Contrasts between 1984 and Gujarat 2002 riots

The media’s bias and white lies have already been seen in the previous chapters. But it is necessary to remove some more misconceptions. The media has always tried to equate the Gujarat riots of 2002 AD, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination. Again, well-meaning people have fallen pray to the media myths.

Justice Nanavati, heading the Nanavati Commission of Inquiry probing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots submitted his report to the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on 9 February 2005. The report was kept under the wraps for six months, and released on the last day of the time limit 8th August 2005. After the release, the media equated the 1984 riots and the 2002 riots of Gujarat. NDTV broadcast The Big Fight on this issue in August 2005. Vinod Mehta, editor of Outlook equated both the riots and said, 

“A lot of things are exactly the same. In 1984, it was the killing of Indira Gandhi, in Gujarat it was Godhra…both the causes served a cause for the massacre…”

Editorial of The Times of India dated 12 August 2005 on this issue was:

“Now for Modi
BJP and Gujarat CM should take a cue from Tytler, Sajjan

We welcome the resignations of Jagdish Tytler from the ministry and Sajjan Kumar from the official post he held in the Delhi government…People who are even remotely connected with rioting can’t be allowed to hold office. This is a given in a secular democracy. Where does that leave men like Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi? He has no option but to quit office. The BJP, and its allies like the Akali Dal and Janata Dal (United) were unequivocal in demanding Tytler’s resignation. The parties invoked the ethics of Parliamentary democracy as well as the morality of public conduct to press the government for action on the Nanavati Commission. Their arguments hold true for Modi as well…”

As a result of this media hype, none other than BJP leaders have started believing that the two riots were similar. In November 2004, on NDTV’s The Big Fight, when Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natrajan said, “We don’t call you communal because of Uniform Civil Code. We call you communal because of Gujarat”, Arun Jaitley, the BJP General Secretary replied, “I can call you anti-secular because of the 1984 riots. You have no face to show”. This was ok. But after that, Jaitley should have tried to explain the truth of the Gujarat riots and said that the party’s secular credentials are strengthened because of the Gujarat riots, when so many Hindus were killed. Instead, he unwittingly conceded that the Gujarat riots were similar to the 1984 riots!

NDTV aired a ‘Big Fight’ on 26 March 2005 on the issue of Modi being denied a visa by the USA, which included Digvijay Singh of the Congress, Rajiv Pratap Rudy of the BJP and the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Purushottam Agrawal. NDTV also had an American voice with an American woman briefly invited through videophone from Delhi, and it was 4 against 1 with Rajiv Pratap Rudy not able to counter NDTV. This is because Rajiv Pratap Rudy is neither that good a debater, nor did he have the knowledge needed to speak in such debates. He obviously does not bother to read weeklies like ‘Organiser’ to know the true facts. He did not attack NDTV for putting it 4 against 1. Rudy talked of the 1984 riots which simply cannot be compared with the Gujarat riots. It is a figment of the biased media’s imagination and deliberate attempt to demonize the BJP that such comparisons are made, and the 1984 riots and the Gujarat riots are equated. The Congress is never embarrassed over the riots. And the differences are too glaring for the two to be equated. Rudy, instead of mentioning some true facts of the Gujarat riots, lost the debate badly to the cunning Congress-Marxist combine.

B.P.Singhal’s article in the weekly Organiser dated 9 October 2005 and in The Pioneer dated 28 September 2005 on this issue is very useful. That article can be read on www.organiser.org

Let us here see the contrasts in detail:

GODHRA AND INDIRA GANDHI’S MURDER

In 1984, Indira Gandhi’s assassination on 31st October was the cause of the riots. Indira Gandhi’s murder was terrorism. It was done by 2 people, both terrorists, with bullets. Such murders are common all over the world and also in India. There was nothing exceptionally brutal, cruel, inhuman, gruesome, and barbaric to it.

The entire Sikh community could not, in any way, be blamed for that murder. It was just an act done by 2 people, both Indira Gandhi’s bodyguards. They were not ordinary people, but terrorists. It was not a communal act, but a terrorist one. It was not an act of barbarism.

The culprits were immediately brought to book. 2 Sikhs killed 1 Congressperson, although she was the country’s Prime Minister. It was also an attack on an individual. It was not an attack on a community, a political party i.e. the Indian National Congress, nor was it an attack on a government. The attackers just wanted to kill an individual.

On the contrary, Godhra was not terrorism, even if Justice Nanavati, Narendra Modi, George Fernendes, L.K.Advani, VHP, BJP, Organiser, Panchjanya claim so. Godhra was unparalleled in the history of independent India. The pain that Indira Gandhi suffered was momentary. But this was not the case with Godhra victims. In Godhra, the train was set on fire and not a single passenger was allowed to escape out, the train being surrounded by Muslims from both sides, armed with petrol bombs, acid bombs and swords. The passengers were burnt to death in a ghastly manner. The pain was not momentary. And even 14 children were burnt to death by the mob, which did not think of letting the children escape the ghastly death.

The attackers in Godhra were not terrorists who had AK 47 rifles, guns, and grenades. They were ordinary local Muslims. Local 2,000 Sikhs did not kill Indira Gandhi. Out of the 2,000 Godhra attackers, even if one had called the police and informed them about such a conspiracy and planned attack much before 7-43 AM when the attack took place, the killings could have been prevented. Not even one of the 2000 attackers did so. The attackers were not terrorists who had undergone training in ISI’s training camps. They were local Muslims, not foreigners, and not terrorists like Indira Gandhi’s killers.

That the newspaper editors did even have the heart to think of the sadism and barbarism of Godhra, by condemning the fact that the Muslim attackers did not even allow the children to escape and watched the 59 people being burnt to death including children caused the post- Godhra riots. The killers were also not brought to book. Only 35 people were arrested for the carnage which as many as 2,000 people participated. Nobody seriously expected all 2000 to be caught, but at least two-three hundred should have been caught. What follows is an excerpt from weekly India Today (18 March 2002):

“The problem, according to former director-general of police M.M. Singh, one of the finest officers Gujarat has seen, began in Godhra on February 27. He says the police should have immediately cordoned off the area from which the attackers came and taken strong action instead of allowing the culprits to flee. This, he says, would have pacified Hindu feelings to some extent right at the very outset. “Where any act is bound to lead to communal violence the police should always take strong steps against the group which has committed the act. That invariably has a salutary effect.”… There’s another story doing the rounds about which few are keen to talk about. According to it, Modi was given an ultimatum on February 27 itself by the VHP leadership to act against the perpetrators of the Godhra carnage by evening or else face the music. By evening that day the police had detained two of the six main accused besides 50 others. That was found to be inadequate by the VHP because the number of attackers in Godhra was over 1,000.”

