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INDIA
Extremists call for “patriotic” churches
Hindu groups suggest China as model
Christians have rejected a call by the chief of the most powerful Hindu extremist organization in India asking the government to set up a sarkari (government-controlled) indigenous church in India on the model of the “patriotic church” in China.
“It is advisable to have a totally Indian church like the one in China, and all foreign churches and missionaries should be asked by the government to pack up and go,” said K. S. Sudarshan, chief of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - National Volunteer Corps) addressing a convention of its 20,000 volunteers in New Delhi.
Father Dominic Emmanuel, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said that if the statement attributed to the RSS head is true, “the freedom-loving people of this country will come forward to oppose such a move. The Church will certainly resist [the call for] an indigenous Christian church and throwing out foreign missionaries.”
“There is nothing surprising about such a call from the RSS which has malice in its heart toward other faiths,” said John Dayal, vice president of the All India Catholic Union and convener of the United Christian Forum for Human Rights. The call, Dayal said, is “in keeping with RSS’s fascist ideology of ‘One Nation, One Culture, One People’ and shows its cultural illiteracy of Christianity.”
The RSS chief’s advice has provoked strong reaction from Christians across the country. The Catholic Sabha (Council) of Bombay pointed out that “having peacefully existed in India for two millennia, Indian Christians do not need direction or advocacy from the RSS.” They said, “The choice of faith and spiritual leadership is an individual’s basic right and will remain so as long as India is a democracy.”
Jubilee for Church in India
Pledges to work for greater nation
The Church in India has concluded the three-year long celebration of the Jubilee Year 2000 by declaring the Church’s determination “to work together with our fellow citizens for the integral development of the nation.”
“We resolve to do everything possible to bring people together in love...and to shun all forms of hatred . . . injustice, and exploitation that alienate people from one another and from God, our common Father,” according to the Jubilee Pledge. The pledge, solemnly affirmed by over 10,000 people representing 16 million Indian Catholics, marked the conclusion of the national celebration of Yesu Krist Jayanti 2000 in southern Bangalore city.
“In the true spirit of Christ’s forgiveness, we resolve to forgive sincerely the evils done to us or to those close to us by anyone under any pretext,” declared the pledge, forgiving the perpetrators of anti-Christian violence over the last three years.
The September 20-24 national assembly that discussed the theme “Toward a New Society” also expressed concern over allegations that the social work of the Church for “the poorest of the land” had the “the ulterior motive of converting others to our religion.”
“Some seem to view our desire to serve our brethren as an aggression on the culture of the nation we all hold dear. Others think that making converts is the only motive that inspires and spurs us on. Neither is true,” asserted an ecumenical statement issued at the end of the Jubilee meeting.
While resolving to cooperate with other religions to build an egalitarian and just society, the statement pointed out that the new millennium presents “opportunities to continue to work for establishing a dialogue with believers of diverse religions.”
Back to Catholic World Report November 2000 Table of Contents