EXPLORING HINDUTVA

1.1 Etymology

Hindutva (Hinduness), is derived from the two terms 'Hindū + tattva", which literally mean "of Hindu Principles" or "Hinduness".  Hindutva  denotes  to  the  state  of  mind  that  is  based  on  the  cultural  and spiritual ethos based on the spiritual systems that  evolved from India that  includes all aspects of Indian culture and civilization. Hindutva  is  a  spiritual,  plus  economic  conception founded  and  developed  from ancient  times  in India  for securing the all round happiness of all individuals irrespective of religion, race and belief of individuals. The stress in this philosophy both on the ruler and the ruled is the performance of righteous duty and to conform to a code of conduct.  The word Hindutva was coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his 1923 pamphlet entitled "Hindutva:  Who is a Hindu?" is used to describe movements advocating Hindu Nationalism.

1.2 Definition

According to Savarkar, Hindutva is meant to denote the Hindu characteristic, or Hinduness. Hindutva  is  commonly  identified  with  the  guiding  ideology  of  the  Sangh  Parivar,  a  family  of  Hindu  Nationalist organizations, and of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in particular. In general, Hindutva represent the well being of Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism and all other religions prominent in India.[1]

1.3 Ideology

Its wings advocate a form of Hindu nationalism, which seeks to establish India as a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu Nation), and rejects the notion of a composite Indian identity brought about by a synthesis of different cultures and faiths. They claim to be inclusive of all those who are racially and culturally Hindu and places outside of the nation all those who adhere to and identify with a different faith or ethos, thus establishing the idea of a Hindu Rashtra as an exclusive one where minorities are, at best, second class citizens. This particular ideology is variously called an ideology of Hindu pride, Hindu patriotism, Hindu fundamentalism, Hindu revivalism, Hindu chauvinism, Hindu fascism or Hindutva.

1.4 Its Constituents

The spread of the Hindutva ideology in India is carried out at the grassroots level through an army of swayamsevaks deployed by the Sangh Parivar. The recruitment and ideological ‘orientation’ towards Hindutva is done on many levels and fronts: at the grade school level, or earlier, with Hinduised education, including such ‘educational’ activities as the holding of Ramayan and Mahabharat competitions for school children in tribal areas, largely with the goal of supplanting tribal culture and traditions; with the ‘celebration’ of Hindu festivals on a grand scale in areas with large non Hindu populations; and simultaneously, with the distribution of anti-minority pamphlets and literature and the sporadic creation of anti-minority programs such as the grabbing of minority land or buildings or the promotion of riots and murder. For these purposes, the Sangh has set up hundreds of smaller organizations all over the country, all supervised by volunteers from the Sangh and centrally coordinated, even though each claims to be independent of the Sangh.

1.5 Wings of Hindutva

1.5.1 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: A Social Wing of Hindutva

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) (English, National Volunteer Organization" or National Patriotic Organization) is a right-wing charitable, educational, volunteer, Hindu nationalist, non-governmental organization. RSS states that its ideology is based on the principle of selfless service to India. (Indeed its aim is to limit the Indian population and multi cultures country in to the pan of Hindu dharma and excommunicate non Hindus from the India). The RSS was founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar on Vijayadasami Day, 27 September 1925 as a social organization to provide character training through Hindu discipline and to unite the Hindu community. It proclaims its ideal as upholding Indian culture and civilizational values more than anything else. During World War II RSS leaders openly admired Adolf Hitler.  Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, who became the supreme leader of the RSS after Hedgewar, drew inspiration from Adolf Hitler's ideology of race purity.   The RSS is elusive and shadowy, it is only open to Hindu males,  primarily upper caste; it maintains no membership records; it has resisted being registered with the Government of India as a public/charitable trust; it has no bank accounts and pays no income tax.

1.5.2 Bharatiya Janata Party: A Pariamentary Wing of Hindutva 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian Peoples Party) is one of the two major parties in the Indian political system, along with the Indian National Congress. As of 2014, it is the country's largest political party in terms of representation in the national parliament and state assemblies, and it is the world's largest party in terms of primary membership. The BJP is a right wing party, with close ideological and organisational links to the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The BJP's origins lie in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, formed in 1951 by Syama Prasad Mookerjee. It is Hindutva's parliamentary front which constantly makes efforts to breach the secular formation through parliamentary actions ­ elections, pushing for legislations of various kinds, making visible the ideology in limited and constitutional ways within mainstream political discourse.

