SAMARTHA MEMORIAL LECTURE-2007

The following comment I have received from those who heard/read the Samartha Memorial Lecture on the Right to Conver and the Indian Constitution:

RESPONSES TO SAMARTHA LECTURE
Dear Benjaminji,Pranam,This lecture by Justice Thomas needs to be given very wide publicity in the circles of proselytisers as well as amongst the secularists. It highlights a major concern of the Hindus quite well.If I can have Justice Thomas' postal address, I would like to send him my two books on the Hindutva view on religious conversions.Namaste.Ashok Chowgule
Dear Benji,The morning after the Lecture I tried to reach you over the phone,and was told that such a number doesn't exist! Anyway, I wanted to saythat it was a well organised event. I'm sorry we had to leave soonafter the Lecture, but I'm sure the Lecture, well argued and wellarticulated, must have led to some discussion. If you happen to haveJustice Thomas's email id, pl pass it on to me; if not his postaladdress.Keep up the good work!CTK (CT Kurien)
FROM BIJI KOSHY:
PN: Justice Thomas is tops. Usually no two people can agree 99% on such a sensitive topic. But my views are the same as his. And I like his approach, his confidence and his attitude. The paper was well researched and everyone listened to each word. What a feast!
Thanks. BG (Biji Koshy)
NB:You may want to forward this to him. And do send me his address and nos so that I can be in touch with him. BG
PN: We would be obliged if you coulr please circulate a detailed report on Justice Thomas"s lecture. Many have asked me for this but it is better you do it. Remember people want the authority of a retd Supreme Court judge to mould their thoughts on this subject. Thanks. BG
FROM PREMA NANDA KUMAR
Dear Mr. Benjamin,
Both my husband and I went through the lecture by Justice K.T. Thomas. We only wish we had been there. I am forwarding this to my children and as many of my friends as possible.
Please accept our congratulations on organising a the lecture and if you know the gentleman personally, please tell him how much we appreciate his clear, fair and erudite interpretation of our Constitution so much so that even non-legal persons like us could follow and understand him. I am sure the session afterwards must have been very lively.
Thanking you once again,
Regards,
Doraiswamis

Dear Mr. Benjamin,Thank you ever so much for sending me the text of the Talk by Justice Thomas. It is indeed very thought provoking. With every good wish.Yours sincerely,Chandran Gnanamuthu

FROM GAUTAM SEN:
It seems to me that there is no need for the bad faith evident in Justice Thomas' reflections. Please do not add insult to injury with the kind of disingenuousness Justice Thomas espouses, much like the other Keralite Christian US-based, academic Raju Thomas, who has the gall to say that Christians in India today face the same situation encountered by Jews in Nazi Germany and because they are darker in complexion! With Christianity now the dominant political force in India the extirpation of Hinduism should be the openly declared agenda of all the various Churches; all of them are already allied to militant Islam to seize the initiative. Four Christians are now the principal decision-makers in New Delhi and everything is being done to establish Christian political primacy in India, which is quite simply imperialism. I should add that senior Sangh Parivar leaders are fully complicit in this disaster for India and its Hindus for reasons that I no longer care to elaborate.
A few points: I had no idea that the adorable Jesus and the St. Paul's Church as well as its subsequent manifestations had any connection with each other. The Church has long been a imperialistic political organisation in the service of white Europeans to enslave in mind and body dark people like me. Its contemporary form is the crassest expression of American racist supremacism and ought to be fought tooth and nail
The reason why Buddhism and Sikhism does not bother Hindus, which ignorant Christians like Judge Thomas (god save our Supreme Court from such mediocrity) does not care to acknowledge in his self-confident arrogance is that they do not seek to eliminate Hindus. This is why they have always been considered a manifestation within its fold, like many other trajectories of reform and dissent, including Jainism.
Judge Thomas' sleigh-of-hand in surveying legal opinion will not to do because some of us are smarter than him, better educated and better read. The Indian Constitution only guarantees conversion, implicitly as a matter of private conscience. It offers no such guarantee to proselytise and indeed specifically forbids the kind of allurement evangelical activity necessarily, as it absolutely must, descends to in no time. The American Churches operating in India are exactly like the Ku Klu Klan and the moment the current political dispensation in Delhi evaporates must be ruthlessly curbed.
Hindus are the only surviving ancient civilisation and simple decency counsels ought to be allowed to endure since even Korea has now been seized by white Christian imperialism. It now sends missionaries to Asia (all over Nepal converting) where they can blend more easily. The Afghans reacted to them as others will eventually too.
Gautam Sen
From Dr. C. Alex Alexander:
Thanks for the text of Justice Thomas's speech. There was nothing new in it beyond a recap of facts. IMHO, it is a rather bland recital of the past. Hope the questions and answers provided some interesting experience for the audience. Regards, AlexPS: As a retired judge, he could have given some more insight into his position on proselytisation. He did say a few words, no doubt. But, he could have amplified them with his experience as a Christian.