R. Akhileshwari, Deccan Herald‘s veteran Hyderabad correspondent, quotes Andhra Pradesh activists working in Orissa as saying that the empowerment and economic improvement of Dalits is at the core of the Hindu-Christian face-off following the murder of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati:
“The anger against Dalits and tribals, who have been the main targets of Hindu fundamentalist groups and organisations, [is] against the increasing empowerment of the traditionally oppressed people….
“Dalit assertion that is visible in many ways like wearing better clothes and speaking English language is not to the liking of the entrenched merchant-fringe Hindu fundamentalist groups who have aligned themselves to ‘teach a lesson’ to the Dalits.”
Read the full story: Communal violence is sequel to Dalit assertion
This is a lie.
VHP itself has innumerable schools across the country for tribals and dalits.
Only difference is, they do not try and convert a child whose ancestoral faith is different than theirs.
That makes them absolutely dangerous for the survival of missionaries. So the false propaganda of ‘Hindus fandamentalist hate dalits’ is being churned out.
All the catholic fundie sites are buzzing with this lie. Excellent opportunity for them raise millions of dollars for speeding up the soul harvesting in India.
Once again Hindus are being pushed to corner for defending act. According their logic, Hindus are supposed to sit watch their own decimation silently. Any act of resistence will be painted as ‘pogrom’, ‘caste oppression’, ‘dalit oppression’, etc.
I think the article is clearly biased. Just take the quote from the Christian priest. He says his religion has worked out everything for the benefit of mankind. And this is the veteran journalist reporting for DH from AP?!! Wow, hilarious:)
Pagan assertion was/is unbearable for Evangelists.
The article is biased in the sense it does not balance it views and its one sided.
The writer instead of addressing the root cause of treating the symptoms relating to equity is focussed more about the caste equations.
Religion has always used the money to further its needs. Both to divide and Unite.
Religious preachers have amassed wealth and they are no they are no better than the politicians of today. You name it Christian Organizations have indulged in mass conversion and later providing lip service by paying a small quantum of the sum to these adivasis.
Genesis of Christianity is to shudder any other religion as Pagan. Like the Moslems have stated that any non-moslem as Infidel.
VHP and Bajrang Dal too have indulged in re-conversions and have used it as a practice.
The State has been a mute spectator to addressing the equity of economics among the masses. This has been hijacked by the religious preachers.
The statehood of India is on the verge of collapse as politicians have not defined Indian in constitution.
Religious,Caste and Linguistic interference has destroyed the concept of Nation Hood.
What rubbish.
I’ve simple questions for all these missionaries who are so worried about ’empowerment of oppressed people’ – I’ve thousands of such oppressed people of color right here in Chicago, why don’t you focus on them?
If you want more, there are millions out there in African continent who were converted into Christianity already. They don’t even have food and water.
Please clean up your mess first before picking on other societies/religions.
Thanks.
Let’s see Dalit assertion is unpalatable. Yeah, when Dalits and vanvasis, tell a missionary to keep off and continue to do their own thing, there will be a backlash, and that is why christian terrorists broke into Lakshmanananda’s ashram and killed him. we get the idea.
Unless you treat the dalits and tribals as equals – they will convert. If not to Christianity, then naxalism or something else.
You can be in self-denial, and say how great caste have been towards hindus dalits. But that is not the real picture in many villages across India. The caste system permeates everyday life and the dalits are still treated like sub-humans. They will look elsewhere for a better life. And missionaries and others who want converts to their beliefs will keep plugging away at this. And the dalits will convert to a better way of life. As long as the caste hindus have nothing to offer other than violence and more caste system. It will make them all the more committed to their new cause.
There was a time when a Dr. Martin Luther King Junior spent time in India to understand Gandhian philosophy, social equality and applied it in US. These days Christian Activists take name of Gandhi, but never follow a basic doctrine of Gandhian principle: opposition to religious conversion.
The Hindu revivalism of 19th century (Bankim Chatterjee, Dayanad Saraswati, Vivekanand……Sri Aurobindo…..) was largely due to abuse of Hinduism, Indic culture by a powerful section of missionaries for long period of time. Now, by equating religious conversion as ‘freedom’ quite contrary to legal position, Christian Activists are empowering Hindu right.
If conversion to Christianity were a “dalit” assertion, Dr. Ambedkar would have converted to Christianity instead of Buddhism, an indic religion. He was offered huge sums of money by missionaries, but he preferred an religion which is of Indian origin- thus matching Hindutva to a degree.