1.5.2 .1 Social Policies and Hindutva

The official philosophy of the BJP is "Integral humanism," a philosophy first formulated by Deendayal Upadhyaya in 1965, who described it as advocating an "indigenous economic model that puts the human being at center stage." It is committed to Hindutva, an ideology articulated by Indian independence activist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. According to the party, Hindutva is cultural nationalism favouring Indian culture over westernisation, thus it extends to all Indians regardless of religion. However, scholars and political analysts have called their Hindutva ideology an attempt to redefine India, recast it as a Hindu country to the exclusion of other religions, making it a Hindu nationalist party in a general sense. The BJP's Hindutva ideology has been expressed in different instances and in many of its government policies. It supports the construction of the Ram temple at the site of the Babri Mosque. The education policy of the NDA government reorganised the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and tasked it with extensively revising the textbooks used in Indian schools. Various scholars have stated that this revision, especially in the case of history textbooks, was a covert attempt to "saffronise" Indian history.[3] The NDA government introduced Vedic astrology as a subject in college curricula, despite opposition from several leading scientists. The BJP supports auniform civil code, which would apply a common set of personal laws to every citizen, replacing the existing religious laws for each community. According to historian Yogendra Malik, this ignores the differential procedures required to protect the cultural identity of the Muslim minority.[4]

1.5.3 Vishva Hindu Parishad: A Religious/Cultural/Emotional wing of Hindutva

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (English: World Hindu Council) is an Indian right-wing Hindu nationalist non-governmental organization based on the ideology of Hindutva. It was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with Swami Chinmayananda. Its main objective is "to organize, consolidate the Hindu society and to serve, protect the Hindu Dharma.[5] The VHP belongs to the Sangh Parivar, an umbrella of Hindu nationalist organizations led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). It has been involved in social service projects in India such as construction and renovation of Hindu temples, issues of cow slaughter, religious conversion, the Ayodhya dispute and its role in the Babri Masjid demolition.

1.5.3.1 Religious Activities

VHP organizes programmes to reconvert Hindus who had previously converted to Christianity or Islam through their trained missionaries called Dharma Prasaar Vibhag (Dharma Propagation Unit), some of them were sent to remote villages and tribal areas which have substantial Christians and Muslims population. On 4^th March 2004, more than 200 Christians were reconverted in a ceremony organized by the VHP in the state of Orissa, part of its plan to reconvert 400,000 tribal Christians.

1.5.4 Bajrang Dal: A Youth Wing of Hindutva

The Bajrang Dal is a militant Hindu organization that forms the youth wing of Hindutva. The ideology of the organization is based on fundamentalist Hindutva. Founded on 1 October 1984 in Uttar Pradesh, it has since spread throughout India, although its most significant base remains the northern and central portions of the country. The group runs about 2,500 akhadas, similar to the shakhas of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The name "Bajrang" is a reference to the Hindu deity Hanuman.  The Bajrang Dal's slogan is 'sevā surakṣā sanskṛti' or "service, safety, and culture." One of the main goals of the Dal is to build the Ramjanmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, the Krishnajanamabhoomi temple in Mathura and the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, which are currently disputed places of worship. Other goals include protecting India's "Hindu" identity from the perceived dangers of communism, Muslim demographic growth and Christian conversion, as well as the prevention of cow slaughter. In October 1984, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) initiated the practice of regular processions to be held in Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh. These processions were called "Ram-Janaki Rathayatra" and were aimed at "awakening the society." While the VHP did not officially claim any anti-religion drivers for this practice, many sections of the society in India viewed this as a pro-Hindu movement. As a result, there was an environment of communal tension and threat surrounding this procession. Under these circumstances, Hindu saints in the VHP called upon the youth to protect the procession. Thus, the Bajrang Dal came into existence.

 1.5.5 Durga Vahini: A Female Arm Wing of Hindutva

The Durga Vahini (Carrier of Durga) is the women's wing of Hindutva (VHP). It was established in 1991 and its founding chairperson is Sadhvi Rithambara. The Vishva Hindu Parishad states the purpose of the Durga Vahini is to encourage more women to participate in prayer meetings and in cultural activities. The aim of the organization is to establish Hindu solidarity by helping Hindu families during the time of hardship and by providing social services and dedicated to propagate Hindutva and its Dogmas domestically.[6] 

1.5.5.1 Controversies

The Durga Vahini is often considered to be the female face of the hardliner Bajrang Dal and have been accused of actively contributing to instigating violence against religious minorities. The organization is described as a militant outfit, right-wing religious fundamentalist group[7] and a proto-fascistic young women's wing.

