Religion's new converts: Violent, intolerant

CLASH OF IDENTITIES: CNN-IBN panel debates if Orissa crisis is pitting Hindus against Muslims.

                

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“It is a fool who comes to Christianity to get rid of his poverty,” Dayal defended. “It is very difficult to become a Christian. If you’re a Dalit, you lose your job and scholarship. The number of poor Christians in the 2.4 per cent national average is more than 80 per cent.”

He added that people don’t convert to Christianity to gain something. “They do it to get freedom from the clutches of caste,” he said.

Renuka, however, begged to differ. She argued that that reasons to convert were economic rather than religious.

“With all respect to Mr Dayal,” she said, “I think he is overstating the case because I know heaps of caste Christians who observe castes. I’ve run across them all over India. I think it’s unfair to demonise entire Hindu community, which is not like this, and people have moved on quite a lot. Not all Hindus are caste obsessed.”

Mohanty countered that argument. He said that Hindu extremist organisation have a single-point agenda, which is religious mobilisation/

“VHP‘s programme has not included, for example, in Kandhamal what to do with the rich economy of ginger and turmeric. It hasn’t planned how to revive that and use the minor forest produce and have processing units,” he said.

Is The VHP Being Demonised Through This Conflict?

After Kandhamal violence, various people have demanded that the BJP and the Bajrang Dal should be banned like the SIMI, as they are just another form of terrorism. Isn’t that demonising VHP? Isn’t that accentuating the nature of conflict?

Dayal answered, “I am one of the very few people in this country who are against all kinds of ban — whether it be films, theatres, political parties or fanatic or lunatic groups. Is the VHP demonised? No. Is it being exposed? Yes.”

With so many extreme voices, the space for moderate voice is getting reduced. If you constantly say VHP is a terrorist group, are you, perhaps, alienating some of those voices which the moderate groups could otherwise capture?

Mohanty said, “All religions have a fringe that is extremist and violence-oriented. For example, Christian fascists bombed the Okhalama Federal Bulding in the US. There are Sikh terrorists, Islamic terrorists and Hindu terrorists, but they don’t represent their communities as a whole.”

But why should everything be settled through confrontation and violence? Let’s assume that there was a strong case in the favour of the theory that some local Christian group killed the swami. Why not conduct a full investigation into it?

“I will not give licence to violence but on the ground if immediate redressal operations don’t take place, people react on their own,” Singhal replied.

Isn’t it worrying that on the ground, the tribals and the Dalits are being used as a lab for a larger political experiment?

Satpathy replied, “The point is that if I am sitting in a chair and I want to grow so much that I move other people who are sitting besides me, they are going to object.”

He added it has become fashionable to speak against Hindus in order to be marked as a secularist. “Secularism doesn’t only apply to Hindus,” he said and added, “It applies to Christians, Muslims and everybody. The tribals and the backward classes had been living in the area without any problems for centuries. In fact, there was no problem till two years ago. Suddenly with the missionaries coming in from different parts of the state and the country, this problem has started coming up. I’m not talking against the missionaries. What I’m saying is that it is time they themselves take stock of the situation — whether they want to destroy the fabric of a peaceful society or be content with what they have.”

Isn’t it true that Evangelical Christianity should also looked at with the same hard look with which we look at the VHP?

Mascarenhas said, “There is a constant reflection going on in Christian community and that is the reason why we take such a strong stand on education. Wherever the Hindu forces are willing to collaborate with us, we are extending the hand of friendship.”

Religion in India should be the language of peace, sacrifice and compassion. In India, it seems to have become synonymous with violence and animosity. Why?

Renuka said, “At the end of the day, we all seem to be on the same side, which is the need for the government to focus on economic development. Funny things happen in India. I’m a believing Hindu, but the RSS thinks I’m on the payroll of the Jesuits.”

“Society should take very strong economic and developmental actions. Education is the key,” she added.

Is it possible for the Evangelist Catholics to also reach out to the other side? According to Census 2001-2, merely 2.3 per cent of Indians are Christians. How can they be a threat to 80.5 per cent Hindus? Why do you need a hate campaign against the Christians?

At the end of the day, Kandhamal is one of the poorest parts of India. The answer to the crisis of Kandhamal really lies in addressing the issues of poverty and development, for that’s where the religious players come in and exploit people.