Converted people did not get social equality after conversion, and still regarded as “Dalit Christian”. Taking advantage of political instability, now they are trying to expand dalit reservation to Christians too- which is bound to fail.
Now, converted “Pana Christians” who are “Dalit” are trying to get notified as “scheduled Tribes” – naturally there is bound to be a backlash.
These activists are funded from outside, trying to recruit people from the east to protect dwindling hegemony of the white europeans. Its going to blow back in their face in a big way.
Tarlemaga >>VHP and Bajrang Dal too have indulged in re-conversions and have used it as a practice
Reconversion or Ghar Aapsi or Shuddhi was introduced by none other than Swami Dayanand Saraswati, founder of Arya Samaj in late 19th Century.
He saw how missionaries were converting people of north India in late 19th century- particularly in and around Punjab region.
Even the Sikh Ruler Duleep Singh was converted to Christianity after Sikhs lost to British.
Had Dayanad Saraswati not introduced reconversion/suddhi, its quite conceivable that there would have been a Christian state in northern India between India and Pakistan.
Anon Guy>>And missionaries and others who want converts to their beliefs will keep plugging away at this. And the dalits will convert to a better way of life.
Reducing Hinduism to mere caste and showing hostility towards it is not new to Missionaries. Here is RK NARAYAN’s own word:
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/12/18/061218crbo_books?currentPage=all
“Ours was a Lutheran Mission School—mostly for boarders who were Christian converts. The teachers were all converts, and, towards the few non-Christian students like me, they displayed a lot of hatred. Most of the Christian students also detested us. The scripture classes were mostly devoted to attacking and lampooning the Hindu gods, and violent abuses were heaped on idol-worshippers as a prelude to glorifying Jesus.”
Those who converted did not get social justice either- still treated as “dalit Christian”, have separate church, burial ground in many places.
Now they are demanding reservation for “Dalit Christians” :)- Supreme Court has asked: since when Christianity started practising caste system?
Missionaries built Community Wells only for Christians, is tolerance?
Regulate the influx of foreign charity then you can restrain all fundamentalists!
How many schools run by religious organisations(majorly Christian ones) still espouse the principles that they had, at the time of their inception!?
How many poor students(let alone poor non-christians) study in these schools? Lift all tax concessions! Treat them like any other business!
In most places Xians favor admission/jobs for themselves, but for a 2.5% community it is ridiculous to suggest that the classrooms and lecture-halls of their institutions are dominated by Xians/only Xians.
I am sure many readers who have studied in Convents will agree that while there one Definitely finds a higher-proportion of Xians, within the walls of institutions run by them, as compared to civil life without, a majority of the students these institutions service are non-Xians.
ALSO> There is no lack of Re-conversion by the VHP in which ‘erring’ Hindus are ‘joyously welcomed back’ into the fold of their original faith. People are forced, or their family members threatened with physical harm or job/economic consequences. There have been several high profile reconversions in Himachal andKanyakumari,TN in which people were ‘reconverted’ from Xianity and Islam.
This this sort of thing happens but does not attract the same anti-conversion laws????
I would suggest everyone to read the book “The Motorcycle diaries” or watch the movie where in a Christian missionary run leprosy relief camp somewhere in South America, patients would not be given food if they don’t attend mass.
I think any institution built by people, which tries to hijack the individual’s direct relationship with ‘God’ is evil and in Christian terms – the devil’s work. I think the books and teachings and common sense and human benevolence is information available to all of us. Religions should leave matters to that. Faith is a personal journey – currently kept hostage by religious institutions. Survivals of communities, religions, ‘cultures’ has become more important than humanness. I thought it was the latter which caused the rest. But people are trying to make us believe that it is the other way round.
I think Christianity needs to get less condescending and the answer to the world.
Hindu Groups need to loose a bit of persecution feeling and get independent in driving their faith – instead of reacting only.
Muslims should think more inward.
and something or the other about every other.
Man, we need to get free of all this nonsense. Under all this mess, we have lost the basic fuel of life – humanness.
Hari: Xtianity today is not the same that of (say) Dr King Junior, or CF Andrews. Its less to do with religion, more to do with geo-politics.
Just look at affairs of St Stepehens Delhi in recent years, its implementation of Xtian reservation. Its not the same St. Stephens of the days of CF Andrews.
And its not a problem limited to India alone. Almost all of South East Asia, NE Asia is reeling under onslaught of aggressive conversion agenda.
The twisted title can be straightened out a little bit: “Hindu awakening unbearable to crusaders”.
