13/10/2005
The death of Hindu arrogance
Hindu extremist groups get all excited about Christian conversions.
[The following two paragraph is paraphrased from a story titled 'RSS Invents Another Ram' from the Tehelka]
In a small village called Subir in Ahwa, Gujurat, the RSS and 'sister' organizations are staging a Kumbh mela this year. Seven years ago, in this 95% tribal populated area, these Hindu right wing groups burned down 35 churches and prayer halls in their protest against what they called Christian 'aggression'. Next they had a guru pay Rs 10000 for one acre of land, and since occupy close to four hectares of land. The religious texts (Ramayan) was modified to include Subir and a Sabari Dham Mandir in honor of Mata Sabari was built. This year, with the state government's blessings of transport and electricity, they will spend 8 crores on a Kumbh mela that expects to draw 5 lakh participants.
When asked by Tehelka, if the Dangs (the predominant tribals) need a Kumbh, Dangs Collector RM Jadhav replied "It's a religious issue. What can you do if people need it?" Tehelka then asked Prof Ganesh Devy, a prominent tribal activist what he felt the Dangs needed. The professor replied '...an imaginative forest development policy, at least 10 more residential schools for girls, at least two science colleges, a well-managed irrigation system and sorting out the issues related to the erstwhile princes of the Dangs"
The above story in the Tehelka was an interesting read. Before we TGFT (thank god for Tehelka) and it's brand of 'forthright journalism', let us remember that Tehelka launched it's first issue (with much dhoom/dhamaka!) with an exclusive story on Christian conversions and the Bush administration agenda in christianizing India. This current article forms an interesting full circle. Strangely enough though this article does not reference it's first issue report on Christian conversions and the Christian Agenda. This probably has to do with the changing nature of media news, akin to our cricketing traditions, where everything is in spurts and bursts and rarely about follow through and history (what's that??).
So with Hinduism too. Hindus practice their religion in spontaneity. One day we're leading normal lives, the next we're attending Ram lila and watching Ravana burn. Only to then return to our comatose-like state till we're ready to burst in colors and crackers, around Diwali time. Nothing warms up an Indian belly like hot jilebis on a chilly November day. After the dry spell from June to September, the fall season heralds in a series of holidays, celebrations and religious obligations.
We're also compelling Hindus. We egg each other on to religious fervor. The all-night Jagrans are a wonderful North Indian example of this. A Hindu never visits a temple alone. He or she will go with their family. Visiting a temple is hardly about communing with God. It's often akin to a picnic, a place to be seen and to be seen at. A married Hindu woman will experience these religious compulsions first hand. Attending bhajan sessions, doing puja, sharing prasad is often a second or even third job that they have to perform.
Spontaneity and Compelling - Is that really so bad, you'd ask.
Yes. What it has done is form the rock foundation for the fear psychosis that the right wing Hindu groups propagate. Hindus like you and me are being bombarded with statistics on Christian conversions. While some of the so called proactive Hindus respond by burning and looting, tampering with religious texts, coercing tribals to acknowledge Mata Sabari in lieu of their three gods ( a tiger, a snake and a hill), the bulk of us are too comatose to know any different.
We are different, we Hindus. We are born into our religion, initiated into it's practices and then compelled to follow suit. Years, decades, centuries later, we are no closer to discovering the essence of what spirituality is. As long as we are spontaneously compelled into certain practices, as long as we are not excluded, we bundle along like the masses one sees at Vaishno Devi or Tirupati.
Rank and status play important identifiers to us Hindus. Be it a man with uncombed hair or a woman with a shaven head, both represent different ranks and stakes. These are however homogenous identifiers and many of us have long fallen off the map. Yet, when it comes to roping in the adivasis, our 'vanvasis' ( LOL), we're pulling out all the stops.
In come the Christians, with their schools, training based jobs, caste-free communities and an outreach network that spreads across the globe, and all of a sudden Hindus are worried. It's the Pope's five year plan for India, you will hear in their heads. One day, we will all wake up to 101 hail marys and celebrate Christashtami.
What will become of our jilebis then?
The proactive ones amongst us are at it though. Their answer is an eight crore Kumbh mela. What more, Hindus wonder, can Adivasis/Vanvasis need to come flocking to pay obeiyance to Mata Sabari?
What more, I ask, can we Hindus really ask for?
12:32 Posted in Green Shoots | Permalink | Comments (12) | Email this
Comments
I did some blog hopping and landed up in your kingdom. Nice article you got here. Har hitting on the bigots espousing Hinduism. But after finishing off your piece, I was left wondering, isnt this yet another of that tribe of ostrich secularism pouting types.
Because, I was like this 3-4 years back.