In Godhra, the attack was on a community, the Hindu community, and not on an individual. It was also not on an organization like the VHP. As a result, the retaliation was done by the entire community and not by a single orgnisation.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RIOTERS

In 1984, the riots were not a ‘mass uprising’. They were not spontaneous. They were organized killings by members and leaders of a single political party, the Indian National Congress. Leaders of the Congress like Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao, Kamal Nath, Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler were active in the 1984 riots. In 1984, it was a political party that was enraged by the killing of one individual. In Gujarat in 2002, it was the entire society that was enraged by the Godhra killings. India 

Today reports (18 March 2002):

“Says political analyst Arvind Bosmia: “It is beyond the means of the Sangh Parivar to lead such an upsurge. It was largely a spontaneous reaction to the Godhra killings. And not just Modi but the entire Sangh Parivar has been put on this strident path. In fact Modi has been swept up in this militancy.”

This clearly proves that the 2002 Gujarat riots were impossible to have carried out by the Sangh Parivar alone. While in 1984, only the Congress was involved in the riots. The RSS cadres protected the Sikhs in 1984. National Minorities Commission Chairman Tarlochan Singh is on record saying this. But in the 2002 Gujarat riots, Congressmen were also involved, not only in Godhra, but also during attacks on Hindus, and also Muslims. The Times of India reported on 9th August 2003 that 5 Congress corporators were also accused of killings Muslims in the post-Godhra riots.

PAST HISTORY OF THE RIOTS

There have been hundreds of Hindu-Muslim riots in India since AD 1714. There have been conflicts between Hindus and Muslims right since AD 712. The Muslims have committed horrible atrocities on the Hindus in the medieval period. Muslims were the aggressors in all the Gujarat riots right since AD 1714. In the 1940s in particular, the Hindus suffered terribly in the Ahmedabad riots. There were also horrible riots in 1969 and 1985 in Gujarat. Wounds of the past haunted the people.

In 1984, the Hindu-Sikh conflicts (i.e. Congress- Sikh conflicts) if at all they can be called ‘conflicts’ and not ‘genocide of the Sikhs by the Congress Party’, were the first and only case of clashes between the two communities. Sikhs had not terrorized Congress leaders in the past, right since AD 712. After independence, Hindu-Sikh conflicts were not seen even once, not to talk of thrice, under the rule of the BJP (or, for that matter, even the Congress) in New Delhi. While in Gujarat, far worse riots took place at least three times under the Congress rule, as compared to the riots in 2002 under the BJP rule. The 1984 riots were the only and the bloodiest.

ACTION AGAINST RIOTERS

In 1984, no action was taken against the rioters at all. Not many arrests were made, despite the fact that as many as 10,000 people were killed in actual numbers, and officially close to 3000. Not even one person was shot dead by the police or the Army. The police was conspicuous by its absence for three full days. The army, even though available locally, was not called for three full days. But these riots escaped the media glare, because in those days, TV was barely in its infancy.
 

(Source: Article by B.P.Singhal in the weekly Organiser dated 9th October 2005)

In Gujarat, as many as 25,204 out of the 25,486 accused were arrested by the Gujarat police, and close to 2,000 other people, were also arrested as a preventive measure. In Gujarat, the entire police force of 70,000 was deployed on 27 February itself, along with all available units of Rapid Action Force. The Army was called immediately on 28 February, and newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express reported on 1st March 2002 that the Army had started arriving in Ahmedabad. All English dailies, biased as they are, admitted that the Army had staged a flag march in Ahmedabad as early as 1st March 2002 morning itself.

Already, we have at least 95 people (including 34Muslims in sevencases) convicted for post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. Not even a single person was convicted in 1984. In Gujarat, the police arrested more than 27,000 people, the highest ever in history for rioting. Not even in 1969 and 1985 were so many people arrested by the then Congress governments, when as many as 20,000 people were killed in riots which lasted as long as 5 to 6 months.

POLICE/ARMY ACTION

In Gujarat in 2002, as many as 98 people were shot dead by the police for rioting in the first three days. Out of the total killed, close to 200 were killed in police firing. As many as close to 20 % people killed in the state were in police firing. The deployment of the Army, which was then posted on the border, (Almost the entire military strength was posted on the border in view of war-clouds between India and Pakistan) was in very quick time. As per The Hindu of 1st March 2002, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi had frantically called the for the deployment of the Army on February 28. The Indian Express dated 28 February 2002 also reports something similar. This is what India Today (18 March 2002) reported on the deployment of the army:

“CHRONOLOGY OF A CRISIS

FEB 27, 2002
 

8.03 AM: Incident at Godhra claims lives of 57 kar sevaks
8.30 AM: Modi is informed of the carnage.
4.30 PM: Gujarat Assembly adjourned and Modi visits Godhra where he holds a meeting, giving shoot-at-sight orders to the police.10.30 PM: CM holds meeting with senior government officials at Gandhinagar; orders curfew in sensitive places and pre-emptive arrests.
FEB 28, 2002
8.00 AM: Special control room set up in CM’s house to monitor the situation during VHP bandh.
12.00 PM: Modi informally contacts Centre for calling in army. Cabinet Secretary T.R. Prasad tells Defence Secretary Y. Narain that army is to be mobilised.
12.30 PM: Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt-General N.C. Vij tells Narain that only two columns are available as the rest are deployed on the border.
12.35 PM: Prasad directs Narain to advise Chief of Army Staff Gen Padmanabhan to have troops ready due to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ahmedabad
12.45 PM: Narain tells Vij to arrange immediate movement of troops to Gujarat.
4.00 PM: Modi requests army deployment following consultations with Advani.
6.45 PM: Cabinet Committee on Security meets under the prime minister’s chairmanship; approves the immediate movement of troops to Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat. Vajpayee deputes Fernandes to supervise the deployment of troops.
7.00 PM: The Gujarat Government’s formal request for army deployment is received in Delhi.
11.30 PM: Airlifting of troops begins

MARCH 1, 2002
2.30 AM: A brigade reaches Ahmedabad. The 54th Division’s General Officer Commanding contacts acting Chief Secretary.
9.00 AM: Discussions between representatives of the army and the state take place, followed by troop flag march in Ahmedabad.”

To understand this situation fully, one should read The Hindu and The Indian Express dated 1st and 2nd March 2002. The entire police force of Gujarat was deployed on 27 February itself.

Even on 1st and 2nd March 2002, riots took place in places where the Indian Army was present, i.e. Ahmedabad and Vadodara. But after 3rd March 2002, riots took place almost entirely in those places where the Army was posted. Even on 1st and 2nd March, close to 100 people each were killed, 

despite the presence of the Indian Army.