@annonymous guy
Most of the naxalites who lay down their lives come from so called ‘farward’ communities like Reddys, Kammas and Kapus.
The SCs and STs in some states convert to christianity in real life but in documents they remain Hindu SCs and STs to avail reservations.
We have to accept that there is discrimination based on one’s caste in India. In New Delhi, people in many offices openly asked me about my caste.
Some one here is into hyper posting: It is because followers of manusmruti like him, many ‘hindus’ convert into other religions.
Tathagata: I too feel the activity of conversion is quite wide-spread, though I have heard from many Christain friends that this is not the case with all their streams? However, there is one country which has been able to resist this quite well – Thailand – till now. Unfortunately, we know little of this country – though not far. Either we visit only one or two streets for shopping or skin or we come back smug that its all influenced by India. But for me the reality is – “Thailand is, what we, in India, think we are”. Its unique in Asia. Just an observation I have carried for sometime. Probably, since it was never really ruled by the West they have quite an independent personality. Of course, not a super power in making like us!
The article is clearly biased. Let me make a clear statement here: Christians are biased, Always. This is my personal experience.
Problem started not because of what the author and christian missionaries have been trying push into the minds of readers. It all started as a backlash for killing of a member of the ashram. I justify the backlash.
Christianity as the greatest poison mankind has ever made. They prove it with their biased, misleading activities.
When britishers categorised certain communities as SCs and STs, which were 100% from Hindus. since SC/ST is clearly a hindu phenomena, the moment anyone from these SC/ST converts to another religion he ceases to be a SC/ST. Christian missionaries keep claiming that as long as these people remain SC/ST, Hindus will insult, degrade them. Once they convert to christianity, they dont have to face any of these discrimation of being labelled as SC/ST or Dalit. Then how come these people still remain SC/ST even after converting to christianity. Christianity was supposed to be the only solution for all the ills of Hindu casteism. How come these people still remain SC/ST? Christianity was supposed to make them on par with Brahmins. What happened those hollow promises made at the time of converting them to christianity. This nobody seems to take note of these.
Christianity is a bundle of lies. Whether people agree or not, whether it hurts them or not, That is the TRUTH.
It is articles like this and people like Akhileshwari and Kancha Ilaiah etc who lend legitimacy to the activities of the VHP gang in the eyes of the common man!!!
Dalits will convert as long as you call them Dalits, SC, ST etc. and keep treating them as outsiders. And Christianity offers them a better life compared to what hinduism has to offer (that they remain tribals and outcastes forever)
They arent dependent on caste hindus anymore for everything.
The more you show your hatred, the easier it becomes for a dalit to convert. There is nothing you can do, other than tear your own hair out and indulge in some violence.
Dr. Sree Reddy,
You people are powerful businessmen. Now you speak of the injustice done to the SC/ST’s. Why don’t you so called “Secularists” adopt some SC/ST families
and give them a good education, so that they can come up in life? You so called “SECULARISTS” will always look towards vote banks. Try to change!
Dear Anonymous Guy,
I can see many Dalits of Christianity being suppressed. What about the blacks? You Christians perform conversion go get millions of dollars from the Vatican and after doing that you people treat them like pigs! Then you all will blame the Jews and the upper-caste Hindus, conduct pogroms, perform Inquisition, etc. How stupid and ruthless!
Where the natives bravely resisted, they were completely wiped out using guns and disease (as in northand south America), so that the white invaders could plant the cross and thrive.
Yes Isaac and bleeding, thats what the christians do.
And you have created dalits, untouchables, SCs, STs etc. who you dont want to treat as equals.
Win win for christians and dalits.
Only ranting and hair-tearing for you cheddis.
Dear All, May be we should all check these
http://orissaburning.blogspot.com/2008/08/christian-groups-did-not-kill-vhp.html
http://orissaburning.blogspot.com/2008/08/great-conversions-lie.html
http://orissaburning.blogspot.com/2008/09/bjp-tacitly-supporting-fundamentalists.html
http://orissaburning.blogspot.com/2008/08/plan-to-raze-all-christian-places.html
I have a questionnaire maybe someone will even stop to understand and think…respond?
