Most Christians understand the threat posed by militant Islam, but few are
aware of a strain of Hindu radicalism targeting believers in India.
Indeed, there is a “well-rehearsed plan for violence” against churches
and evangelists in the sprawling sub-continent inhabited by one-sixth of the
worlds population, said George Ninan, a South Asia director for Campus
Crusade for Christ.
Most Christians understand the threat posed by militant Islam, but few are
aware of a strain of Hindu radicalism targeting believers in India.
Indeed, there is a “well-rehearsed plan for violence” against churches
and evangelists in the sprawling sub-continent inhabited by one-sixth of the
worlds population, said George Ninan, a South Asia director for Campus
Crusade for Christ.
“One month ago two of our staff members were beaten up while they were
talking to students at the university,” Ninan said in an interview with
the ASSIST News Service. “They were taken to the police station and the
police did the same thing.
“These are things that wouldnt have happened a few years back.”
However, in recent years, militant groups have arisen that trumpet a Hindu
“race” and culture, urging that Hinduism be recognized as the official
state religion.
One such group, the National Volunteer Service, is influenced by 1930s-style
Nazism, Ninan said, noting that such groups are gaining influence in high places.
“These groups have been in existence in different names in the last 60
to 100 years,” Ninan said. “It was people who believed in this ideology
who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Now, we have a new political party that subscribes
to the same views.”
As a result, there is a feeling that the leaders are supportive of the actions
of the various groups, Ninan said. “The members of radical groups feel
they can do these things and get away with it.”
In 1997, a Jesuit priest from Belgium was killed by Hindu nationalists disguised
as police officers.
The same year, another priest was severely beaten and paraded naked through
the streets by militants – all within view of the police, the Freedom House
group in Washington, D.C. reported.
Two years later, an Australian missionary and his two sons were burned to death
in their van by Hindu extremists.
All in all, more than 100 incidents of violence have been documented against
Christians since 1998, including the rape of four nuns and one nun shot in the
face. Many Christians have been injured, killed or left homeless by such attacks.
When the nuns were raped, even some news reports stated it happened because
the women were converting people, Ninan said. “Instead of condemning it,
they said, Maybe theres a reason to justify it.
“(And) Even when the Australian missionary and his two children were burned,
Indias home minister said, Now, Im certain none of our Hindu
activists were involved. But how does he know even before preliminary
investigations were over?
“All these things lead us to a state where we cant believe in the
system,” Ninan emphasized. “We cant trust them, but we cant
prove anything against them.”
In addition to religious persecution, Indian society is beset by other deeply-rooted
problems.
The New York Times reported one-third of the elected officials in Indias
most populous state have criminal backgrounds. Indias judicial system
has a logjam of 30 million unheard cases, and the system is considered off-limits
to the poor.
The army and police have been accused of torture and arbitrary disappearances,
particularly against low-caste members of society. Female convicts often are
raped while in custody, Freedom House said.
Every year, disputes about the outlawed dowry practice cause several thousand
women to be burned to death, driven to suicide or killed, while authorities
take little action, observers report. Some of Indias major cities have
thousands of street children, and millions of underage workers exist in forced
servitude in industrial and agricultural settings.
Such entrenched social problems may lead some to lash out at any kind of scapegoat
– including Christians, Ninan said.
“There is a hatred and a division being created that goes really deep,”
he noted. “First they go after the people who are involved in evangelism
and discipleship. They say, Youre going against our culture; you
are destroying our traditions. And they get people on their side.
“If practicing faith means going to church or prayer meetings and wearing
a cross, I can do that and nobody objects to that,” Ninan explained.
“But if you believe in witnessing for your faith and seeing people coming
to Christ, there is always a danger that somebody will come after you.”
Many Christians had their hopes raised for revival by an unprecedented rally
of about 1 million of Indias “untouchables” – known as Dalits
– last fall. At the rally, the Dalits announced they were leaving Hinduism en
masse for another religion. Dalit leaders agreed to consider the case for Jesus
Christ, as well as other major religions.
The word Dalit means “oppressed” or “broken to pieces.”
Under Hindu rules, these poorest of the poor are not even allowed to enter all
Hindu temples. It is considered socially unacceptable to allow a Dalit even
to attend a religious festival.
Some thought if the Dalits responded to Christianity, it could be one of the
greatest revivals of all time. Some estimate there are 200 million to 250 million
Dalits trapped in Indias caste system – their fates considered to be determined
at birth.
When Dalit leaders ultimately embraced Buddhism, many Christians were deeply
disappointed. Ninan acknowledged.
“The propaganda was that 10 million would show up in Dehli for the rally
and that 350 million would become Christians that day, but that didnt
happen because of their fears of losing certain rights if they converted to
Christianity,” he noted.
Under Indias legal system, if the Dalits converted to Christianity, they
would lose their eligibility for affirmative action programs. But if they converted
to Buddhism, considered an offshoot of Hinduism, they would still maintain their
benefits.
Ninan said he believes false expectations were raised by the rally and mass
conversion last year. “It was a social movement,” he said. “It
was not a spiritual movement at all. It was people getting out of Hinduism for
their convenience. This is not the type of Christian we want at all.”
Meanwhile, there are Dalits who come to Christ and join the church every day
– despite the fact that they know they will lose their privileges.
And while Ninan has not seen the revival he prays for daily, he said he remains
hopeful about India.
“Most of the ministries are seeing results,” he said. “We might
not make a lot of noise, but the church is growing.” (BP)
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