In 1984, despite the army being available locally, it was not called for three days. At that time, there wasn’t even an insurgency in Kashmir. There was no war-like situation between any of the neighbors, either Pakistan or China. The entire military strength was not deployed on the border. Neither were police visible in New Delhi. The police did not kill even a single attacker in firing in 1984. Not even a single preventive arrest was made in 1984, as against 827 made on 27 February itself, even before a single riot had taken place in Gujarat. Many more preventive arrests were made after the riots had begun. Narendra Modi gave shoot at sight orders in Godhra on 27 February. There were also similar orders in many other towns in Gujarat, as reported by The Hindu dated 2nd March 2002.

In 2002, the Gujarat police saved as many 24,000 Muslims from certain death in the first three days itself. At least 17,500 people are on record to be saved from certain death. Police saved Muslims in Sanjeli, Bodeli, and Viramgam from the rioters.

There are no such available records for the 1984 riots where it can be said that Sikhs were saved and rioters were killed. The entire Sikh community was held responsible for the deeds of 2 Sikhs, in 1984. And the police turned a blind eye to the riots and no action was taken against the rioters. No convictions took place in any court of law.

VERSIONS OF THE RIOTS

During the time of the 1984 riots, the versions of the riots were similar and identical in all sections of the press throughout the country. Whether it was the national English dailies, the local English dailies, the local Hindi dailies, or the regional language dailies all over the country, the reporting on the riots was exactly the same. The reporting of the TV news, radio news, was also exactly the same. In those days, TV was barely in its infancy, and hence the riots escaped the media glare. But there was not an iota of difference between the reports of any section of the media on a single case.

On the contrary, there was a contrast of day and night in the versions of the riots as projected by the ‘national’ English media as against the sharply contrasting versions appearing in the local Gujarati newspapers of all hues. This was because the Gujarati media reported the truth, while the English media always took the side of the Muslims, even if they indulged in cold-blooded murder, or were at the receiving end.

There was also a huge difference in the versions of the riots as projected by the same national English media and the electronic media, during the actual time of the riots in March April 2002, and the reports by the same media months after the actual riots.

Anyone reading the English dailies like The Indian Express, The Hindu, and the weeklies like India Today of March April 2002, will understand this fully. These same dailies/weeklies ignored their own reports during the time of the riots ever after, and started reporting completely biased and one-sided.

The TV channels also played a lot of mischief on the issue of the Gujarat riots. NDTV is the organ of the CPI (M). This is because, NDTV boss Radhika Roy, wife of NDTV Chairman Prannoy Roy, and CPI (M) MP and Politburo member Brinda Karat, wife of CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, are blood sisters. Not just that, both Prannoy and Radhika Roy are staunch Communists. B.P.Singhal writes in an article in the weekly Organiser dated 9 October 2005:

“The 1984 riots escaped the media glare because TV was barely in its infancy.

On the other hand, a lot of mischief was played by the electronic media, which went on repeating some of the gory incidents of riots day after day. One channel repeated a particularly gory seen as many as 21 times. An image was thus created by the collaborating media that the massacre of Muslims was continuing unabated in Gujarat, day after day. The truth is that the total number of riot-related accused that came to light in entire Gujarat was 25,486 (17,489 Hindus and 7,997 Muslims). The efficiency of the Police can be gauged from the fact that out of the above mentioned number, as many as 25,204 accused were arrested- out of which 17,348 were Hindus and 7,856 were Muslims. The police in Gujarat was therefore not sleeping at any time.”

PEOPLE KILLED IN THE RIOTS

In 1984, as many as 3,000 people were killed officially in just a week for the deeds of 2 people. In actual, the number may even be close to 10,000.

On the other hand, in Gujarat in 2002, only 790 Muslims (a number given by a UPA Minister) were killed for the deeds of 2000 Muslims in Godhra, in addition to as many as 254 killed after Godhra, + the 59 Hindus killed in Godhra. A net result of deaths in Gujarat in 2002 would be 790 Muslims and 313 Hindus. While in 1984, it was at least 3,000 Sikhs and 1 Congressperson. The sinner victim ratio (of co-religionists) in 1984 was 2: 3000, while in 2002 in Gujarat, it was 2000: 790 and in addition 254 Hindus were killed in the post-Godhra riots.

Riots in 2002 AD in Gujarat stopped in just three days, and after 3rd March 2002, the state was completely normal except for some violence in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and some places near Godhra. This was in sharp contrast to the Gujarat riots of 1969 and 1985, which continued for as long as 5 months, or even the 1990-91-92 riots in the state.

Not even a single Congressman (or for that matter, any attacker) was killed in 1984, while as many as 254 Hindus were killed in Gujarat in 2002, after Godhra. It is on record that Muslims had started 157 riots in Gujarat after 3rd March 2002. Muslims attacked Hindus in Himmatnagar area of Ahmedabad and killed a young Hindu after gouging out his eyes.

In 1984, on the contrary, the Sikhs did not start even a single riot. No Congressman was killed after gouging out of eyes. The Sikhs did not attack any Congressman. Sikhs were poor victims in 1984, unlike the Muslims in 2002 in Gujarat, who were equally on the offensive.

RIOTS’ GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS

In 1984, the riots occurred not just in New Delhi, but also in many other far-off places, mostly in Congress ruled states. Not just that, Congressmen attacked Sikhs in as far off places as West Bengal. Veteran CPI (M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet in an article published in the CPI (M)’s weekly Peoples Democracy in August 2005 accused Mamata Banerjee of leading mobs to kill Sikhs in West Bengal in the 1984 riots.

In 2002, not a single person was attacked or killed in any place outside Gujarat, not even in riot-prone Mumbai. As B. P. Singhal wrote in his article in Organiser, “The Hindu community in the country ensured that the riots did not spread beyond Gujarat even though Godhra had severely outraged the Hindus all over the country.” If the VHP or the Bajrang Dal were hell-bent on killing Muslims as a matter of policy, there could have been mayhem in almost every part of India. However, none of this happened. The riots were limited to Gujarat only.

Even in Gujarat, no riots took place in one-third of the state, i.e. in Saurashtra and Kutch, even in the first three days. This shows the sincerity of the government and the Sangh Parivar in observing restraint. VHP had units in 10,000 out of Gujarat’s 18,600 villages. Had it wanted to, it could have caused riots in all the 10,000 villages. However, riots were limited only to 40 villages- and a total of 60 places.

PEOPLE RENDERED HOMELESS

In Gujarat in the 2002 riots, Hindus were also rendered homeless. As on 5 March 2002, out of the 98 relief/refugee camps opened, 85 were for Muslims and 13 were for Hindus. As on 17 March 2002, as many as 10,000 Hindus were rendered homeless in Ahmedabad alone, as per The Times of India. As on 25 April 2002, out of the 1 lakh 40 thousand refugees, 1 lakh were Muslims and as many as 40 thousand were Hindus.

