.
Winston Churchill once described India a mere geographical term no more united than equator. But isn't Bharat the Upanishadic universality, the Gandhian Hindu Swaraj and a composite, cultural heritage? Bharat is more profound than a geographical project. It is a political integration, a cultural synthesis, a beautiful blend of the finest thought humanity has, in its noblest vision, beheld. But have we surrendered this Tagorean perspective to the gory syndrome governed by a "barbarous philosophy, which is the offspring of cold hearts and muddy understandings?"
During the freedom struggle, young revolutionaries mounted the gallows singing Rabindranath Tagore’s memorable lines: “Blessed is my life that I am born in this land”. Thousands of known and unknown heroes perished or survived as physical wrecks in the Andamans and jails all over the country To be proud of belonging to our motherland was the constant injunction that the young generation of freedom fighters had to abide by. It was the same spirit, which could be suppressed neither by the bullet and the bullying of the British Raj nor by the incessant ideological refrain of the white man’s superiority.
Our youth is not callous or for that matter indifferent to the various challenges facing the nation, be it Naxalism, terrorism, communal tensions, poverty etc. But the politics around them is so vile and banal that it is difficult for them to be charged with commitment, heroism and sacrifice.
We must learn to practise the art of banishing cynicism and start learning to cultivate positive thinking within us. “I live today in the hope that a Saviour is coming, that he will be born in our midst in this poverty-shamed hovel which is India. I shall wait to hear the message he brings with him, the supreme word of promise he speaks unto man from this eastern horizon to give faith and strength to all who hear. I look back on the stretch of past years and see the crumbling ruins of a proud civilization lying heaped as garbage out of history! And yet I shall not commit the grievous sin of losing faith in Man, accepting his present defeat as final. I shall look forward to a turning in history after the cataclysm is over and the sky is again unburdened and passionless.” (Rabindranath Tagore- Crisis in Civilisation)
In an atmosphere surcharged with cynicism on the one hand and despair on the other, we would do well to go out anywhere, amidst the din and bustle of the factories, among the IT professionals or the vast expanses of the fields, in the beehive of busy offices or in the boisterous, crowded campuses – among men, women, the young and the old – you will hear a thousand and one questions why things have gone wrong and what’s the way out of it.
Dedicated men and women, sacrificing comfort and many allurements of the consumerist society are building a new India in the remote villages and hilly regions of this vast land of ours. There abound in this country today men and women of finest moral qualities, experts in their respective fields seeking to advance the frontiers of knowledge and to serve the community by disseminating it to the public. In the prevailing darkness they move about like figures in silhouettes; soon the sun shall arrive and identify them, and among them shall be seen new leaders with a new message of enriched patriotism. A new resolve to make this land of ours a better place to live in. The saga of such endeavours is hardly publicised by the media addicted to the burlesque of present-day politics. But they give us reasons for hope.
Finally, stand up for what you think is right: Too many of us are trying hard to be politically correct masking what we actually think is right. There is no harm or shame in saying what you think is right. Like Mahatma Gandhi said, he would always stand by and say what he felt was the truth and do what he felt was the right thing - even if the entire world was stacked against him.
Have pride in your culture and your roots. If you think you do not have an illustrious past to bask in, then you have the unique opportunity of being the torch-bearer of an entire family, perhaps community through your achievements.
JAI HIND
(Talk delivered at the three-day Yuva Bharat2020- A youth Convention
held Jigini, Bangalore on 25 Feb. 2012. More than 1000 young people from all over India participated)
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
10th Stanley Samartha Memorial Lecture
Dr. David Frawley to deliver the 10th REV. Dr. STANLEY SAMARTHA MEMORIAL LECTURE organized by BIRD on 23 March 2012
Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) is happy to announce that the 10th annual Rev. Dr. Stanley Samartha Memorial lecture will be delivered by Dr. David Frawley in Bangalore on 23 March 2012. He will speak on “Pluralism and Universalism in Hinduism”
BIRD, as you know, is a low profile organization formed in 2001, by a small group of Hindus, Muslims and Christians in Bangalore, to promote inter-faith amity in line with our native wisdom of promoting inclusiveness for preserving India's religious diversity.
BIRD organizes seminars, consultations, panel discussions and dialogues and an annual lecture series in memory of Rev. Dr Stanley Samartha, the first Director of the Inter-Faith Dialogue Programme of the World Council of Churches, Geneva. It is the signature event of BIRD’s inter-faith activities undertaken in the cosmopolitan city of Bangalore. It has organized nine such lectures so far.
It may be recalled that Sir Mark Tully, former BBC’s India chief delivered the ninth Samartha Memorial lecture on 7 October 2010 while Mr. Arun Shourie, the celebrated journalist and author, delivered the eighth Lecture in October 2009 . He spoke on “Rethinking Religions”. The seventh lecture was delivered by Mr. M.J. Akbar, well known journalist and author, presently editor of India Today. The theme was: “The Power of Religion vs. the Religion of Power”.
Other speakers who delivered the lectures in the past included: Justice K.T. Thomas, former Judge of Supreme Court of India (2007), Dr. Hans Ucko, director of inter-faith dialogue division at the World Council of Churches (2006), Mar Thoma Metropolitan Bishop Philipose Mar Chrysostom (2005), Prof. M.V. Nadkarni, former Vice Chancellor of Gulbarga University (2004), Dr. C.T.Kurien, economist and Director Emeritus of Madras Inst. of Dev. Studies (2003).
They spoke respectively on: “The Right to Convert & the Indian Constitution”, “Towards and Ethical Code of Conduct”, “Courage for Dialogue”, “Religion in the 21st Century: A Perspective of Hope”, “Communal Harmony- A Societal Perspective”.
It was Mr. Francois Gautier, author and former political correspondent of Le Fegura , who inaugurated the lecture series and delivered the first lecture to a large gathering at the Bishop Cotton Boys’ School in October 2001 . He spoke on “The Need for Inter-Religious Dialogue
Over 500 invitees generally attend the lecture, which will also be published as a booklet to help reach a wider community of academicians, students, thinkers and intellectuals, spiritual leaders as well as people involved in promoting inter-religious harmony and understanding.
