By Robin Sam
IF you had witnessed the recent fuss the Sangh Parivar made over what they call as ‘reconversions’, you may be pardoned for thinking almost all Western missionaries in the world had descended en masse in India to ‘evangelise’ the country. Or perhaps, some revival of the Azusa Street kind had broken out in India overnight and people were turning to Christ by hundreds of thousands. Or perhaps, India was going the China way where ten thousand people are said to be turning to Christ every day.
Unfortunately, none of these things is happening in the country. According to an estimate, Christians comprise only 2.3% of the entire Indian population. Despite this cold, hard data, the Sangh Parivar activists scream at the top of their lungs claiming Hindus of the country are soon to be overrun by Muslims and Christians. I can’t talk for the Muslims since I don’t know about their growth rate, but Christians? Unless the Sangh Parivar is privy to some sensitive and earth-shattering information about the ‘explosive growth’ of Christians from some unreleased census, I think their reaction is plain stupid.
At the time of writing this article, the RSS affiliate Dharm Jagran Samiti has planned a ghar vapsi (reconversion or homecoming) ceremony in Aligarh on December 25. Although the district administration has said permission for the event will be denied, the samiti is said to be adamant on going through with it.
According to pamphlets distributed by the outfit, the event is meant as retaliation to the ‘attack’ on the nation by “Muslims, Christians, Maoists and terrorists”.
Equating Christians with Maoists and terrorists, the pamphlet said “India has been facing a battle between asuras (demons) and devs (gods). Today, the Indian society is under attack from Muslims, Christians, Maoists and terrorists and they want to end us as a nation.”
I wonder what on earth has come over these guys. Since when did Christians start ‘attacking’ the nation? Someone needs to tell these guys that the Christian community is perhaps the only one in the land that prays without fail every Sunday for the nation, its leaders and governance.
Talking about governance, the Modi government has also announced December 25 to be called as ‘good governance day’. So, is it a subtle attack on Christmas? Subtle or not, HRD minister Smriti Irani tried her own hand at keeping the central-run schools open on December 25. Her idea was to make students participate in essay competitions, debates and the like on that day. But when the media went to town with the news, she wriggled out of the mess she created by saying she had only online competitions in her mind and that all schools would remain closed on Christmas day.
This is not all. A BJP minister at the centre recently asked people to choose between Ramzadon (those born of Ram – meaning all belonging to Sangh Parivar) and haramzadon (illegitimately born meaning all non-Hindus). Then another BJP minister heaped praise on Mahatma Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse calling him a ‘patriot’. Hey Ram!
I think it’s not the numerical strength of the Christians that makes the Sangh Parivar jittery. It’s the dispensation given to Christians called ‘grace’ that makes the saffron brigade look queasy and go weak in their knees. Grace is something that the world cannot comprehend. And, since it cannot make sense of grace, it tries to destroy those who have it. But, believers have nothing to be worried about. As someone said, ‘You cannot understand grace until you understand depravity.’
Christians, the world has utterly failed to understand grace. It’s our turn to understand, appreciate and guard it in all sincerity. And since we have seen the bottomless pits of depravity, we need to soar like eagles with the marvellous consolation that only Christ can give us – peace. Jesus said: ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’ (John 14:27). Happy New Year!
Also read:
Gha
r Vapasi and Indian Christians: Left to the Lord!