In 1984, not a single Congressman or non-Sikh individual was rendered homeless. B.P.Singhal writes in his article, “On the other hand, no attempt was made to open even a single refugee camp for the hounded Sikhs at any point of time anywhere. Actually, as per Nanavati Commission report, weapons of the Sikhs living in Sikh localities were withdrawn with the promise of protection by the police while the same localities were then attacked.”

Far from non-Sikh people staying in refugee camps because of attacks by the Sikhs, even the displaced Sikhs were not provided any refugee camps to stay. This was in sharp contrast to Gujarat in 2002, when Hindus were forced out of their homes by Muslims and forced to stay in refugee camps. Some Hindus were forced to live in temples, since no relief camps were available for them.

ELECTIONS HELD

Though this issue is not directly related to the riots, a contrast here too is worth mentioning. After the anti-Sikh riots between November 1 to November 7 1984, the general elections of the Lok Sabha were held within 45 days. In these general elections, the Congress Party, riding on a sympathy wave generated by Indira Gandhi’s assassination, won as many as 415 out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. In the Gujarat Assembly elections held in February 1985, the Congress won a staggering 149 out of 182 seats.

While in Gujarat in 2002, the elections were held in December 2002, as many as ten months after Godhra, and a good eight months after the riots. Despite this, the BJP won a huge majority of 127 out of the 182 seats, with a huge 11 % difference in the vote share of the Congress and the BJP.

Who is going to awaken the masses about the truth of the Gujarat riots? Those who claim to be ‘awakened’, i.e. the RSS and the Sangh Parivar are themselves ignorant of the truth of the Gujarat riots. Those who are aware of the truth of the riots do nothing to educate the masses and the BJP leaders on this issue. The RSS’ weeklies like Organiser, Panchjanya also concede, wittingly or unwittingly, that the post-Godhra riots were one-sided which they weren’t.

From the present situation, it is going to take nothing less than a miracle to blast the media myths on the Gujarat riots, and let the truth triumph.

SLAUGHTER AND MAYHEM NEGLECTED…… WHY HISTORY IS MUM?

Razakars of Hyderabad beheading Hindus

Hundreds of Hindus were killed in a single day in  Bangladesh 

Hindu Women Raped Muslim Fanatics Bengal

Deganga Destruction - Muslim leaders order  Restrictions of Dassera Celebrations by Hindus in West Bengal

Muslim League action - Hindu Dead Bodies

Muslim Fanatics asking for Hindu Blood

Priest being tortured by Muslims in Bengal

Islam - Religion of Peace

Destructive Force - Islam

  Dr K. Prabhakar Rao

 

  Indian subcontinent was full of men and women following native religions in the yore before Islam ventured into the land. India (Hindustan) was invaded by many foreign barbarian invaders from time to time and they finally merged into society. With Islam, such thing did not happen.  Major invasions took place at evil hours  under Bin Kasim from west. But he retreated without establishing any Islamic rule in the land. Bin kasim paid for his deeds and he was got killed by his own master. There was some lull in these invasions after this. Although earlier, Greeks invaded under Alexander the great, he departed leaving his governor in India. Over a period, Greeks lost their identity and it is believed that they merged with locals.

Similarly invaders such as Huns, Kushans, and Scythians merged in Hindu society. In all these invasions, scores were killed and or   taken away as slaves. But many Indians believe that the real history is mostly recorded by the Europeans and they blindly nod their heads like sheep. Some even are critical of Indian ancient texts and say these are mere stories of imagination and gossip ( 1).

           

One may subscribe to the view that the Englishmen have recorded history to create fissures between Hindus and Muslims and probably the atrocities committed on Hindus by invading Muslims and their
successors could not be true. The victories of Islamic invaders have been described by the contemporary historians who glorified the murder, loot and killings with great tempo and glee. Destroyed monuments and defaced idols and temples stand testimony to the naked truth. These writings thus can not be ignored and brushed aside. In general, people in this beleaguered nation turn a blind
eye to these happenings with attitude of an Ostrich.  Some may even question, : “Why dig the past?
What benefit one will get except bitterness?”. This is the general attitude with most of the Indians (Hindus); a disgusting attitude indeed. They turn away their heads from realities like Ostriches.(2)

 

Afghanistan was in fact a Buddhist state and the great kings like Kanishka ruled the areas and
Buddhism flourished. This state was called Gandhara in our epics and ancient texts.  Great Buddhist sculptures still exist in Afghanistan such as Bamiyan Buddhas at silk route. The killings and eliminations of Buddhists and Hindus in Afghanistan and surrounding areas would have been
so devastating that the mountain ranges in these areas were named Hindukush meaning slaughter of Hindus. Till today, the name exists. Nearly 15 lakh persons were slaughtered in West Afghan town Heerat as per Afghan historian Khondamir. We can imagine the extent of slaughter of Hindus in
Islamic invasions in wars and subsequent persecutions. The figures could be mind bogging. We all know that Eccentric and bigot Taliban rulers caused immense damage to these sculptured by firing field guns at the statues recently when they were in power in Afghanistan. Indians helplessly looked at them, passed resolutions in parliament after shedding crocodile tears. They were soon thrown out by the American forces .Almighty desired such fate for such criminal bands claiming as rulers. Death
and fear of death stalks every Taliban every minute to day. Which is a price they are paying for their misdeeds?

               

The murders commencing with invasions of invaders and killers Mohd Ghaznavi (1000AD) to Persian king Nader shah (1739 AD) and Ahmed shah Abdali Durrani later (1761AD) and their successors probably amount to   colossal figures and   exact numbers can not be really fixed. Prof Lal estimated that between 1000AD to 1525 AD the Hindu population reduced by five crores due to mass killings, extermination and persecution by the Muslim invaders and the rulers (3) . History states that medieval crank Timor Lung who invaded Hindustan in 1399 AD killed one lakh Hindus in a single day while
Bahmani sultans who ruled at Gulbarga (later at Bidar in present Karnataka state) in South India
during 14 and 16 centuries took oath to kill one lakh Kafirs every year. Surely they would have done these grim acts while many Hindus smile at them today. 

Baber the cruel invader in 1527AD from Kabul wrote in his memoirs that the ground in the valley of Milamat (presently in District Hoshiarpur) was completely soaked with blood of Kafirs that were slain and he had to shift his tents thrice. He also wrote that he erected a tower    using the skulls of slain men and sat on it over a throne and called himself Gazi meaning protector of faith. This was a
great fad among Islamic invading rulers in those bygone evil times. The current Jihadis are no different and dream for such achievements. He erected similar towers at Chanderi and Khanwa after winning battles (4).  There are other despots and cruel religious bigots who did similar things in India in the past after Baber.