BIRD is entirely dependent on small contributions from people of diverse faiths who are strongly convinced about the dire need to preserve inter-faith amity in the true and abiding traditions of India, which is a living symbol of religious diversity and inclusiveness.
May I take the liberty of asking you for a donation towards organizing the event? Your contribution may be sent by a cheque in favour of Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) to the following address:
Apt. No. 501, Indira Residency,
167 Hennur Road
Kalyan Nagar
Bangalore 560 043
Mobile: 09731182308
Res. 080 25435716
Yours sincerely
P.N. BENJAMIN
Coordinator
Bangalore Initiative for Religious
Dialogue (BIRD)
Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) is happy to announce that the 10th annual Rev. Dr. Stanley Samartha Memorial lecture will be delivered by Dr. David Frawley in Bangalore on 23 March 2012. He will speak on “Pluralism and Universalism in Hinduism”
BIRD, as you know, is a low profile organization formed in 2001, by a small group of Hindus, Muslims and Christians in Bangalore, to promote inter-faith amity in line with our native wisdom of promoting inclusiveness for preserving India's religious diversity.
BIRD organizes seminars, consultations, panel discussions and dialogues and an annual lecture series in memory of Rev. Dr Stanley Samartha, the first Director of the Inter-Faith Dialogue Programme of the World Council of Churches, Geneva. It is the signature event of BIRD’s inter-faith activities undertaken in the cosmopolitan city of Bangalore. It has organized nine such lectures so far.
It may be recalled that Sir Mark Tully, former BBC’s India chief delivered the ninth Samartha Memorial lecture on 7 October 2010 while Mr. Arun Shourie, the celebrated journalist and author, delivered the eighth Lecture in October 2009 . He spoke on “Rethinking Religions”. The seventh lecture was delivered by Mr. M.J. Akbar, well known journalist and author, presently editor of India Today. The theme was: “The Power of Religion vs. the Religion of Power”.
Other speakers who delivered the lectures in the past included: Justice K.T. Thomas, former Judge of Supreme Court of India (2007), Dr. Hans Ucko, director of inter-faith dialogue division at the World Council of Churches (2006), Mar Thoma Metropolitan Bishop Philipose Mar Chrysostom (2005), Prof. M.V. Nadkarni, former Vice Chancellor of Gulbarga University (2004), Dr. C.T.Kurien, economist and Director Emeritus of Madras Inst. of Dev. Studies (2003).
They spoke respectively on: “The Right to Convert & the Indian Constitution”, “Towards and Ethical Code of Conduct”, “Courage for Dialogue”, “Religion in the 21st Century: A Perspective of Hope”, “Communal Harmony- A Societal Perspective”.
It was Mr. Francois Gautier, author and former political correspondent of Le Fegura , who inaugurated the lecture series and delivered the first lecture to a large gathering at the Bishop Cotton Boys’ School in October 2001 . He spoke on “The Need for Inter-Religious Dialogue
Over 500 invitees generally attend the lecture, which will also be published as a booklet to help reach a wider community of academicians, students, thinkers and intellectuals, spiritual leaders as well as people involved in promoting inter-religious harmony and understanding.
BIRD is entirely dependent on small contributions from people of diverse faiths who are strongly convinced about the dire need to preserve inter-faith amity in the true and abiding traditions of India, which is a living symbol of religious diversity and inclusiveness.
May I take the liberty of asking you for a donation towards organizing the event? Your contribution may be sent by a cheque in favour of Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) to the following address:
Apt. No. 501, Indira Residency,
167 Hennur Road
Kalyan Nagar
Bangalore 560 043
Mobile: 09731182308
Res. 080 25435716
Yours sincerely
P.N. BENJAMIN
Coordinator
Bangalore Initiative for Religious
Dialogue (BIRD)
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Vicky Nanjappa interviews BIRD Coordinator
FEBRUARY 6, 2012 REDIFF.COM
Abuse of Hindu Gods cause for backlash in Karnataka
In Karnataka there has been a waging battle over the attacks on Churches. Recently there was also a report which claimed that Karnataka is the number one rogue state for Christians as there have been over a 1000 attacks on both Christians and Churches.
The question now is whether this figure is exaggerated and is being put out for some ulterior motive. It is an exaggerated figure says P N Benjamin, who is the member of the Minorities Commission and Coordinator of the Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD). A question that Benjamin asks is that if Karnataka is really the number one rogue state for Christians then why is it that not a single Christian fled the state. In this interview with rediff.com, Benjamin takes us through the entire issue while stating that merely exaggerating figures for ulterior motive is not the way out.
Some Christians claim that there have been over a 1000 attack on Churches and Karnataka has become the number one rogue state for them? Is this correct?
It is not correct. It is just exaggeration. I feel there are a handful of attacks which were instigated by some fringe Christian groups.
Why do you think it is being exaggerated?
I am not saying all Christians do this. Yes there is a fringe group which involves itself in such activities. They get a lot of money especially from the American fundamentalist and fanatic churches for this. The more they exaggerate the better for them. I have personally gone into many such cases and realised that most of them have been blown out of proportion and internationalised by a handful of leaders from the Christian community and by unscrupulous politicians. They are using ordinary Christians as pawns in their hands for their narrow selfish ends.
Why do you think the Hindus are so upset with the Christians? Why has this issue blown out of proportion?
For one there is a BJP government in Karnataka and it is aimed at destablising the government. Secondly there are a lot of fringe groups that have emerged which do not report either to the Catholic or Protestant Church. Small churches are being formed in houses at a very quick pace. These are the persons who have broken away from the main line churches. They sit and abuse Hindu Gods and this has not been taken too kindly by the Hindus and hence the agitation. These fringe groups in fact have gone uncontrolled and this is a danger in the making.
Tell us about the conversions that are taking place. Is the Church involved in this?
I would not say that the Church is involved in conversions. In fact both the Catholic and Protestant Churches are not involved in this. Again it is these fringe groups- the Pentacostals among others who are involved in this. There is a report which states that nearly Rs 10000 crore has landed here for the purpose of such activities. Recently we sent a team to Suratkal near Mangalore. We noticed that some poor people had been given a handful of money to convert. They are just given money and later not taken care of.