The Durga Vahini aggressively recruits young women from low-income earning and lower caste families. Members learn karate and lathi, and receive ideological education. The organization especially recruits young girls for carrying risky tasks of militant activism in which much physical strength is required, for example confronting Muslim people who they view as enemy and to fight on the front lines in places like Ayodhya.[8]

1.6 Agenda of Hindutva

The Hindutva movement is a violent sectarian movement seeking to create a Hindu Rashtra (an ethnically 'pure' Hindu Nation) in India, in many ways similar to the Nazi idea of a pure Aryan Germany. It seeks to exclude or eliminate religious minorities such as Muslims and Christians and fix Dalits and Adivasis into an internal hierarchy of caste.

1.7 Terrorism

After the 9/11 event in the US in 2001 when globally the phenomenon of terrorism started going up, RSS intensified its campaign of demonization of Muslims saying that all terrorists are Muslims. At the same  time  Bal  Thackeray,  an  associate  of  RSS,  gave  the  call  for formation  of suicide  squads. The acts of terror were so presented by the media and in particular by RSS propaganda that it started being felt that Muslims are responsible for acts of terror. With this, RSS affiliates and  those inspired  by  ideology  of RSS,  went  on  to make  bombs  and some  of  them  started  participating  in  the  bomb  blasts,  especially  the ones  occurring  in  front  of  mosques  and  other  places  where  the concentration  of  Muslims  is  higher. The  first  such  act  came  to  light after  the  blasts  in  Parbhani,  Aurnagabad  and  Jalana  in  Maharashtra. Around  this  time  in  April  2006  two  Bajrang  Dal  workers  got  killed while making bombs in Nanded. The Mahrarahstra ATS did bring this fact to light but it was not pursued, and other blasts in Kanpur (August 2008) and Kannur in Kerala also came to light.

Most of the links of these blasts led to those who were indoctrinated in the  ideology  of  Hindu  Rashtra  by  one  or  the  other  affiliates  of  RSS. The Abhinav Bharat and Hindu Jagran Samiti, near Thane-Mumbai, is also under cloud for such acts. This organization is inspired by Hindu Mahasabha and RSS leaders and believes that Hindus, the Devs (Gods), are facing the Danav (demons) in the form of Muslims and Christians in  the  Kali Yug  so  such  acts of  terror  should  be engineered  to  teach these communities a lesson.

1.8 Anti-Christian violence

The sporadic, scattered anti-Christian violence was stepped up in Adivasi areas of Gujarat, MP and Orissa in particular. Later the Karnataka coastal belt, the Mangalore region, also saw intensified violence against Christian minorities. The worst of this was to be witnessed in Kandhamal in August 2008. In this violence nearly 400 Christians were killed, and thousands were displaced and many churches were destroyed.  In  the regions  where  this  violence  took  place,  the  Adivasis  were  lured  and pressurized to come to the Hindu fold in the name of Ghar Vapasi. In the same areas, the cultural manipulation in the form of promoting Lord Hanuman and Shabri were popularized as ideals for the Adivasis.  A type of scare was created by organizing Hindu Sangams (congregations) at a massive scale.

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[1] V. D. Savarkar, Essentials of Hindutva ([n.p.]: Mahratta, 1922), 3-4.

[2] “Bharatiya Janata Party”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharatiya_Janata_Party, (accessed on 04/05/15).

[3] “Bharatiya Janata Party”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharatiya_Janata_Party, (accessed on 04/05/15).

[4] Malik Singh, “Bharatiya Janata Party,” ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharatiya_Janata_Party#cite_note-

Footnote1992318-336-3, (accessed on 04/05/15).

[5] “Vishva Hindu Parihad”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishva_Hindu_Parishad, (Accessed on 03/05/15).

[6] Patricia Jeffery and Amrita Basu, Appropriating Gender: Women's Activism and Politicized Religion in South Asia ([n. p.]: Routledge, 1997), 168.

[7] Joanna Kerr, “The Future of Women's Rights,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga_Vahini#cite_note-FWR-5, (accessed on 04/05/15).