              

Jalaluddin Akbar much glorified as emperor the great by our pseudo historians mercilessly got slaughtered more than 30,000 Rajput men women and children after the fall of Chittorgarh on 23 Feb 1568. His noted and distinguished court noble Abul Fazal narrated the incident proudly in his book
Akbar Nama. When some Rajput nobles of Akbar approached him to stop the mayhem
in Chittor Akbar replied:-

 

“ I am in no mood to listen to the  sound of good words. My ears are at present attuned only to enjoy the clang of sword. Leave me alone. I am in communication with  the Amir ( Timor) send me a good reciter. Let him read to me  in loud voice chapters seven to  twelve of  Shahnama..blood, not nectar, holds the key to the success of a sovereign,. Give me war. Peace in no avail to me.” (5)

 

How can any one forget the atrocities committed by the troops of  Deccani sultans at Hampi and Vijaynagar after the battle of Tallikota in 1565AD? The troops of Deccani sultans from Bidar, Golconda, Ahmed nagar and Bijapur (Berar stayed out of the war) entered the defenseless cities Hampi and Vijaynagar after the killing of Aliya ( Araveeti) Rama Raya and defeat of Hindu armies at
Tallikota due to treachery by Muslim Generals of valiant Aliya Rama Raya. They stayed for five months in these cities systematically destroying all edifices and killing innumerable citizens mercilessly without any reason. Their innumerable deplorable actions can not be even described. Disgracefully our history books turn a Nelsons eye to such acts and turn other way or else our brothers might feel offended.  This is not from distant past. It is just 450 years old and each and every building, rock, rampart, pillar, and stone ( In Bellary district) speak of vandalism unleashed by the confederation armies of the sultans and how such atrocities can be ignored by our historians? (6) (7) Surely national spirit is lacking in Hindustan where a section of leaders and men for self elevation try to rub actual history under mat with pure aim of appeasement of others. 

It is a disgrace that the history of Vijaynagar was forgotten by Hindus till European Sewell wrote the book, the forgotten empire. Is it because Hindus did not want to remember the shame?  Probably true. A real shame to forget history. More damaging is the inability to correct ourselves to prevent such
incidents again. Probably, the atrocities committed during the times of Aurangzeb are far less compared to those from the times of Ghanznavi and Mohammed Ghori and his successors at Delhi.
Although some crazy pseudo historians claim the period as glorious times of amalgamation of Hinduism and Islam, it was the darkest period in Hindustan’s history. No amalgamation took place although some mutual influence took place. Severe division existed. Creation of Pakistan in 1947 and current divisive actions are    solid proofs for this (8). 

Some may argue that remembering the past atrocities could further divide the society.   Unless the facts are not known how any reconciliation can take place? There is a fear in pseudo secularists that digging the past would antagonize the society further and they take shelter in hiding things and avoid such facts. Every one knows that most of the Muslims who are in subcontinent are the convertees who took to Islam in the past may be due to growing pressures, circumstances and to avoid persecution. The descendents of Persians, Arabs, and Turks are few. If these atrocities are not condemned generally it would be believed that such things were appropriate and common in those days. The current Jihadi craze against Hindustan is the result of this mental attitude.

                  
The world witnessed massacre of Jews in Germany at the hands of Hitler the fuehrer. No one glorifies Hitler today. No one hates Germans either as nation. Acts of Hitler are universally condemned. But in India the murderers such as Gahznavi are given clean chit by none other than great   and much glorified Pundit ( Wiseman and learned) Nehru in his book Discovery of India. What a fallacy indeed! Emperor Akbar who was in no way less than any other cruel ruler of past is glorified in movies such as Mughal e Azam, Anarkali and few more in Hindi and other regional south Indian languages. Shah Jehan another Mughal who  cut off the hands of artisans after renovating Tajmahal(Tejo Mahal)  has been glorified as great lover in  movie Taj Mahal. 

Our Historians forget everything and pseudo history is thrust down the throats of innocent kids at schools. The society itself turns a blind eye to all these atrocities and closes eyes. Why this apathy and casual attitude to our own suffering? If we draw attention to the recent Razakars atrocities in Hyderabad state under Nizam 7 in1948, we have to hang our heads in shame. Such atrocities took place just before 60 years ago and sufferers and victims must be still living (9). Our rulers after police action had no courage to punish Nizam and his coteries severely and more over the Nizam was made a Raj Pramukh to appease the section. Prime Minister Laik Ali was allowed to escape to Pakistan.Kasim Razvi was not hanged but given a jail term. In any other country such criminals would have been summarily shot in front of public view. Most of the Razakars merged with society and escaped law.
The old smell has not subsided and occasionally erupts.

                    

Hundreds of movies were produced on atrocities on Jews during World War II   and Europe has not forgotten those acts. Even today these are not forgotten and still remembered. What happens in India is different. Indian producers glorify mere killers, womanizers and persecutors as great administrators,
lovers and magnificent rulers with great vison and culture. Shivaji lived and suffered for Hindu cause and he established a Hindu kingdom right under the nose of religious bigot Aurangzeb in the most critical times. Bhagavad-Gita states that whenever Adharma ( evil) rises beyond certain limits, the Lord would take birth in the land to punish the guilty and eliminate them. Shivaji can definitely be seen as the incarnation of  lord Shiva to arrest Islamization of India and he  really achieved it agsint all persecutions by cruel Aurangzeb ( 10). His successors such as Sambhaji, raja Ram, Sahu, peswa, Balaji Viswanath, Baji Rao I, Balaji Baji Rao, Madhav Rao, Baji Rao II, Nana Saheb fought tooth and nail  in his path from 17 th century  right into 19 th century (11).

 

Why the Hindi cinema that is the biggest in the world that is based in the home state   Maharashtra
has not produced a single good movie on life and achievements of Shivaji Maharaj. Is it because all heroes are Khans in Bolly wood?  The producers want to make money and   patriotic spirit is probably missing among them. Shivaji was not a romantic hero and contemporary history of Shivaji no way reveals such romantic activities. He was a warrior hero always wielding sword and protecting Dharma. But Shivajis life has excellent events that inspire the youth and children. Jijabai inspired Shivaji my merely reciting the stories from our epics and building his character. To day cinema is a great facility to influence youth. What prevents to glorify our own heroes? There was only one good movie Jhansi ki Rani in nineteen fifties. It is necessary to appreciate South Indian cinema that produced excellent movies such as Veera Pandya Katta Bomman ( In Telugu and tamil), Maha mantri Timmarusu ( Great Prime minister Timmarusu) of Vijaynagar empire ( In  telugu) few decades ago.. It is well known that Shivaji Killed wretched Afzal Khan the Bijapur General in self defense at Pratapgarh and Muslims even recently protested for highlighting Shivajis heroic deeds on posters or books?

