Revolutionaries are uncompromising men and women. They are unafraid to stand for their conviction. They may give up their life but not their conviction. They do not dilute their stand to please men or to avoid dangers ahead. If such are the characteristics of a revolutionary, then surely Christian revolutionaries are born in Orissa writes Jerry Thomas.
For a long time, Manuvadi’s (Hindu terrorists) in India has been accusing Indian Christians of forcibly converting others. Their examples of forces are those Christians who wash the feet of people affected with leprosy, those who give shelter to the destitute and abused, those who provide care and education for the hitherto unwanted and untouchable people for Manuvadi’s – the Dalits. But on August 2008, it stood exposed.
For Manuvadi’s: Leprosy Homes and Orphanages- No, Brutal Attacks and Rapes- Yes
In the eyes of Manuvadi’s, leprosy homes and orphanages are illegitimate contexts of conversions to Christianity but Manuvadi’s raping Christian women, brutally attacking men and parading a few naked are legitimate ways to ‘reconvert’ them to Hinduism.
Burnt Alive:
On August 26, 2008, according to Sabrang Communications (secular organization which publishes the human rights magazine Combat Communalism) which chronicled the persecution in Orissa, these Hindu terrorists went to a Dalit Christian in Gajapati at Mukundapur village( foot note a). They threatened him and told him to renounce Jesus Christ and embrace Hinduism. But this Dalit Christian whom they think has been converted to Christianity because of force and allurement refused to renounce Jesus Christ. These evil and vile merchants of death then took the Dalit Christian and burnt him alive in fire.
His ashes declare a heroic faith in Jesus Christ. He was offered a choice between renouncing Jesus Christ by ‘reconverting’ to Hinduism or facing a brutal death. Their voice and choice was clear- it was the voice of Manu, the Hindu lawgiver himself (foot note b). Many men would have renounced Jesus Christ and tried to live for a few more years. Some have already done so. They were asked to burn the Bible and ‘reconvert’ to Hinduism (foot note c). But not this Dalit Christian. He heard a voice clearer than voice of Manu and that voice was dearer to him. That was the voice of Jesus Christ offering life and freedom. The voice said- “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). This Dalit Christian responded “Yes my master, I believe in this.”
He chose to obey the voice of Jesus Christ. In that he became disobedient to the voice of Manu. But what – he was in fact following the example of another great lawgiver of mankind- Moses. For it is written “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward (Hebrews 11:25-26).
By this heroic faith, this Dalit Christian has become a hero of our faith. He is not victim but a victor. He does not require anyone’s sympathy. He deserves our salute.
Remember he was the one whom they accused of converting to Christianity because of force and allurement.
Cutting the Throat by a Dagger:
On August 26, 2008, the Hindu terrorists went Bakingi- Raikia to destroy a Church building (foot note d). 500 of them went with daggers and other weapons. But they met Pastor Samuel Nayak who stood in the front of the Church- toil and sweat of many believers. They threatened him and asked him to move from the front door of the Church. He refused to do so but guarded it. He was unarmed. Then these beasts took their daggers and cut the throat of Pastor Nayak.
His blood is the blood of a martyr and his faith is a heroic faith. He was confronted by the so-called protectors of Dharma. They had to kill and destroy from age to age to protect Dharma (foot note e). He had heard it a thousand times. We have seen it now. But he also heard another voice of another way to protect Dharma. That voice said “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. And I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:10, 15).
The contrast could not have been clearer. On August 26, 2008 Pastor Nayak decided to imitate his good Shepherd and in this he became a hero of our faith.
Remember, he was the one whom they accused of ‘exploiting the poverty’ of his sheep.
Raping and Parading Naked:
On August 25, 2008 the Hindu terrorists went K Nugam. They dragged Father Chellan Thomas and Sister
. Meena Barua (foot note f). They stripped Father Chellan, mercilessly attacked him and paraded him naked. They poured petrol on him to burn him alive but the rains did not permit it. They stripped Sister Meena and publicly raped her. Then they paraded her naked.