So what is the exact version regarding large scale conversions?
There are no large scale conversions happening. As I said the Church does not do this. It is those small elements. There are a handful of people who have been converted. But these people send reports to donor agencies stating that large chunks of people have been converted for they want of more funds.
There is a great deal of confusion over the recent attacks. There are two versions to this by both Hindus and Christians. Can you please explain this to us?
The attacks are just a reaction to aggressive faith marketing and mindless evangelism and conversions through unethical means indulged by Christian missionaries. Even Father Adolf Washington of the Archdiocese of Bangalore said recently that there are several groups of people doing the rounds in Bangalore adopting persuasive techniques not just to convert people but also to spread animosity against mainstream Christian denominations. They hurl invectives against the teachings of Christian denominations and even induce people to tender a written ‘resignation’ to the pastor or priest. Since some of these groups do not even accept the divinity of Christ, in effect, their conversion should not be understood as conversion to Christianity but to their organisation. Mainstream Christian denominations do not go on a conversion spree, only splinter groups and cultic groups do so probably for some self-gain.
Are the Christians in Karnataka living in danger
The real source of danger to the Indian Christian community is not the handful of Hindu extremists but the self-styled saviours of Christianity who assert that they alone are the holders of valid visas to heaven and paradise.
What is the solution?
No civil society should condone violence. But mere condemnation is not a method to avert the repetition of violence. We have to find out if the violence is deliberate and unprovoked, or due to provocation. If it is the former, then there is one set of solutions, which mostly involves applying the law and severely punishing the perpetrators of the violence. However, if there is provocation, then we have to study the issue in greater detail. We have to understand why there has been a provocation for the violence, and who are the persons or organisations behind the provocation.
The Church is supreme. Do you think the Church is doing enough to prevent such incidents by fringe groups who you say are the core of the problem?
These fringe groups have been stealing the sheep. They steal people from main line Churches and are also engineering defections and are giving them important positions. The Church has spoken about this, but I am afraid has not done enough to prevent this. During the Bishop’s conference in Kerala there was an appeal to their members not to go in for conventions and revival meetings. In the year 2004 some members were also expelled. However I think they ought to do more and openly declare that they have nothing to do with such people. I feel that things would change for the better if a strong stance is taken and more regularly. Also I feel that the Church itself has become dead and people cannot look up to it for inspiration. The social work that the Church is doing is simply run of the mill and has become life less. All this needs to change soon.
Abuse of Hindu Gods cause for backlash in Karnataka
In Karnataka there has been a waging battle over the attacks on Churches. Recently there was also a report which claimed that Karnataka is the number one rogue state for Christians as there have been over a 1000 attacks on both Christians and Churches.
The question now is whether this figure is exaggerated and is being put out for some ulterior motive. It is an exaggerated figure says P N Benjamin, who is the member of the Minorities Commission and Coordinator of the Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD). A question that Benjamin asks is that if Karnataka is really the number one rogue state for Christians then why is it that not a single Christian fled the state. In this interview with rediff.com, Benjamin takes us through the entire issue while stating that merely exaggerating figures for ulterior motive is not the way out.
Some Christians claim that there have been over a 1000 attack on Churches and Karnataka has become the number one rogue state for them? Is this correct?
It is not correct. It is just exaggeration. I feel there are a handful of attacks which were instigated by some fringe Christian groups.
Why do you think it is being exaggerated?
I am not saying all Christians do this. Yes there is a fringe group which involves itself in such activities. They get a lot of money especially from the American fundamentalist and fanatic churches for this. The more they exaggerate the better for them. I have personally gone into many such cases and realised that most of them have been blown out of proportion and internationalised by a handful of leaders from the Christian community and by unscrupulous politicians. They are using ordinary Christians as pawns in their hands for their narrow selfish ends.
Why do you think the Hindus are so upset with the Christians? Why has this issue blown out of proportion?
For one there is a BJP government in Karnataka and it is aimed at destablising the government. Secondly there are a lot of fringe groups that have emerged which do not report either to the Catholic or Protestant Church. Small churches are being formed in houses at a very quick pace. These are the persons who have broken away from the main line churches. They sit and abuse Hindu Gods and this has not been taken too kindly by the Hindus and hence the agitation. These fringe groups in fact have gone uncontrolled and this is a danger in the making.
Tell us about the conversions that are taking place. Is the Church involved in this?
I would not say that the Church is involved in conversions. In fact both the Catholic and Protestant Churches are not involved in this. Again it is these fringe groups- the Pentacostals among others who are involved in this. There is a report which states that nearly Rs 10000 crore has landed here for the purpose of such activities. Recently we sent a team to Suratkal near Mangalore. We noticed that some poor people had been given a handful of money to convert. They are just given money and later not taken care of.
So what is the exact version regarding large scale conversions?
There are no large scale conversions happening. As I said the Church does not do this. It is those small elements. There are a handful of people who have been converted. But these people send reports to donor agencies stating that large chunks of people have been converted for they want of more funds.
There is a great deal of confusion over the recent attacks. There are two versions to this by both Hindus and Christians. Can you please explain this to us?
The attacks are just a reaction to aggressive faith marketing and mindless evangelism and conversions through unethical means indulged by Christian missionaries. Even Father Adolf Washington of the Archdiocese of Bangalore said recently that there are several groups of people doing the rounds in Bangalore adopting persuasive techniques not just to convert people but also to spread animosity against mainstream Christian denominations. They hurl invectives against the teachings of Christian denominations and even induce people to tender a written ‘resignation’ to the pastor or priest. Since some of these groups do not even accept the divinity of Christ, in effect, their conversion should not be understood as conversion to Christianity but to their organisation. Mainstream Christian denominations do not go on a conversion spree, only splinter groups and cultic groups do so probably for some self-gain.
Are the Christians in Karnataka living in danger
The real source of danger to the Indian Christian community is not the handful of Hindu extremists but the self-styled saviours of Christianity who assert that they alone are the holders of valid visas to heaven and paradise.
What is the solution?