                     

India is shamefully trapped in the hold of Gandhi inspired appeasement and pseudo secularism. If Hindus do not glorify men like MahaRana Pratap, Durga Das  Thakur , Amar Singh Rathode, Subhas Chadra Bose, Shambhaji Maharaj, Ahalya bai, Rani Durgavathi, Rani kitturi Chinnamma,
Rani Rudrama Devi of Warangal,   Jaimal and Patta of Chittorgarh, Rana sanga, Velu Tambi from Kerala, Guru Gobind Singh, who will do? Will Pakistan do for  Hindus?  Indian ministers visit Afghanistan and pay respects to Baber at his grave who destroyed temple at Ram janma bhoomi and got a mosque constructed. It was a very serious insult Hindus.    The grave of Prithviraj Chauhan and Mohammed Ghori are also believed to be close by in Afghanistan. They have no time to visit Chauhans grave and pay respects to him while Muslims throw stones at Chauhan’s grave after they visit Ghori’s grave. Our pseudo leaders bask in glory of false life of appeasement and the history will not forgive them. Back at Hyderabad, the dignitaries from Samarkand in central Asia visit the descendents of Baber ( as claimed by them) in Hyderabad and there is official patronage for this tamasha of appeasement. Should we glorify Baber who was an alien and destroyer of Ram temple at Ayodhya and who killed thousands and thousands each day and erected towers of skulls and assumed title Gazi. Whom one is fooling around? They are fooling themselves. One will not be surprised in future if
special dark pages will be catered for them in history as betrayers of nation history. False history must be scrapped and realities must be revealed.  This is the requirement of the hour before utter darkness takes over the country. ( 12)

 

Bibliography.

 

 

 

1. . Dr K Prabhakar Rao, Strategic studies into Muslim
fundamentalism, its rise in India
and its growing threat to India’s
security across the borders, TIU,
PhD thesis, USA,  2003

 

2.MVR Shastri, Edi Charitra, Abo kam vibho
foundation, Hyderabad,
May 2003

 

3. Ibid

 

 4 RC Majumdar, HC Roy Chaudhry, Kalikinkar
Dutta, An advanced History of India,
St Martins press, NewYork, 1967

 

5. MVR Shastri, Edi Charitra, Abo kam vibho
foundation, Hyderabad,
May 2003

 

 6.Dr C V Rama Chandra Rao, Dakshina Bharatha Desa Charitra,  Telugu
Academy,Hyderabad,  1991

 

7.. Dr K Prabhakar Rao, Destiny did not smile on the foundation day
of Vijay nagar empire, Faithcommons.org, Sanghparivar.org,

 

8. . Dr K Prabhakar Rao, Strategic studies into Muslim
fundamentalism, its rise in India
and its growing threat to India’s
security across the borders, TIU,
PhD thesis, USA,  2003

 

9.Vandemataram Rama chadra Rao, V
Veera bhadra Rao,   Hyderabad pai
Police Charya, ( Police action on Hyderabad)
Mahavra smarak publications, 864b Sultan Bazar, Hyderabad, AP,  1948

10. Dr K Prabhakar Rao, Aurangzeb was over glorified in false Indian history and his
followers paid dearly for his ills, Sanghpariva.org,

11. Dr K Prabhakar Rao, Why Maraths did not establish Padpadshahi at Delhi when they were capable. .Part I?
Sanghparivar.org, January 16, 2010,

a.  Part
II,  Jan17 , 2010,

b. Part III, Jan 18, 2010,

c. Part IV, Jan 19, 2010,

d. Part V, Jan 22, 2010,

e., Part VI, in Comments column of part V,

f. Part VI, Feb 01, 2010

 

12. Dr K Prabhakar Rao.
What is  troubling   India?
 Dr K Prabhakar Rao’s blog,
kuntamukkalaprabhakar.blogspot.com February 16, 2009, 07:46

Religious Coversion and Our Responsibility.

I have always considered Gandhi to be a left wing liberal. But he was not one in the sense of the current day anti Hindu, anti Indian leftist. He was, it seems, a Hindu to the core. Here are some of his quotes:
“If I had power and could legislate, the first thing I would ban is conversions”
“Surely conversion is a matter between man and his Maker who alone knows his creatures' hearts. A conversion without a clean heart is, in my opinion, a denial of God and Religion. Conversion without cleanliness of heart can only be a matter of sorrow, not joy, to a godly person.”
Gandhi was equally wary of the Church and its missionaries. Writing in Harijan (March 13, 1937) he said: "My fear is that, though Christian friends nowadays do not say or admit it that Hindu religion is untrue, they must harbour in their breast that Hinduism is an error and that Christianity, as they believe it, is the only true religion.
Mahatma Gandhi called religious conversions a fraud on humanity. He wrote: "If I had power and could legislate, I should certainly stop all proselytizing". "I resent the overtures made to Harijans." "Stop all conversion, it is the deadliest poison that ever sapped the fountain of
truth." Poverty doesn't justify conversion. (source: The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi Volume 46. p.110 and Volume 61, p. 46-47 volume 64, p. 37 and 400 New Delhi 1968).

He also considered Christian missionaries as "a clear libel on Indian humanity." (source: "A Repudiation," Young India, 4 March 1926, in Collected Works, vol. 30 (1968), 70).

It was Mahatma Gandhi who characterized religious conversions as "pure commerce".
 
Swami Vivekananda said the following about conversions:
Swami Vivekananda speaking about what damage Christian missionaries have done to India, he says in a lecture reported in the Detroit Free Press (February 21, 1894): "They come to my country and abuse my forefathers, my religion, and everything; they walk near a temple and say 'you idolators, you will go to hell', but they dare not do this to the Mohammedans of India, for the sword will be out but the Hindu is too mild."
 
Swami Vivekananada termed religious conversion as "religious perversion"
 
