Part of a hidden agenda

By Joseph Marques, Chief Sub-Editor
Published: September 22, 2008, 00:04

For the past few weeks, a systematic attack is being carried out on the Christian minority in India. It started in an eastern state called Orissa and the flames have spread to Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, where a number of churches and other Christian places of worship have been desecrated. The anti-Christian violence began when a Hindu religious leader, who was opposed to conversion of tribals to Christianity, was killed in Orissa. Hindu fundamentalists blame the Christians for the heinous act, although Maoists who are active in that area have claimed responsibility.

Indians, by nature are secular, and most of them have condemned the atttacks on the Christians. However, little they do know that the anti-Christian campaign is part of the larger plot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, collectively called as the Sangh Parivar, to implement their hidden fascist agenda of establishing a Hindu state. This was made clear by the RSS ideologue, the late M.S. Golwalkar. In his book A bunch of thoughts, he pointed out that "the Muslims, the Christians and the Communists" were preventing the formation of a Hindu state and the destruction of the secular constitution of the country.

As such, it does not come as a surprise that Christians are now being targeted in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party - the frontal political organisation of the RSS - and its allies. For decades, the Muslims and the Communists have been at the receiving end of the Sangh Parivar, and it is now the turn of the Christians. The fascists, who don the garb of nationalism, forget that the adherents of Islam and Christianity in India are not foreigners, but very much Indian in race and creed, unlike most members of the RSS who are mostly Aryans (Brahmins) and can trace their roots to Central Asia.

 

Question

Christians constitute hardly 2.3 per cent of the Indian population, and if at all some tribes and tribals are changing their beliefs, then the question that needs to be asked is why are they doing so? It is because they had been oppressed for far too long by the rigid and watertight compartmentalised caste system. Although, they are classified as Hindus, most of them are animists and occupy the lowest rung of the Hindu social strata with some of them even termed as the untouchables.

Man by nature aspires for social mobility. And if the tribes and tribals on their own free will break the cycle of karma and fatalism to climb the social ladder, then it is their wish. At the same time, they should neither be coerced nor bribed by proselytisers to change their way of living.

In a predominantly Hindu India, protection of religious minorities, be they Muslims, Christians, Sikhs or Zorastrians, is enshrined in the country's constitution. The preamble itself says that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. The fundamental rights give its citizens the privilege to profess and practice any religion. Each fibril of the various religions, languages, races, ethnicities, cultures and traditions is interwoven to form the fabric that is India and which in turn lends it its uniqueness in the comity of nations. Even if one of the strands is cut, the country will lose its hue and luster. As such, the recent atrocities that are committed against the minority communities are diabolical attempts to rip apart the secular and multi-party political system that has given the minorities a voice.

Moreover, communal upheaval sprouts 'defenders of the faith' from amongst the victimised community. And when they retaliate, they are termed as "terrorists". So far, Indian Christians have shown the other cheek. However, comments made on blogs indicate that their pacifist nature is wearing thin. They should not cross the line; for if they do so, then that would be a victory for the fascist forces because anarchy is what they want.

Remember, Hitler's National Socialists (Nazis) never won a parliamentary majority. They usurped power by raising the bogey of internal emergency.

http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/world/10246771.html 

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