No civil society should condone violence. But mere condemnation is not a method to avert the repetition of violence. We have to find out if the violence is deliberate and unprovoked, or due to provocation. If it is the former, then there is one set of solutions, which mostly involves applying the law and severely punishing the perpetrators of the violence. However, if there is provocation, then we have to study the issue in greater detail. We have to understand why there has been a provocation for the violence, and who are the persons or organisations behind the provocation.
The Church is supreme. Do you think the Church is doing enough to prevent such incidents by fringe groups who you say are the core of the problem?
These fringe groups have been stealing the sheep. They steal people from main line Churches and are also engineering defections and are giving them important positions. The Church has spoken about this, but I am afraid has not done enough to prevent this. During the Bishop’s conference in Kerala there was an appeal to their members not to go in for conventions and revival meetings. In the year 2004 some members were also expelled. However I think they ought to do more and openly declare that they have nothing to do with such people. I feel that things would change for the better if a strong stance is taken and more regularly. Also I feel that the Church itself has become dead and people cannot look up to it for inspiration. The social work that the Church is doing is simply run of the mill and has become life less. All this needs to change soon.
Friday, February 3, 2012
10th Stanley Samartha Memorial Lecture
Dr. David Frawley to deliver the 10th REV. Dr. STANLEY SAMARTHA MEMORIAL LECTURE organized by BIRD on 23 March 2012
Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) is happy to announce that the 10th annual Rev. Dr. Stanley Samartha Memorial lecture will be delivered by Dr. David Frawley in Bangalore on 23 March 2012, . He will speak on “Pluralism and Universalism in Hinduism”
BIRD, as you know, is a low profile organization formed in 2001, by a small group of Hindus, Muslims and Christians in Bangalore, to promote inter-faith amity in line with our native wisdom of promoting inclusiveness for preserving India's religious diversity.
BIRD organizes seminars, consultations, panel discussions and dialogues and an annual lecture series in memory of Rev. Dr Stanley Samartha, the first Director of the Inter-Faith Dialogue Programme of the World Council of Churches, Geneva. It is the signature event of BIRD’s inter-faith activities undertaken in the cosmopolitan city of Bangalore. It has organized nine such lectures so far.
It may be recalled that Sir Mark Tully, former BBC’s India chief delivered the ninth Samartha Memorial lecture on 7 October 2010 while Mr. Arun Shourie, the celebrated journalist and author, delivered the eighth Lecture in October 2009 . He spoke on “Rethinking Religions”. The seventh lecture was delivered by Mr. M.J. Akbar, well known journalist and author, presently editor of India Today. The theme was: “The Power of Religion vs. the Religion of Power”.
Other speakers who delivered the lectures in the past included: Justice K.T. Thomas, former Judge of Supreme Court of India (2007), Dr. Hans Ucko, director of inter-faith dialogue division at the World Council of Churches (2006), Mar Thoma Metropolitan Bishop Philipose Mar Chrysostom (2005), Prof. M.V. Nadkarni, former Vice Chancellor of Gulbarga University (2004), Dr. C.T.Kurien, economist and Director Emeritus of Madras Inst. of Dev. Studies (2003).
They spoke respectively on: “The Right to Convert & the Indian Constitution”, “Towards and Ethical Code of Conduct”, “Courage for Dialogue”, “Religion in the 21st Century: A Perspective of Hope”, “Communal Harmony- A Societal Perspective”.
It was Mr. Francois Gautier, author and former political correspondent of Le Fegura , who inaugurated the lecture series and delivered the first lecture to a large gathering at the Bishop Cotton Boys’ School in October 2001 . He spoke on “The Need for Inter-Religious Dialogue
Over 500 invitees generally attend the lecture, which will also be published as a booklet to help reach a wider community of academicians, students, thinkers and intellectuals, spiritual leaders as well as people involved in promoting inter-religious harmony and understanding.
BIRD is entirely dependent on small contributions from people of diverse faiths who are strongly convinced about the dire need to preserve inter-faith amity in the true and abiding traditions of India, which is a living symbol of religious diversity and inclusiveness.
May I take the liberty of asking you for a donation towards organizing the event? Your contribution may be sent by a cheque in favour of Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) to the following address:
Apt. No. 501, Indira Residency,
167 Hennur Road
Kalyan Nagar
Bangalore 560 043
Mobile: 09731182308
Res. 080 25435716
Yours sincerely
P.N. BENJAMIN
Coordinator
Bangalore Initiative for Religious
Dialogue (BIRD)
Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) is happy to announce that the 10th annual Rev. Dr. Stanley Samartha Memorial lecture will be delivered by Dr. David Frawley in Bangalore on 23 March 2012, . He will speak on “Pluralism and Universalism in Hinduism”
BIRD, as you know, is a low profile organization formed in 2001, by a small group of Hindus, Muslims and Christians in Bangalore, to promote inter-faith amity in line with our native wisdom of promoting inclusiveness for preserving India's religious diversity.
BIRD organizes seminars, consultations, panel discussions and dialogues and an annual lecture series in memory of Rev. Dr Stanley Samartha, the first Director of the Inter-Faith Dialogue Programme of the World Council of Churches, Geneva. It is the signature event of BIRD’s inter-faith activities undertaken in the cosmopolitan city of Bangalore. It has organized nine such lectures so far.
It may be recalled that Sir Mark Tully, former BBC’s India chief delivered the ninth Samartha Memorial lecture on 7 October 2010 while Mr. Arun Shourie, the celebrated journalist and author, delivered the eighth Lecture in October 2009 . He spoke on “Rethinking Religions”. The seventh lecture was delivered by Mr. M.J. Akbar, well known journalist and author, presently editor of India Today. The theme was: “The Power of Religion vs. the Religion of Power”.
Other speakers who delivered the lectures in the past included: Justice K.T. Thomas, former Judge of Supreme Court of India (2007), Dr. Hans Ucko, director of inter-faith dialogue division at the World Council of Churches (2006), Mar Thoma Metropolitan Bishop Philipose Mar Chrysostom (2005), Prof. M.V. Nadkarni, former Vice Chancellor of Gulbarga University (2004), Dr. C.T.Kurien, economist and Director Emeritus of Madras Inst. of Dev. Studies (2003).