We therefore have two very different kinds of Indian leaders agreeing on the subject of conversion. To put in mildly, they were against it. My own feeling is that if the missionaries or the Islamic scholars present their case without threat, lies or enticements, then it is fine for them to try to convert Hindus. There are a lot of dalits in India who get brutally discriminated against. Their leaders badger them with quotes from Manu. Their detractors do nothing to keep them into the fold. The dalits should have the right to convert, if Hindus cannot help them. It will be our loss. That is what is known as freedom of choice.
However, in almost all the conversion cases, intimidation, lies and money are part of the process. I read that missionaries in either Orissa or Andhra, told the villagers that let us see whose god is stronger. They threw a stone idol of Hanuman ji and a wooden cross into water. They then told the villagers that the stronger god will float.
They are often on cahoots with local politicians. In Orissa, they were involved in murder of a Hindu leader who was involved with anti conversion movement. When attacked legally, they started to cry wolf and got the Indian government (UPA) and some international bodies involved. In the times of the Tsunami, some missionaries were telling the victims that they will get help only when they convert.
Of course Muslim leaders use money and threat for conversions. They often get creative and use concepts like “love Jihad” for this nefarious purpose.
Muslims and Christians are told that it is their religious duty to try to convert as many people or at least try. I have never met a Muslim or a Christian who has not tried that with me. At the very least they spend time extolling their religions. In that regard, if followers of the ancient religions like Hinduism or Judaism are responsible adults then the followers of Islam and Christianity are like insecure teenagers.
In my view, by converting, a person denies his heritage and essentially accepts that their forefathers were living a lie. It is like the suicide of the soul.
However, extreme conditions make people do extreme things. Mothers sell their children in poverty. If people can go against their animal instincts then what chance does religion have? It is the duty of all the Hindus in India to ensure that all their brother and sisters are treated equally irrespective of their caste or origins. We need to have a law like the American Civil Rights bill where any discrimination is a crime punishable by law. If we cannot ensure equitable treatment to our dalit brothers and sisters, we have not right to complain.
Disgusted by the lax attitude of our pseudo secular government, the Indian Supreme Court has taken it upon themselves to call the practice an “interference in someone’s belief” and have decried the forceful conversion.
Everyone in India needs to get on the same page on the matter. Remember, India is the only home for Hindus. We cannot let that disappear in the sea of pseudo-secularism.

SC decries forceful religious conversionsThe bench of justices P Sathasivam and BS Chauhan observed that there cannot be any justification for interference in someone's belief while decrying forceful conversions. While delivering the verdict in the murder case on Friday the court observed that investigations reveal that Staines was involved in conversions and there are materials to suggest that the missionaries were indulging in forceful conversion in the area.The article can be read at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sc-decries-forceful-religious-conversions/141078-3.html
An excellent article which was the source of many of the quotes is: http://www.cincinnatitemple.com/articles/SocialPoliticsofConversion.pdf

The image and a similar article: http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2008/03/orissa-clash-conversion/

Courtesy : Aam Aadmi /  

http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2011/01/religious-coversion-and-our.html

Orissa Clash and Christian Missionaries

by Nithin Sridhar

The recent Hindu-Christian clashes in Orissa during Christmas where many churches were burnt again shed light on the complexity of religious conditions in India. As usual Hindus and Hindu organizations are being blamed. But, before getting into these blame games, it’s important to state the facts.


Orissa has been a favorite destination of Christian Missionaries for proselytization. The illegal conversions are being carried out by missionaries in tribal areas. In Kandhamal District alone the Christian population has increased from 6% in 1970 to 27% in 2001, despite an Act enacted by the Orissa Legislature in 1967 to prevent conversion by allurement, coercion, bribery and cheating.¹ On the eve of Christmas, the community had organized for a massive ‘conversion’ camp in a predominantly Hindu tribal area.² When the Hindu tribals under the leadership of Swmi Lakshmanananda protested against this, he was attacked. Everything started from this unprovoked attack by Christian goons on Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati who was visiting his disciples in Darsingbadi village in Kandhmal District on 24th December.

The issue again highlights the ugly face of religious fundamentalism, in this case Christian fundamentalism. It raises the questions about the motive and inspiration behind the ‘proselytization.’
The missionary works are not new. According to the documents of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, the Biblical authority for missions begins quite early in Genesis 12:1-3, in which Abraham is blessed so that through him and his descendants, all the “peoples” of the world would be blessed. Others point to God’s wish, often expressed in the Bible, that all peoples of the earth would worship Him. Therefore, Christian missions go where worship is not, in order to bring worship to God.³  In the 16th century the proselyization of Asia was linked to the Portuguese colonial policy. As soon as Christianity came into power, heathen temples were defaced and closed and their revenues transferred to the Church. “We command that all their (heathens’) fanes, temples, shrines, if even now any remain entire shall be destroyed by the command of the magistrates” was the order of the day. (Theodosius Code, 380 A.D.). In Great Britain and Germany, priests and monks moved about destroying the groves and shrines of the people. The last regions to lose their religions in Europe were Prussia and the Baltic states.

Varying attempts to stamp out infidels and heretics often proved to be inadequate, so the Holy Inquisition was formed by Pope Gregory IX in 1231 to make the efforts more organized and efficient. Burning was quickly decided upon as the official punishment. In 1245, the Pope gave Inquisitors the right to absolve their assistants of any acts of violence which they might commit in the fulfillment of their duties. Torture of suspects was authorized by Pope Innocent IV in 1252. The Inquisition was not limited to Europe, as Spaniards brought it to the Americas and used it to punish the native inhabitants.

Through the 1500s, 879 heresy trials were recorded in Mexico alone.⁴ The historian Hernando del Pulgar estimated that the Spanish Inquisition had burned at the stake 2,000 people and reconciled another 15,000 by 1490 just one decade after the Inquisition began. (Cited in Kamen op. cit., p. 62.) Juan de Zumarrage, first Bishop of Mexico, writing in 1531, claimed that he personally destroyed over 500 temples and 20,000 idols of the heathens.⁵ The Goa inquisition which lasted from 1560 to 1812 is considered as the most violent inquisition ever executed by the Portuguese Catholic Church. Inquisition proceedings were always conducted behind closed shutters and closed doors. Hindus were brutally interrogated, flogged, and slowly dismembered in front of their relatives. Eyelids were sliced off and extremities were amputated carefully.⁶ Viceroy D Constantine de Braganca issued an order on April 2, 1560, instructing that Brahmins should be thrown out of Goa and other areas under Portuguese control.⁷ At the end of 1567, 300 Hindu temples were destroyed.⁸

These incidences are not just something to be read in pages of history, but it is very much happening even today. Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati says “There was no problem when Christians were not here in Paikia. With their numbers increasing, they forcefully took away Hindu girls and forced the neo-converts to eat beef. They set several temples on fire. Be it Birupakhya Mahadev´s temple or temple at Malarimaha or my Ashram at Rupagoan, the Christians conspired to set them on fire. They threw mortal remains of cows on mandirs. Kondh tribal´s Goddess Dharani Mata´s places of worship in several villages were dishonored. The sacred sword at a temple at Bramhanigaon was forcibly taken away by the converts who melted the sword in public and prepared their weapons with that looted material.”⁹