The above is perpetuated on hapless tribes (Christians) ? who is BJP \ VHP\ BAJRANG DAL targeting? Indians who are Dalit Christians? These leaders are fanning fundamental lies into the unemployed youth for narrow political gains. Encouraging killing their own people and destroying their land and property? Is this nationalism? Nobody is preaching in the Churches to attack and destroy people from other faiths? When Graham Staines was burned alive with his Son in Orissa, did Christians perpetuated similar attacks against Hindu brethren? Who decided and lied to you that Christians killed the Swami ? How can it help ? Why are Christians targeted, because they are dalits ? How many temples have been built in India and across the globe? Who is targeting\killing and destroying their property? Is not Hinduism propagated worldwide? Funded no less than any other missionary activity? Is this not like Fascism? Where Hitler tried the same with Jews with Disastrous results? Remember the same Fascist religious forces have done with Babri Masjid? At what cost? Completely polarizing both the Hindu and Muslim communities and their psyche for ages to come ? It’s this not the time you wake up and see their macabre design? Where is the temple or a mosque to be built on the Babri site? Where are the agitators who wanted this to happen? What exactly is wrong then if Christians build churches and schools and orphanages and hospitals? Is this not Philanthropic work in remote tribal areas? Don’t these tribes deserve to live and treated like Humans? Is this what is preached in Religions ? To harm the orphans, rape the nuns and kill priests & children and the helpless poor? Why do you bite a hand that feeds? How is Christian Blood any different from people of other faiths ? Are we not all God’s creation ? Do these killers have any conscience? Don’t you understand “When Innocent Blood Falls on the Ground, the Land Becomes Cursed “? Why are we killing the innocent? We all will turn Murderers if we decide to kill anyone who disagrees ? Can Leaders who are perpetuating stop to think? Do you not know every human has the right to exist just as any other? Don’t all Indians have have Fundamental Rights? Right to Freedom ? Right to Religion ? If eating beef is a hurting religious sentiments then there are scores of other Hindu brethren who consume beef ? Can someone explain what National Integration is? And lastly all those who are perpetuating this violence don’t have the fear of God neither do they love God – and since they don’t love God they cant love themselves or love people around them and I believe This is the crux of the problem. What they are left with is just a Religion….. No God.
Regards
Why did Ambedkar the father of the Indian Constitution get himself converted to Neo Buddhism? The simple answer is Casteism and the stigma attached to be born into a dalit family. Is a dalit Hindu? Who cares. It was no secret that Patel hated him, Gandhi tolerated him. Christianity has always appealed to the oppressed and the poor population. Did they get anything out of their so called “conversion” is a moot question. Why did Ambedkar approach Christianity first and why didn’t he become Christian in the final analysis? Or was he disillusioned by Christianity, or Christianity chose to ignore his plea for a change of religion?
While in Delhi I used to get a number of applicants who said they wanted to be Christians. Why? They have all nice answers how good Christians are etc. They had never heard Gandhi who said that he loved Christ but not the christians. Most of these people had one aim in particular: they thought conversion was the best bet to have their children admitted to the prestigeous Catholic Schools of St. Columba’s, Jesus & Mary, Carmel Convent, Monfort etc.
Surprisingly the second best reason I had discovered was that the men who wanted become Christian were eager to apply for divorce from their legally wedded wives who were like them Hindus. there seems some law that permits them divorce if they got converted. If there is any that law must be scrapped.
The third best reason: they were spies. A man spent month in a park outside my home studying who comes and who goes. I too set up my investigation and found that he belonged to a militant organization out to catch converting priests. The day I told him about his works, he left the place.
People come to ask to be converted to see if they are “converted” so that they have weapon to strike Christians. My own strategy was to ask them to undergo a training in the doctrines of the church and bible for a whole year. They would just disappear into thin air.
If only the general public knew that the story of “forced conversion” has another side. A hillarious side.
Name one country.. where the church has taken the side of the down trodden…
Mexico 90% of the native population has been killled under inquisition
Australia Native population ha been reduced to less then 2%
name one country where christianty has shown “love and compassion”
i would like to assert the fact that the hindus in this generation have come out of the medival caste system and accept every human as he is.. no one is untouchable nor is below anyone.. its great to see them mingle and live with mainstream society of hindus facing no discrimination whatso ever…
@ prash,
“i would like to assert the fact that the hindus in this generation have come out of the medival caste system and accept every human as he is.. no one is untouchable nor is below anyone.. its great to see them mingle and live with mainstream society of hindus facing no discrimination whatsoever… ”
If this is idealistic wishful thinking, it is good. However, the stark ground reality is slightly different. Even in this age, time, and geography, untouchability is still being practised right here in Bangalore. Koramangala is officially part of the IT corridor and there is a colony of holeyas who are not allowed to take water from the PUBLIC TAP in the area dominated by the powerful uppercaste Reddy community.
The untouchables have their own separate tap a hundred meters away.