They spoke respectively on: “The Right to Convert & the Indian Constitution”, “Towards and Ethical Code of Conduct”, “Courage for Dialogue”, “Religion in the 21st Century: A Perspective of Hope”, “Communal Harmony- A Societal Perspective”.
It was Mr. Francois Gautier, author and former political correspondent of Le Fegura , who inaugurated the lecture series and delivered the first lecture to a large gathering at the Bishop Cotton Boys’ School in October 2001 . He spoke on “The Need for Inter-Religious Dialogue
Over 500 invitees generally attend the lecture, which will also be published as a booklet to help reach a wider community of academicians, students, thinkers and intellectuals, spiritual leaders as well as people involved in promoting inter-religious harmony and understanding.
BIRD is entirely dependent on small contributions from people of diverse faiths who are strongly convinced about the dire need to preserve inter-faith amity in the true and abiding traditions of India, which is a living symbol of religious diversity and inclusiveness.
May I take the liberty of asking you for a donation towards organizing the event? Your contribution may be sent by a cheque in favour of Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) to the following address:
Apt. No. 501, Indira Residency,
167 Hennur Road
Kalyan Nagar
Bangalore 560 043
Mobile: 09731182308
Res. 080 25435716
Yours sincerely
P.N. BENJAMIN
Coordinator
Bangalore Initiative for Religious
Dialogue (BIRD)
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Merchants of hate
You rightly label the Saldanhas and his ilk as "merchants of hate". They are Christian supremacists who wish to erase and destroy India's Hindu ethos. They have a lot of both overt and covert support both in India and in the West
Dr. Ramesh Rao
USA
Dr. Ramesh Rao
USA
Violence against Christians:A letter to the Chief Minister
From: P.N.BENJAMIN
To:
Shri D V Sadananda Gowda
Chief Minister of Karnataka
Respected Chief Minister
Alleged Persecution of Christians in Karnataka
Permit me to bring the following facts for your kind notice.
I have been a freelance journalist writing regularly for several newspapers for the past thirty five years. Like most of those who have to regularly write for newspapers I need factual information. So, I diligently file press clippings so that I don't slip up on accuracy.
I am the founder and coordinator of the Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD), promoting pluralism, tolerance and understanding for a society, free of all prejudices. It provides a platform for addressing issues which are causes for religious/communal tension/resentment by inviting people of all faiths to share through it the richness of their various religious traditions and experiences.
In addition, I am at present a member of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission, representing the Christian community in the State. As a member of the Commission I have visited several places where alleged attacks against Christians took place and interacted with the victims of the alleged violence and also government officials to find out the facts behind attacks.
As far back as 2002, I was part of a fact finding team that enquired into the attack on the Holy Family Church at Hinkal in Mysore. Its report is available on the internet. In the same manner, I was a member of another fact-finding team that exposed the political conspiracy behind the Mangalore incidents of violence against Christians in 2008.
Provocative statement
A retired judge of Karnataka High Court, M.F.Saldanha has recently said that Christians in Karnataka State are under an unprecedented wave of persecution. He has also termed Karnataka as “the Rogue State No.1”. Unfortunately for Saldanha, he himself admits that the State has not recorded any killing in this season of “persecution”.
Despite the horror stories trotted out by Saldanha and his friends about the unprecedented “persecution of Christians in Karnataka” it is interesting to not that there has not been a single instance of Christians fleeing the State and migrating to neighboring states!
The same retired judge had alleged last year that there were 1,000 attacks against Christians in Karnataka at that time. . Asked for the details of the attacks, Saldanha failed to provide me with the list of names of churches and even dates of attacks. Thus, his baseless charges against the State government now also reflect his shocking ignorance of the real religious situation in Karnataka.
Intriguing silence
It is unfortunate despite such provocative statements and spreading hatred against Hindus, people like Saldanha and his supporters go scot free. The Bharatya Janata Party and the State Government have not been able to counter their propaganda effectively and stop them in their tracks with facts and figures.
As a friend and well-wisher of BJP and the government, I have been trying my best in my own limited way to expose the nefarious activities of many Christian leaders and their foreign-funded organisations to destabilize the BJP government in our State. This is a fact well known to most of the national and state leaders of Sangh Pariwar.
Be that as it may, at the request of Shri Ram Madhav – RSS leader – I have written a reply to the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and a booklet entitled “A Tale of Three Reports -Facts, Fiction & Politics behind the incidents of violence against Christians in Karnataka”.
It is time the government and the Party came out strongly and openly against their enemies – the aggressive Christian evangelists- and countered their vilification campaign against the Hindu community. I assure you of my fullest support in this battle against evil forces in the form of mobilizing public opinion through my writings.
I am sure the spokesmen of the government and the Party will at least now show some interest in reading the materials I have produced (written) on the subject and understand the facts of the tension between Christians and Hindus in the State.
I am attaching the following documents for your information which can be used for effectively countering the Christian leaders’ propaganda next time against your
Government and BJP.
1) Aggressive faith-marketing
2) BIRD-RSS report Hinkal Church attack 2002
3) Report on Mangalore violence 2008
4) Rebuttal of USCIRF Report- 2010 on Karnataka
5) An open letter to retd justice Saldanaha
Looking forward to a line in reply
Yours truly
P.N.BENJAMIN
501, Indira Residency
167 Hennur Road
Bangalore 560 043
Cell: 9731182308
21 Jan. 2012
To:
Shri D V Sadananda Gowda
Chief Minister of Karnataka
Respected Chief Minister
Alleged Persecution of Christians in Karnataka
Permit me to bring the following facts for your kind notice.
I have been a freelance journalist writing regularly for several newspapers for the past thirty five years. Like most of those who have to regularly write for newspapers I need factual information. So, I diligently file press clippings so that I don't slip up on accuracy.
I am the founder and coordinator of the Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD), promoting pluralism, tolerance and understanding for a society, free of all prejudices. It provides a platform for addressing issues which are causes for religious/communal tension/resentment by inviting people of all faiths to share through it the richness of their various religious traditions and experiences.
In addition, I am at present a member of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission, representing the Christian community in the State. As a member of the Commission I have visited several places where alleged attacks against Christians took place and interacted with the victims of the alleged violence and also government officials to find out the facts behind attacks.