[8][n. a.], “Feminist Review: Issue 49,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga_Vahini#cite_note-FR-7

GHAR WAPSI PROGRAMME: CHRISTIAN RESPONSE

1. Agenda behind Ghar Wapsi Progamme

The Ghar Wapsi programme is so heated at present in India. It flamed up by Bhartiya Janata Party and its co-operative organizations; VHP, RSS, Bajrang Dal etc. This party and its associated NGOs seem like ultimate authority on the India and its population, while India is a democratic and secular country. Respectively country allows each and individual, faith propagation to flourish and practice with enough freedoms and rights. at the same time it is required that maintain the constitution what it demands.

2. India Constitution: Articles 25, 14, 15, 16, and 19

Article 25[1] guarantees every person the freedom of conscience and the rights freely to profess, practice, and propagate religion.  It protects religious freedom so far as the individual is concerned. The most important feature of this article is that there will be no State religion. In other words, the constitution does not support any religion to be a State religion in India. While all religions are entitled for equal protection, the religion of the majority was not given any particular privilege. Thus, equally for all religions and absence of a State religion could be taken as the basic tenet of secularism in India.

Further, Article 25, guarantees freedom to profess and practice religion. The term ‘profess’ gives the meaning that right to declare freely and openly one’s faith. That means, one would have freedom to express one’s own faith freely. Even so, freedom is restricted when it comes into conflict with public order, morality or heath. For this, Article 25 may read with Articles 14,[2] 15,[3] and 16[4] of Indian constitution. These Articles prohibit discrimination against person on the ground of his or her religious belief. The right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed in the Article 19(1) (a)[5] may also be read together with Article 25.

The religion of the majority is given no preferential protection or special consideration whereas all religions are equally protected. And there is no ecclesiastical department under the State to look after the religious affairs. The absence of a State religion enables the State to evolve the provisions for equal treatment of all religions. It makes the meaning of the secular State in India clears that a secular State need not promote irreligiousness or it should be different to religion. But religion is seen as a matter of personal faith and belief, with individuals or communities. This undoubtedly became the character of secular State in India. The attitude of impartiality towards all religions secured through the Constitution of India reaffirmed the validity of secularism in India.

A secular State therefore, is a State, which adopts an attitude of neutrality and impartiality towards all religions. In this, the State is concerned with relation between human beings and not with the relation between human beings and God, because it would be a matter for individual and God.

According to Supreme Court “to profess a religion” means “the right to declare freely and openly one’s faith.” Obviously this clause of Article 25 makes it clear that a person has a right to practice his belief by practical expression in any matter he likes it. In a verdict, the Supreme Court of the India held that the term ‘to propagate’ means ‘to spread and publicize one’s religious views for the edification of others.[6]

3. Right to Propagate Religion

The clause ‘right to propagate’ was discussed at length by the Constituent Assembly. The nature of the discussion could easily confuse the real meaning of words ‘right to propagate.’ The whole discussion was centered on the term ‘conversion.’ The word ‘conversion’ was included as a right on B. R. Ambedkar’s suggestion in the chief section. But the accepted draft, which was presented by K. M. Munshi had not included the word ‘conversion’ as a right.[7] The report of the minorities Sub-committee, under the leadership of M. Rathnaswamy brought forth recommendation that religions like Christianity and Islam were proselytizing religions and they should be permitted to propagate their faith. The Advisory Committee accepted the suggestion of the Sub-committee and had it as a feature. Some members considered the ‘right to propagate’ as the most fundamental right of the Christians.

“In these discussions, the ‘right to propagate’ clause took another dimension. Conversion from one religion to another religion was attached to the ‘right propagate’ a religion and discussed extensively. Conversion by influence, coercion, and fraud was opposed even by Christian Members of the Constituent Assembly.”[8] Two members including Purushottam Dsa Tandon, who later became the President of the Indian National Congress and known for his antagonism towards Muslims opposed conversion of minor (under 18 years of age), and put forth that though the Congress saw conversion as improper, it agreed to accept the word ‘propagate’ in the Constitution out of regard for Christians. A member from UP (Algu Shastri), alleged that the missionaries were using coercive methods to convert the tribals and low caste people. Later of the discussion of the Draft Constitution, Lok Nath Mishra added that religious propaganda was a weapon in the hands of power politics and once the right to propagate accepted as an ‘inalienable fundamental right,’ it would create problems. According to him “making propagation of religion a fundamental right is somewhat uncanny and dangerous.”[9] While Lakshmi Kantha Maitra aired his support to right to propagate,[10] K. Santhanam viewed propagation as ‘merely a freedom of expression.’ He said:

Mass Conversion was a part of activities of the Christian missionaries in this country and the great objection has been taken by people to that. Those who drafted this constitution have taken care to see that no unlimited right of conversion has been given. People have freedom of conscience and, if any man is converted voluntarily, owing to freedom of conscience, then well and good. No restriction can be placed against it. But if any attempt is made by one religious community or another to have mass conversions through undue influence either by money or by pressure or other means, the State has every right to regulate such activity.[11]

Rohani Kumar Choudhary aired the view and wanted clear prohibition on ‘throwing mud by missionaries on Hindu gods and the worship idols. Another prominent member from Madras, T. T. Krishnamachary, while opposing conversion by force and influence, felt that the right to propagate belonged to all communities, including Arya Samajis performing Suddhi. However, K. M. Munshi from Bombay emphasized that in the secular India , there would not be anybody to influence the people for conversion as was it in British India; hence, there will be no dangerous implication of conversion. According to him, the ‘right to propagate’ was a result of a compromise with minorities. As he was a part in making a compromise, he said “it was on this word tha the Indian Christian community laid the greater emphasis, not because they wanted to convert people aggressively, but because the word “propagate” was a fundamental part of their tenet.” [12]     He asserted that “whatever, its results we ought to respect the compromise. These discussions, in fact gave an impression that the clause ‘right to propagate’ is the right to convert, and it aimed at the fundamental right to convert. Here, the right to propagate earned another meaning as the right exclusively to convert. However, while, it was not completely excluding conversion, the basic notion of the framer was not to give an absolute right to convert people from one religion to another religion but to provide the right to propagate one’s own religion in a way which does not affect other or disturb the freedom of others religion.

The Supreme Court endorsed it through a verdict.

What Article 25(1) grants is not the right to convert another person to one’s own religion, but to transmit or spread one’s religion, by an exposition of its tenets. It has to be remembered that Article 25(1) guarantees freedom of conscience to every citizen, and not merely to the followers of one particular religion, and that, in turn, postulate that there is no fundamental right to convert another person to one’s own religion because if a person purposely undertakes the conversion of another person to his religion, as distinguished from his effort to transmit or spread the tenets of his religion, that would impinge on the ‘freedom of conscience’ guarantees to all citizens of the country alike.[13]       

Thus the freedom of religion enshrined in the constitution is not exclusively to convert or re-convert but it is to practice one’s faith without disturbing the freedom of other’s faith. It provides the freedom to profess and practice as well as to propagate the faith within the rules and laws of the country.

4. Rational Criticism of Ghar Wapsi Programme

4.1 Who are those people, whom BJP, RSS, Bajrang Dal, and VHP re-converting?

They are Sudras. According to Hinduism Sudras is the fourth category of the creation of mankind by human god Brahmas.[14] The very purpose of creation of this category is to serve higher castes; Brahamanas, Ksatriyas, and Vaisyas. They are nothing more than servants or slaves. “Certain duties then distinguished the three twice-born castes as a group from the Sudras. All three upper varn: as thus study the Veda, perform sacrifices, and make gifts, whereas Sudras are permitted only lesser sacrifices and simplified domestic rituals that do not require Vedic recitation.”[15]

4.2 So why these higher category communities want to bring back or re-convert or             do Ghar Wapsi of these servants?

  

Answer is simple, day by day they are lacking servants that’s by they want bring back their servants in  their homes or Wapsi in to Ghar, just to serve them again as their forefathers did generation to generation.[16] 

4,2,1 What kind of Verna would be given to the victims of Ghar Wapsi programme?

Recently Ghar Wapsi programme held in Agra On 8 December 2014, when Dharm Jagran Manch, an RSS wing, was reconverting several Muslims families with false promises that they would be giving by Central Government, the Ration card, Adhar card and a piece of land to build house. In reality there was no any reconversion, Muslims brothers were cheated by the Dharma Jagran Manch. Manch caused them to gathered to gather with a plot and there was a propagation that 250 (60 families) Muslims have been converted to Hinduism. “The Uttar Pradesh Minorities Commission, after having conducted a full investigation, said in February 2015 that the 250 Muslims had not converted because they continue to ‘remain Muslims.’”[17] Someone, one of them asked, if we would convert to Hinduism what Verna would be given to me? There was a silence and still is. It is impossible for the RSS to give right of higher (supreme) caste Brahamanas to someone who is coming from a low caste system. Why it could be impossible? Because this is their real agenda that maintain the caste system which is coming from generations, formed by Manu.[18] And now it is being collapse by the conversion.    