I have read and heard a few moderate modern Hindus saying that they certainly deplore such actions but will also look at the context in which it was done. They were not ready to unconditionally condemn it and it perplexed me until I remembered what Babasaheb Ambedkar wrote about the evil laws of Manu which looks at the context (caste) of the sexual immorality and sets one standard of upper caste and another standard for the lower caste(foot note g). It now makes sense why the rape of a Christian nun is not unconditionally deplorable for them. Manu, the Hindu law giver would have certainly considered the body of a Mlecha (any non Hindu) deserving such treatment.
But not to all law givers. There was Moses, another law giver of mankind, who said all human beings are created in the image of one True God (Genesis 1:26) and therefore there is no difference in the value of any human body. Of course, much more now to the LORD God of Sister Meena for whom it is the Holy temple of God.
Those Hindu terrorists in their lecherous mind thought that they would destroy the purity of her body. No. She is pure and holy temple of the one True God. The bodies of those lecherous lustful men are now the emblems of Satan- impure and evil.
Father Chellan did not survive without a purpose. He lived to tell those who persecuted him that he loves them and are ready to serve them (foot note h). He has shown us that light of True love can never be defeated by the forces of darkness.
Remember he is one of those whom they accuse of destroying their culture. What is their culture except lust and violence- we may ask?
These people who suffered were not alone. Heroes of faith always stand as a cloud of witnesses around us. More than 50000 have been rendered homeless, and many more martyrs (foot note i). This series of violence that started in Orissa are now spreading to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu etc.
These are not isolated incidents in a land with a ‘glorious’ history. For thousands of years, unparallel in the world history, the forefathers of these martyrs were considered as untouchables and treated in the same way. Their fathers were enslaved and mothers raped. So called gods of this nation never wanted them. But now, as one of the Christian Dalit woman rightly noted they have a God who wants them (foot note j).
Let the Hindu Terrorists and Modern Moderate Hindu Be Thankful to Christians
The Hindu terrorists should have been thankful for the God whom these Dalits chose. To put things in perspective, Hindu terrorists have taken law into their hands after blaming Christians for killing Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.
Remember they started the attacks on Christians under the pretext of the murder of Swami Laxmananda. But then the Maoist came. Maoist said they were the ones who killed Swami Laxmananda(foot note K).
Did the Hindu terrorists go after Maoist to kill them? No. If they were so convinced about the ‘righteousness of cause’ in protecting their dharma through murder and destruction why did they not go after Maoist? Because Maoist would retaliate and chase the Hindu terrorists.
In fact, in the midst of these affected villages in Orissa, there are two villages Gundhani and Gamandi of Raikia which has a large number of Christians but remain unaffected (foot note L). Because there is a group of youngsters who rejected the words of their pastor, and the commandments of the Holy Bible and made some bombs. They are not our heroes because they behaved like our persecutors. We must reject their actions unconditionally unlike the many moderate modern Hindu because our laws are the laws of love.
Yet these two villages remain unaffected by the Hindu terrorists. It exposes the Hindu terrorists as lecherous cowards unlike heroes of ours who in the face of death did not renounce their conviction.
Again remember, these are the same people whom these Hindu terrorists have accused of converting to Christianity without conviction but due to force and allurement. Yet when these Hindu terrorists used the brutal force to ‘reconvert’ to Hinduism they did not change their conviction.
It is ironical to see that many moderate Hindus who criticize charity works as an example for forcible conversions will now look for the ‘context of rape and murder’ when it is for conversions to Hinduism. Let the moderate Hindu be grateful for the Christian faith and that Christians are not people like Hindu terrorists.
Orissa government and the police force instead of protecting the unarmed Christians who would never take law into their hands have rather passively or actively sided with the perpetrators of crime.