As far back as 2002, I was part of a fact finding team that enquired into the attack on the Holy Family Church at Hinkal in Mysore. Its report is available on the internet. In the same manner, I was a member of another fact-finding team that exposed the political conspiracy behind the Mangalore incidents of violence against Christians in 2008.
Provocative statement
A retired judge of Karnataka High Court, M.F.Saldanha has recently said that Christians in Karnataka State are under an unprecedented wave of persecution. He has also termed Karnataka as “the Rogue State No.1”. Unfortunately for Saldanha, he himself admits that the State has not recorded any killing in this season of “persecution”.
Despite the horror stories trotted out by Saldanha and his friends about the unprecedented “persecution of Christians in Karnataka” it is interesting to not that there has not been a single instance of Christians fleeing the State and migrating to neighboring states!
The same retired judge had alleged last year that there were 1,000 attacks against Christians in Karnataka at that time. . Asked for the details of the attacks, Saldanha failed to provide me with the list of names of churches and even dates of attacks. Thus, his baseless charges against the State government now also reflect his shocking ignorance of the real religious situation in Karnataka.
Intriguing silence
It is unfortunate despite such provocative statements and spreading hatred against Hindus, people like Saldanha and his supporters go scot free. The Bharatya Janata Party and the State Government have not been able to counter their propaganda effectively and stop them in their tracks with facts and figures.
As a friend and well-wisher of BJP and the government, I have been trying my best in my own limited way to expose the nefarious activities of many Christian leaders and their foreign-funded organisations to destabilize the BJP government in our State. This is a fact well known to most of the national and state leaders of Sangh Pariwar.
Be that as it may, at the request of Shri Ram Madhav – RSS leader – I have written a reply to the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and a booklet entitled “A Tale of Three Reports -Facts, Fiction & Politics behind the incidents of violence against Christians in Karnataka”.
It is time the government and the Party came out strongly and openly against their enemies – the aggressive Christian evangelists- and countered their vilification campaign against the Hindu community. I assure you of my fullest support in this battle against evil forces in the form of mobilizing public opinion through my writings.
I am sure the spokesmen of the government and the Party will at least now show some interest in reading the materials I have produced (written) on the subject and understand the facts of the tension between Christians and Hindus in the State.
I am attaching the following documents for your information which can be used for effectively countering the Christian leaders’ propaganda next time against your
Government and BJP.
1) Aggressive faith-marketing
2) BIRD-RSS report Hinkal Church attack 2002
3) Report on Mangalore violence 2008
4) Rebuttal of USCIRF Report- 2010 on Karnataka
5) An open letter to retd justice Saldanaha
Looking forward to a line in reply
Yours truly
P.N.BENJAMIN
501, Indira Residency
167 Hennur Road
Bangalore 560 043
Cell: 9731182308
21 Jan. 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Is Karnataka the 'rogue state" No.1'?
Calling Saldanha's bluff
IS KARNATAKA THE ROGUE STATE No.1 ?
By P.N.BENJAMIN
A retired judge of Karnataka High Court, M.F.Saldanha has recently said thatChristians in Karnataka State are under an unprecedented wave of persecution. He has also termed Karnataka as “the Rogue State No.1”. Unfortunately for Saldanha, he himself admits that the State has not recorded any killing in this season of “persecution”.
Despite the horror stories trotted out by Saldanha and his friends about the unprecedented “persecution of Christians in Karnataka” it is interesting to not that there has not been a single instance of Christians fleeing the State and migrating to neighboring states!
The same retired judge had alleged last year that there were 1,000 attacks against Christians in Karnataka at that time. . Asked for the details of the attacks, Saldanha failed to provide me with the list of names of churches and even dates of attacks. Thus, his baseless charges against the State government now also reflect his shocking ignorance of the real religious situation in Karnataka.
I have been a freelance journalist writing regularly for several newspapers for the past thirty five years. Like most of those who have to regularly write for newspapers I need factual information. So, I diligently file press clippings so that I don't slip up on accuracy.
I am the founder and coordinator of the Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD), promoting pluralism, tolerance and understanding for a society, free of all prejudices. It provides a platform for addressing issues which are causes for religious/communal tension/resentment by inviting people of all faiths to share through it the richness of their various religious traditions and experiences.
In addition, I am at present a member of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission, representing the Christian community in the State. As a member of the Commission I have visited several places where alleged attacks against Christians took place and interacted with the victims of the alleged violence and also government officials to find out the facts behind attacks.
As far back as 2002, I was part of a fact finding team that enquired into the attack on the Holy Family Church at Hinkal in Mysore. Its report is available on the internet. In the same manner, I was a member of another fact-finding team that exposed the political conspiracy behind the Mangalore incidents of violence against Christians in 2008.
So, I have the first hand information about several of the alleged attacks against Christians in Karnataka. I can thus confidently say that the incidents of violence against Christians in Karnataka have been few and far between. However, all of them have been blown out of proportion and internationalised by a handful of leaders from the Christian community and by unscrupulous politicians. They are using ordinary Christians as pawns in their hands for their narrow selfish ends.
Reasons for Attacks
The reasons for the attacks against certain Christian groups are not difficult to ascertain. Simply put, they are a reaction to the “aggressive faith marketing,” propaganda, and mindless evangelism and conversions through foul and unethical means indulged in by Christian missionaries who denigrate and make fun of Hindu gods and abuse Hindu rituals as barbaric.
Father Adolf Washington of the Archdiocese of Bangalore wrote in a Bangalore daily:: “There are several groups of people doing the rounds in Bangalore adopting persuasive techniques not just to convert people but also to spread animosity against mainstream Christian denominations. They hurl invectives against the teachings of Christian denominations and even induce people to tender a written ‘resignation’ to the pastor or priest. Since some of these groups do not even accept the divinity of Christ, in effect, their conversion should not be understood as conversion to Christianity but to their organisation. Mainstream Christian denominations do not go on a conversion spree, only splinter groups and cultic groups do so probably for some self-gain.”