Apart from spiritual, there is a social issue with conversion. Because people of the Hindu religious system oppressed and discriminated with each particular tread (work according to castes) as divine order.[19] In the modern Indian people are still under bondage, such as caste: where these lower castes (Sudras) people are completely mistreated and suppressed mentally and physically by the higher castes communities. These low caste people considered nothing but only servants of the higher caste people like; Brahamins, Kshatriya, and Vashya etc. In the Indian history, these low caste people kept away from the education,[20] preserving wealth,[21] and intellectual development.[22] As the consequence, today these low castes communities remain uneducated, hopeless, rejected, forgotten, mistreated, plundered live in rural areas of the country under the below poverty line. How long one would sustain oppression, one day the stream of freedom will break out, and in some exactly it happened the conversion towards Christianity. When the people heard by the various resources the very power full assurance for the freedom and concern for the equal human rights form the Bible, where Jesus Christ Said; Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest Matt.11:28 (NKJV). I am assuring that this could be mostly might have caused conversion from Hinduism to Christianity. On the other hand we very rare conversion from the higher caste communities. Why it is so? From their perspective remains a big question. Because of this the conversion has been misinterpreted and misunderstood rather find the real cause and need behind the conversion by the higher religious majorities. Because of this reason the religious violence is on the last boundary to cross.

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[1] Durga Das Babu, Introduction to Constitution of India, 20th Edition (Maharashtra, Nagpur: Lexis Nexis Butterworths Wadhwa, 2011), 119.

[2] Babu, Introduction to Constitution of India, 98.

[3] Babu, Introduction to Constitution of India, 98.

[4] Babu, Introduction to Constitution of India, 98.

[5] Babu, Introduction to Constitution of India, 101.

[6] M. T. Cherian, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights: A Christian Response (Bangalore: Centre For Contemporary Christianity, 2007), 145-148.

[7] Constituent Assembly Debates Vol.3, December 3, 1948, 490.

[8] Cherian, Hindutva Agenda and Minority rights: AChristian Response, 150.

[9] Cherian, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights: AChristian Response, 51.

[10] Cherian, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights: AChristian Response, 51.

[11] Constituent Assembly Debate, Vol. 7, 834.

[12] Cherian, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights: A Christian Response, 152.

[13] Meera Kumari, Religious Freedom (New Delhi: Capital Publishing House, 1990), 27. Quoted in M. T. Cherian, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights: A Christian Response (Bangalore: Centre for Contemporary Christianity, 2007), 184-185.

[14] “Laws of Manu,” I-31, ttp://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm (accessed on 10/05/15).

[15] Alf Hiltebeitel, “Hinduism,” in Lindsay  Jones, Chief Editor, Encyclopedia of Religion: Goddess Worship-Iconoclasm , Second Edition (USA: Thomson Gale Corporation, 2005), 3995b-3996a.

[16] “Laws of Manu,” Chapters I- 91; VIII- 413, 17; IX-334, 335; X- 121-123, http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm, (accessed on 10/05/15.)

[17] Uttar Pradesh Minorities Commission, "Agra religious conversions 2014," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agra_religious_conversions_2014#cite_note-cleric-19, (accessed on 08/05/15).

[18] Constance A. Jones and James D. Ryan, "Laws of Manu, Encyclopedia of Hinduism (New York: Facts on File books, 2007), 300.

[19] “Laws of Manu,” Chapter I-31, http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm (accessed on 10/05/15).

[20]  “Laws of Manu,”  Chapters IV- 78-81, 99; VII-4; VIII-270-271, 410, http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm (accessed on 10/05/15).

[21]  “Laws of Manu,” X- 129, http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm (accessed on 10/05/15).

[22]  “Laws of Manu” VIII- 271, 272, http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm (accessed on 10/05/15).

Christians converting Hindus: Christian Response

Christians converting Hindus: Christian Response

In regard of conversion, the people of India having many bad experiences during the reign of British Company. Numbers of time people were converted forcefully to Christianity without their will. They were being accused for their idol worship and many other religious practices by the most of the Christian missionaries. This caused a bad picture in the mind of Indian people about the Church and Christianity since that time, and also impacted by others violence being done in ages of the Church history, for instance, Crusades. Therefore, the Church has a different image today in India. So here I want to make an appeal to the missionaries to the India, let’s remove the misconception of the people in regard of conversion that they have about the Church that the conversion is not to the Church but to Christ. Let’s redefine our conversion- let there be conversion to non visual Church not visual Church with bunch of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.