On August 25, 2008, in Bhawanipatna, Father Manickthan, asked for protection, but the S.P expressed his inability to do anything due to the size of the mob (foot note M). When Father Manickthan requested S.P to an
nounce curfew in the area to arrest the mob movement, SP slammed angrily on Father saying he need not give any orders to him. In the evening, Malankara hostel was attacked in Bhawanipatna, not far from the Catholic Church, and many children have been badly hurt.
Yet in Kendrapada, Section 144 of ICP was immediately declared at Potamundai town after Hindu terrorists attacked a few Muslims (foot note N).
But again on August 27, 2008, in Raikola Village of G. Udayagiri, when Hindu terrorists attacked Christian homes, Christian women went and pleaded with Circle Inspector of Police D. P Mahanta for protection (foot note O). Like the gods of this nation, police too rejected them and said “you killed Swami. Now you go and die. Otherwise, pay for our expenses and we will protect you”.
Yet these Christian men and women refused to take law into their hands. They chose to suffer despite evident injustice.
Remember these are the same people whom the Hindu terrorists have accused as anti-nationals and unpatriotic. Pravin Togadia of VHP publicly showed disrespect to the law of this land when he said he will take a Yatra across Orissa with ashes of Swami Laxamananda despite Supreme Court instructions against it. Yet he is a patriot.
What is the definition of patriotism? We may ask.
Christian Revolutionaries Have Arrived, Christian Revolution Has Begun
Revolutionaries are uncompromising men and women. They are unafraid to stand for their conviction. They may give up their life but not their conviction. They do not dilute their stand to please men or to avoid dangers ahead. If such are the characteristics of a revolutionary, then surely Christian revolutionaries are born in Orissa. They were uncompromising men and women. They stood unafraid for their conviction even in the face of sure death.
They did not swing the sword of men but sang the song from the Word of God. They were revolutionaries of a different God. They did not take a sword, they did not take a trishul, they did not take a gun but they took their cross. They are revolutionaries of the God who took the cross.
We salute them. Their blood is the blood of martyrs and their faith is the faith of our heroes.
Foot Notes:
a. http://www.sabrang.com/news/2008/OrissaComVio-Chronology.pdf
b. Ramachandra Guha quotes Gowalkar saying about Manu as"the first, the greatest, and the wisest lawgiver of mankind". So the connection between laws of Manu are Hindu terrorist group are acknoweldged by thier own guru (http://www.countercurrents.org/comm-guha281106.htm)
c. http://www.tehelka.com/story_main40.asp?filename=Ne130908CoverStory.asp
d. http://www.sabrang.com/news/2008/OrissaComVio-Chronology.pdf
e. Bhagavadgita 4:8 "Age after Age, I come into the World to establish Dharma (Righteousness), to protect the righteous and to destroy the wicked". Parasaram is an avatar as he destroyed the Kshatriyas. Adi Shankara himself is considered as an avatar by some as he was responsible for the destruction of Buddhism in India. The deceased Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati was also revered by many though yet to be considered as an avatar. http://www.tehelka.com/story_main40.asp?filename=Ne130908CoverStory.asp
f. http://www.sabrang.com/news/2008/OrissaComVio-Chronology.pdf
g. Philosophy of Hinduism, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (www.ambedkar.org)
h. http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=13124
i. http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/2382/45/
J. http://www.tehelka.com/story_main40.asp?
L. . http://www.tehelka.com/story_main40.asp?filename=Ne130908CoverStory.asp
M. http://www.sabrang.com/news/2008/OrissaComVio-Chronology.pdf
N. . Ibid
O. Ibid
{moscomment}
I think it is time for all for the Christian denominations to take a united stand against conversions. Let there be some ground principles and norms before changing one’s religion. The country comes first and not religion. I’m a Roman Catholic by faith & a devout Christian but I feel the Christian missionaries are crossing the line in conversion matters.
Hi Rachel,
I do not know what faith you have and where you derive your faith from. One thing for sure- you are very good in jumping to conclusion. Where did the Chrsitian missionaries cross the line in conversion matters? Where? Fortunately, your skewed about your Christian faith (which does not seem to have any basis in the Bible) and ideas about conversion (which does not have any evidence) are not shared by many.