Karnataka has suddenly become the principal target for a wide range of western Christian missions, especially after the BJP government came to power in 2008. The leaders of these groups are determined to spread “the Good News” to Karnataka’s "unreached" people. The tragedy is that politically ambitious so-called Christians like Saldanha who claim to be the spokesmen and defenders of the Indian Christian community spread distress and divisions and fan the flames of hatred against peace-loving Hindu community. They spread the venom of communal hatred like butter on hot bread. To all appearances, these Christian leaders enjoy the grace and favour of the Congress Party-led Government of India. This encouragement helps the growth of powerful elements of separatism and disunity in the country. It is well-known to political observers in Karnataka that Saldanha has been currying favour with Congress leaders and waiting in the wings for a plum post in the Party.
Animosity against Christians
Saldanha is ignorant of the fact that Christians are a tiny minority in this country/state. Their attitudes often elicit counter-reaction from the lunatic fringe of Hindu community who sometimes incite violence against Christians. Many preachers of the Christian Gospel rattle off verses from the Bible to preach hellfire and damnation to those who do not agree with their interpretations of the contents of the Bible. They lay enticing traps for people whom they think must be "saved" at all costs. One hopes that the Christian merchants of hate including the retired judge will soon realize that theirs is a losing battle even if they derive their financial and other means of support from foreign funding agencies for their nefarious activities.
Simply put, the animosity against Christians is a reaction to the aggressive faith-marketing and mindless evangelism by thousands of foreign-funded, cultic, fundamentalist, fanatic and revivalist Christian groups and their half-baked preachers working among the wretched of the Indian earth. They denigrate Hindu gods and abuse Hindu rituals as barbaric. They are the root cause of tension between Christian and Hindu communities. Why should anybody be surprised if the so-called “extremists” among Hindus are offended and react violently? Invariably, incidents of violence against Christians are always bloated out of proportion and internationalized. It is, therefore, urgent that leaders of the established mainline churches, known for their erudition, equipoise, and empathy came out in the open and disowned such provocative acts of intolerance of the fundamentalist Christian groups masquerading as real Christians.
The real source of danger to the Indian Christian community is not the handful of Hindu extremists but the self-styled saviours of Christianity who assert that they alone are the holders of valid visas to heaven and paradise.
Yes, no civil society should condone violence. But mere condemnation is not a method to avert the repetition of violence. We have to find out if the violence is deliberate and unprovoked, or due to provocation. If it is the former, then there is one set of solutions, which mostly involves applying the law and severely punishing the perpetrators of the violence. However, if there is provocation, then we have to study the issue in greater detail. We have to understand why there has been a provocation for the violence, and who are the persons or organisations behind the provocation.
It is high time people like Saldanha made an earnest attempt to appreciate this basic fact. That would be true humility if that is indeed possible for them to manifest. The retired judge and his friends should apologize for their irresponsible and unsubstantiated comments that Karnataka is “the number one rogue state” in the Indian Union. They should also check and re-check their facts before deciding to disparage Hindu “extremists” in their utterances and reports.
The only way out
When greater inter-religious understanding and mutual respect is the need of the hour, leveling wild accusations that do not have any foundation is dangerous gamesmanship.
Hindu “fundamentalism” is a reaction to the provocations of Christian proselytizers. Under attack, Hindus have partly woken up to the need for self-protection and self-preservation. When they attack such Christian proselytizers they generate much criticism, especially from pseudo secularists and from the media world-wide.
People like me, who have some access to the media and are still in control of our betz cells know that all such propaganda is being peddled in the name of a bogey man called Sangh Parivar. If one is honest in one’s analysis, it is not the Sangh Parivar but certainly the actions of Christian proselytizers and jihadi Muslims who challenge the religious sensitivities of the Hindu majority in the State.
The Sangh Parivar bogey man will disappear if the mainline Churches in India come out openly and affirm that they are taking a solemn pledge in the name of Jesus Christ to abide by his admonition not to go miles to make a proselyte. If they can do that, the so-called Sangh Parivar will disappear.
India and its tolerance for the diversity of its religious communities were built up over thousands of years. But, it looks like if individuals like Saldanha and his like-minded friends are not checked and their false propaganda countered, your children and the children of India's minorities will have no future anywhere near the equity and fairness that they have so far enjoyed despite India being a predominantly Hindu nation.
Be that as it may, can Saldanha, the self-styled leader of the Christian community, light a candle amidst the encircling gloom spread by the religious conversionists of both fundamental Christianity and Jehadi Islam?
With malice towards none, and charity towards all, Indian Christians like me remain true to our guide and spiritual leader, the Jesus of Nazareth. Peace, Shanti, Salam, and Shalom!
P.N.BENJAMIN
Coordinator
Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue(BIRD)
IS KARNATAKA THE ROGUE STATE No.1 ?
By P.N.BENJAMIN
A retired judge of Karnataka High Court, M.F.Saldanha has recently said thatChristians in Karnataka State are under an unprecedented wave of persecution. He has also termed Karnataka as “the Rogue State No.1”. Unfortunately for Saldanha, he himself admits that the State has not recorded any killing in this season of “persecution”.
Despite the horror stories trotted out by Saldanha and his friends about the unprecedented “persecution of Christians in Karnataka” it is interesting to not that there has not been a single instance of Christians fleeing the State and migrating to neighboring states!
The same retired judge had alleged last year that there were 1,000 attacks against Christians in Karnataka at that time. . Asked for the details of the attacks, Saldanha failed to provide me with the list of names of churches and even dates of attacks. Thus, his baseless charges against the State government now also reflect his shocking ignorance of the real religious situation in Karnataka.
I have been a freelance journalist writing regularly for several newspapers for the past thirty five years. Like most of those who have to regularly write for newspapers I need factual information. So, I diligently file press clippings so that I don't slip up on accuracy.
I am the founder and coordinator of the Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD), promoting pluralism, tolerance and understanding for a society, free of all prejudices. It provides a platform for addressing issues which are causes for religious/communal tension/resentment by inviting people of all faiths to share through it the richness of their various religious traditions and experiences.
In addition, I am at present a member of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission, representing the Christian community in the State. As a member of the Commission I have visited several places where alleged attacks against Christians took place and interacted with the victims of the alleged violence and also government officials to find out the facts behind attacks.