In the Lausanne report ‘Christian Witness to Hindus’, they state in details the methods to be adopted to convert different sections of Hindus. They discuss about Rural Evangelism, Urban Evangelism and Student Evangelism. They explain how ‘Miraculous Healing’ helps to convert people. They give strategies to be employed to use mass media, social gatherings, and seminars to their advantage.¹⁰
The Niyogi Report provided details of how much had been contributed by which Western country to the total of Rs. 29.27 crores received by Christian missions in India from January 1950 to June 1954. It notes that USA, UK, Canada and France contributed around 21 crores, 5 crores, 2 crores and 8 lakhs respectively. The Report revealed that the bulk of this foreign money received ostensibly for maintaining educational and medical institutions was spent on proselytization. It has been contended, said the Report, that most of the amount is utilized for creating a class of professional proselytizers, both foreign as well as Indian. There were 480 foreign missionaries working in Madhya Pradesh at that time.  Out of them as many as 236 were Americans. The Report gave concrete instances of how mission schools were used to influence the minds of young people. Harijan and Adivasi students came in for special attention.  They were given free boarding, lodging and books provided they attended Christian prayers.  Bible classes were made compulsory by treating as absent for the whole day those students who failed to be present in those classes.  School celebrations were used for showing the victory of the cross over all other symbols.  Hospitals were used for putting pressure on poor class patients to embrace Christianity.  The richest harvest, however, was reaped in mission orphanages which collected orphans during famines and other natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes. ‘No wonder,’ observed the Report, ‘that the largest number of converts is from such backward classes living in areas where due to various causes only Mission schools and hospitals exist.  Most conversions have been doubtless insincere admittedly brought about in expectation of social service benefits and other material considerations.’¹¹

Christianity has been following a policy of ‘Inculturation.’ This means that it adopted Pagan elements in Christianized form in order to ease the transition from Paganism to Christianity. Pagan gods became Christian saints. Pagan Festivals became Christian festivals. In this process of inculturation, the Christian Church adapted old forms to its new message, but made sure that through the Pagan veneer the Christian doctrine was impressed upon the converts.¹² “Indigenization,” says Kaj Baago, “is evangelization. It is the planting of the gospel inside another culture, another philosophy, another religion.”¹³ In Indian case, ‘Inculturation’ or ‘Indigenization’ means ‘the incorporation of Jesus in Indian spiritual tradition’. Fr. Bede says “In India we need a Christian Vedanta and a Christian Yoga that is a system of theology which makes use not only of the terms and concepts but of the whole structure of thought of the Vedanta.”¹⁴

Sita Ram Goel divides Hindu-Christian encounter into 5 phases. The first phase began with arrival of Portuguese and Saint Francis Xavier, where they used all crude and violent methods of proselytization. This ended with end of Portuguese rule. The second phase began establishment of British rule, where the language and methods of missionaries was as crude as before but they were not allowed to use physical methods. This ended with rise of Hindu reformation movements of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, and Swami Vivekananda. The third phase starts with the advent of Mahatma Gandhi and his slogan of sarva-dharma-samabhAva which forced Christian missions to change and soften their language. This phase ended with the Tambram Conference of the International Missionary Council (IMC) in 1938, which decided to reformulate Christian theology in the Indian context. The fourth phase which commenced with the coming of independence where the Christian right to convert Hindus was incorporated in the Constitution. The missionary apparatus multiplied fast and became pervasive.  Christianity had never had it so good in the whole of its history in India. The only rift in the lute was the ‘Niyogi Committee Report on Christian Missionary Activities’ published by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1956, and Om Prakash Tyagi’s Bill on ‘Freedom of Religion’ introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 1978. The fifth phase which is currently running started with Hindu awakening that resulted in Ram Janmabhumi movement.¹⁵

Over these long periods of Hindu-Christian encounter, only the language and methods of ‘followers of Jesus’ has changed, but the motive has always remained same. Lausanne report in its introduction says, ‘We give thanks to God Almighty for his gracious act of salvation in Jesus Christ, which has made possible the entrance into the Kingdom of God for over 565 million Hindu people dispersed throughout the world, with the majority in the Indian sub-continent. We rejoice in the fact that the saving Word of God preached faithfully by God’s servants has brought about a Christian population of about 19 million people in India alone. However, we are conscious that God longs for the whole Hindu people to know Jesus Christ and live under his Lordship.’¹⁶ These words clearly speak out that the sole goal of the missions have been Christianization of whole world including India and in this process destroy the cultures of the world.

This desire to Christianize the whole world is due to the fact that the doctrines of Christianity are intolerant of others faiths. The Biblical God is Jealous and Violent. It is assumed that Jesus means ‘Peace’ and the message of Christianity is peace and equality. But Bible says:
‘Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword.”(Matthew, 10/34)

‘God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies’. (Nahum, 1/2)
The Biblical God is intolerant, ask its followers to torture Non-Believers, to break the idols and images.

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
(Revelation, 9/5)

But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. (Deuteronomy, 7/5)
If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.(John, 15/6)

It is this intolerance, which inspired the ‘Followers of Jesus’ to commit great crimes. The source of proselytization by force and fraud lies in Christian doctrines which have heavily been criticized by Nietzsche, Thomas Paine, Voltaire, and Bertrand Russell. But, still it is common in secular brigade to say “All Religions are Equal.” How can we equate a religion which is so intolerant, whose God is jealous and tyrant and exclusive with a religion like Hinduism which is tolerant, inclusive and spreads peace? The best solution to counter the Christian threat is to counter the Christian Dogma which is the source of proselytization.

“Auspiciousness be unto all; peace be unto all;
Fullness be unto all; prosperity be unto all.
May all be happy! May all be free from disabilities!
May all look to the good of others!
May none suffer from sorrow” (Shanti Mantra)

References:
1 http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2008/1/3.shtml#2
   http://www.sanghparivar.org/facts-on-clashes-among-christian-missionaries-and-the-tribals-in-kandhamal-district-of-orissa
2 http://www.haindavakeralam.com/HkPage.aspx?PAGEID=5243&SKIN=C
 http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=217&page=14
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_(Christian)
4 http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blfaq_viol_inquisition.htm
5 http://www.voiceofdharma.org/books/ca/app5.htm
6 http://www.christianaggression.org/item_display.php?type=ARTICLES&id=1111142225
7 http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/mar/16gupta.htm
8 http://www.christianaggression.org/item_display.php?type=ARTICLES&id=1111142225
9 http://www.blogs.ivarta.com/india-usa-blog-column59.htm
10 http://www.lausanne.org/pattaya-1980/lop-14.html
11 Niyogi Committee Report On Christian Missionary Activities published by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1956
12 Salvation: Hindu influence on Christianity by Dr. Koenraad Elst.
13 Kaj Baago, Pioneers of Indigenous Christianity, Madras, 1969, p. 85
14 Bede Griffiths, op. cit., p. 24.
15 http://www.voiceofdharma.org/books/ncr/2one.htm
16 http://www.lausanne.org/pattaya-1980/lop-14.html#Int
The author of this article, Nithin Sridhar, is studying civil engineering in Mysore, India. You can contact him at nkgrock@yahoo.co.in.

Social Politics of Conversion

Social Politics of Conversion