Go and tell this to a Dalit that he/she should not convert but should continue to accept the slavery.
Ambedkar once said” I was born as a Hindu but will not die as one”. Have you ever thought why he said so?
Does not seem to be.
Your brahmin and upper caste friends must have said that missionaries cross the line. And you seems to be all out to please them.
Speak for the poor, and the dalit and not for the rich and brahmin.
You will then know the great serivce rendered by missionaries.
One good source for you to further read is Vishal Mangalwadi (http://www.vishalmangalwadi.com/vkmWebSite/index.php)
All the best
Sunil
I endorse the phrase “Hindu Terrorist”. This kind of violence is the same as the “Jihad” perpetrated by extremist Muslims. The central government should also treat it as such officially. Where’s the context and can there be any rationale? I am a moderate Hindu (as this article would like to categorise me) from Orissa,and I see no context but evil in these killings. Ideals do not require an army of stick and dagger wielding morons to safeguards its interests. I wonder how many of these stick wielding saviors of Hindu Society understand their own religion?
To Mary, what should come first for you is not country but truth and justice. Will you justify the country even if it is untruthful and unjust?
To Jerry, while I appericate you rejecting Christians who made bombs unconditionally, we should reject and disown them and take actions to excommunicate them from Churches.
thanks brother jerry for ur great work.now a days hindu terrorist coming up to there true nature.many people condem bajaran dal for what they did ,but as for my knowledge ,they are right in what they did coz u cant EXPECT SOMETHING GOOD FROM PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW HANUMAN(MONKEY).followers of hanuman cant think or act beyond animal.
DEAR sister Rachel Mary Thomas.being a catholic u made a gud comment.but i ask you to read bible and then say ,as a christian shud we share jesus with people? shud we help people as sign on our love for jesus?
may be your never shared true jesus with true people ,but do you think you have any right to stand with enemies and critize those who wish to follow jesus???
Dear gjROCKS,
Lest some ignorant fanatic hindu come and accuse of insulting thier religion, let me say that the point you made about worshippers of Hanuman(demi god) is better expressed by Bhagavat Gita itself. Gita says those worship demi god will take birth among demi gods or in other words all the Bajarandal activist will become monkeys in thier next generation.
“Chapter 9, Verse 25.
Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me. ” Gita 9:25 (http://www.asitis.com/9/)
You are only saying that they need not wait for the next generation but they have already become monkeys.
So any RSS activist who is reading it, please refute your gita first before you accuse any CHristian of nsulting you.
Hii brother jerry,
I feel sad for whats happening with the christians,its really awful what few people are doing,,,No body has the right to kill anyone,but those who do it they are neither muslims nor hindus,,they are beasts,
Let there be peace between the muslim brothers and the christians and other religions.
May we all live like what our true teachers {Prophet mohammad and jesus christ peace be upon them}taught us to be like..
i have all the sympathies for those who were killed recently in orissa and other places, but at the same time i have no sympathy for CHRISTIANITY in general. what christian missionaries are doing around the world particularly in Africa is a well known fact. these missionaries are deceving the poor people around the world by offering them money,jobs,houses etc and in return asking them to accept christianity.
Pray that those who perscute the christians may know the love of the Christ, which cannot be destroyed by their persucution. I remember the verse “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
I don’t understand here what is Rachel Mary Thomas trying to prove. she even doesn’t know that the leaders of grevious sin committed people in Orissa are just giving an excuse in the name of “CONVERSION”.
Well, enough talk of B.R. Ambedkar, just wanted to know if you have heard of people like Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Martin Luther King (of Lutheran Church fame), etc. And, Swami Lakshmananand being killed by naxals is pure BS, we all know the church has been fomenting trouble exploiting the rivalry between certain groups. And, hindu terrorists, well, you seem to be affected by selective blindness, do you not know of christian militant groups operating in Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya. Have you not heard of the Goa Inquisition, probably not, understandably so.