As far back as 2002, I was part of a fact finding team that enquired into the attack on the Holy Family Church at Hinkal in Mysore. Its report is available on the internet. In the same manner, I was a member of another fact-finding team that exposed the political conspiracy behind the Mangalore incidents of violence against Christians in 2008.
So, I have the first hand information about several of the alleged attacks against Christians in Karnataka. I can thus confidently say that the incidents of violence against Christians in Karnataka have been few and far between. However, all of them have been blown out of proportion and internationalised by a handful of leaders from the Christian community and by unscrupulous politicians. They are using ordinary Christians as pawns in their hands for their narrow selfish ends.
Reasons for Attacks
The reasons for the attacks against certain Christian groups are not difficult to ascertain. Simply put, they are a reaction to the “aggressive faith marketing,” propaganda, and mindless evangelism and conversions through foul and unethical means indulged in by Christian missionaries who denigrate and make fun of Hindu gods and abuse Hindu rituals as barbaric.
Father Adolf Washington of the Archdiocese of Bangalore wrote in a Bangalore daily:: “There are several groups of people doing the rounds in Bangalore adopting persuasive techniques not just to convert people but also to spread animosity against mainstream Christian denominations. They hurl invectives against the teachings of Christian denominations and even induce people to tender a written ‘resignation’ to the pastor or priest. Since some of these groups do not even accept the divinity of Christ, in effect, their conversion should not be understood as conversion to Christianity but to their organisation. Mainstream Christian denominations do not go on a conversion spree, only splinter groups and cultic groups do so probably for some self-gain.”
Karnataka has suddenly become the principal target for a wide range of western Christian missions, especially after the BJP government came to power in 2008. The leaders of these groups are determined to spread “the Good News” to Karnataka’s "unreached" people. The tragedy is that politically ambitious so-called Christians like Saldanha who claim to be the spokesmen and defenders of the Indian Christian community spread distress and divisions and fan the flames of hatred against peace-loving Hindu community. They spread the venom of communal hatred like butter on hot bread. To all appearances, these Christian leaders enjoy the grace and favour of the Congress Party-led Government of India. This encouragement helps the growth of powerful elements of separatism and disunity in the country. It is well-known to political observers in Karnataka that Saldanha has been currying favour with Congress leaders and waiting in the wings for a plum post in the Party.
Animosity against Christians
Saldanha is ignorant of the fact that Christians are a tiny minority in this country/state. Their attitudes often elicit counter-reaction from the lunatic fringe of Hindu community who sometimes incite violence against Christians. Many preachers of the Christian Gospel rattle off verses from the Bible to preach hellfire and damnation to those who do not agree with their interpretations of the contents of the Bible. They lay enticing traps for people whom they think must be "saved" at all costs. One hopes that the Christian merchants of hate including the retired judge will soon realize that theirs is a losing battle even if they derive their financial and other means of support from foreign funding agencies for their nefarious activities.
Simply put, the animosity against Christians is a reaction to the aggressive faith-marketing and mindless evangelism by thousands of foreign-funded, cultic, fundamentalist, fanatic and revivalist Christian groups and their half-baked preachers working among the wretched of the Indian earth. They denigrate Hindu gods and abuse Hindu rituals as barbaric. They are the root cause of tension between Christian and Hindu communities. Why should anybody be surprised if the so-called “extremists” among Hindus are offended and react violently? Invariably, incidents of violence against Christians are always bloated out of proportion and internationalized. It is, therefore, urgent that leaders of the established mainline churches, known for their erudition, equipoise, and empathy came out in the open and disowned such provocative acts of intolerance of the fundamentalist Christian groups masquerading as real Christians.
The real source of danger to the Indian Christian community is not the handful of Hindu extremists but the self-styled saviours of Christianity who assert that they alone are the holders of valid visas to heaven and paradise.
Yes, no civil society should condone violence. But mere condemnation is not a method to avert the repetition of violence. We have to find out if the violence is deliberate and unprovoked, or due to provocation. If it is the former, then there is one set of solutions, which mostly involves applying the law and severely punishing the perpetrators of the violence. However, if there is provocation, then we have to study the issue in greater detail. We have to understand why there has been a provocation for the violence, and who are the persons or organisations behind the provocation.
It is high time people like Saldanha made an earnest attempt to appreciate this basic fact. That would be true humility if that is indeed possible for them to manifest. The retired judge and his friends should apologize for their irresponsible and unsubstantiated comments that Karnataka is “the number one rogue state” in the Indian Union. They should also check and re-check their facts before deciding to disparage Hindu “extremists” in their utterances and reports.
The only way out
When greater inter-religious understanding and mutual respect is the need of the hour, leveling wild accusations that do not have any foundation is dangerous gamesmanship.
Hindu “fundamentalism” is a reaction to the provocations of Christian proselytizers. Under attack, Hindus have partly woken up to the need for self-protection and self-preservation. When they attack such Christian proselytizers they generate much criticism, especially from pseudo secularists and from the media world-wide.
People like me, who have some access to the media and are still in control of our betz cells know that all such propaganda is being peddled in the name of a bogey man called Sangh Parivar. If one is honest in one’s analysis, it is not the Sangh Parivar but certainly the actions of Christian proselytizers and jihadi Muslims who challenge the religious sensitivities of the Hindu majority in the State.
The Sangh Parivar bogey man will disappear if the mainline Churches in India come out openly and affirm that they are taking a solemn pledge in the name of Jesus Christ to abide by his admonition not to go miles to make a proselyte. If they can do that, the so-called Sangh Parivar will disappear.
India and its tolerance for the diversity of its religious communities were built up over thousands of years. But, it looks like if individuals like Saldanha and his like-minded friends are not checked and their false propaganda countered, your children and the children of India's minorities will have no future anywhere near the equity and fairness that they have so far enjoyed despite India being a predominantly Hindu nation.
Be that as it may, can Saldanha, the self-styled leader of the Christian community, light a candle amidst the encircling gloom spread by the religious conversionists of both fundamental Christianity and Jehadi Islam?
With malice towards none, and charity towards all, Indian Christians like me remain true to our guide and spiritual leader, the Jesus of Nazareth. Peace, Shanti, Salam, and Shalom!
P.N.BENJAMIN
Coordinator
Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue(BIRD)
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