But once you start touring the indian sub continent you i realised how little I knew. Have you been to Kerala, Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, NE States where Christians and Muslims out number Hindus in places. There the latter live in the same state of fear as the former ones (In the Hindu dominated areas). There the RSS gets replaced by Churches, retreat centres and Madrasa run outfits and their band of zealots.
One thing, the true secularist does not have a religion, he/she stands for humanity. There is no conversion of faiths. It is simpe 'live and let live, love and let love' state.
PS: I have seen Missionaries of C cursing Christian women on the sole ground that they married Hindu men and converted. Are they different from the RSS guys who seek more sheep in their herd.
:)
Posted by: Seethi Haji | 17/10/2005
No one is hear to condemn the activiities carried out by christian missionaries.
Christian evanglists are doing the conversion for the past 50 years in dang. but when Swamiji Sri.Aseemananda tried to stop the conversion and tried to get back to their own mother religion.
what is wrong in that. when any evangalist used to tell we are not doing conversion. it is just change in the heart.
when a foreign missionaries can invest crores and croes to convert hindus to christianism why we cant to take the steps to hold the hindus.
Posted by: K.M.Krishnan | 24/01/2006
GOD IS THE VICTOR AND FINALLY TRUTH SHALL TRIUMPH . YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH AND IT WILL SET YOU FREE AS THE BIBLE SAYS.
CHRISTIANS AS LONG AS THEY ARE RIGHT TRUSTING ON GOD AND NOT ON THE POWER OF FLESH GOD WILL FIGHT FOR THEM AS HE DID IN THE LAST PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION STULTIFYING THE PLOTTERS AND PERTPETRATORS OF EVIL AGAINST HIS CHILDREN.
PRAYER IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON FOR CHRISTIANS ( STRONGER THAN ANY WEAPON OF THE BIGGEST ENEMIES) AND WITH PRAYER OFFERED IN ONE ACCORD WILL MAKE THEM TO INCREASE. FOR HIM TO ACT HE NEEDS PRAYER OF A FEW BELIEVEING AND PRACTISING CHRISTIANS.
WE BELIEVE NOT IN THE STATE BUT IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. WE BELONG TO GOD NOT TO THE WESTERN COUNTRIES FOR OUR LIFE.
Posted by: RAJUSUNDARAM | 06/02/2006
In the words of Rajaji:
Christians are like bedbugs the more you kill the more they grow and multiply.
Rajaji knew the Truth how about you the reader??
sundaram
Posted by: RAJUSUNDARAM | 07/02/2006
Please do not include the world "we hindu". Whatever you may claim the picture on the right and your views give you awyay. You do not have an iota of understanding what hinduism is.
Posted by: Anonymous | 16/02/2006
Anonymous -- which picture are you talking about? I am intrigued.
Priya
Posted by: Priya | 16/02/2006
Erotikchat
Posted by: Erotikchat Sexchat | 09/03/2006
Telefonsex
Posted by: Telefonsex | 09/03/2006
Hindu religion today has vast differences than other religion, Christianity, in particular. Christianity is closesly knitted with social reforms, service etc.. like building hospitals, providing foos. Whereas, Hinduism is more about the 'Self' the atma. This is difficult to understand. Can you make a hungry woman or man feel the supreme salvation through Gita. Absolutely no. This is where the evangelist come in. A true conversion cannot occur, whatever the religion it may be, as all the salvation he needs is always there in the religion he presently follows.
Christian conversions are well-funded, multinational companies channel their funds to these organizations
One must not also discouunt the part played by the so-called relief organizations who get money from Indians (I mean Moslems and the Hindus) for the cause of EarthQuake and Tsunami and provide relief with staff who are near-missionaries or missionaries.
A true Hindu or a Moslem need not worry as thier reliegions are based on beliefs and quality and not on quantity
Posted by: Shasur | 19/03/2006
i always end up eating a lot more on fast day but yaa i enjoy the festivities surrounding it...and btw u talked about role reversal wud u like ur hasband to touch ur feet on karvachauthh...hehehe
Posted by: rajiv | 22/08/2006
Erotik
Posted by: Erotik | 28/08/2006
A very thought provoking article, Mansi. And a very interesting mix of reaction too. I've always wondered how any discussion of religion & religious practices always manages to get a sort of mob frenzy going. There is a need to make generalizations, a collective statement of affirmation to certain ways, rituals and belief systems. And rarely do we actually get to a very personal view on a persons' individual faith. A human being, of whatever faith, has a moral obligation to share his source of joy, contentment, peace etc. with his fellow beings. And no matter what it might be; a particular ritual, a particular faith, a particular way of life; if you strongly believe that it works for you, why won't you share it? And among God's creations, it is only us as humans that have a conscience to truly make a morally true decision about our faith. No person is ever actually converted. They make a choice to about how they want to live their lives. And if we deny an individual that right, we deny him his most basic right!
Posted by: Benson | 21/12/2006
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