Recent attacks on churches, Priests, Religious
and Christians by the RSS and Sangh Parivar primarily
in the state headed by the BJP or where it is a coalition
partner and the tacit support of these governments
to the attackers comes as a grievous blow to the secular
foundation of Indian Constitution. The respected Prime
Minister of India called it a ' National Shame', yet
the UPA government was not committed to resolve the
crisis even after over a hundred Christians were brutally
killed, hundreds of churches, institutions and religious
houses burnt down or destroyed and thousands rendered
homeless. The RSS agenda aimed at converting the minorities
as second class citizens of the country with no rights
or voice to demand justice calls for an immediate
response from all the secular minded people of India,
especially the Christian church as it has now become
the first target of the Sangh Parivar .
This response primarily consists in sending a strong
message to all our adversaries and countrymen Christians
have always worked hard and will continue to seerve
the country in the field of education, health and
socio-economic development of the people by their
selfless service in the remotest corners of this vast
country where even the government in the last 60 years
of independence has not bother to anything for the
people. Conversion has never been our motive for these
services. We need to tell our people that it is a
fundamental right of every one in this country to
believe and preach any faith one is convinced of and
no one can stop it. We need to send a strong message
to all people and very specially to our adversaries
that we are not cowards like the Sangh Parivar, the
attackers and enemies of not just the Christians but
the very Constitution of India. Through out the past
years they have been telling lies and cheating the
simple innocent people of India and leading the country
to the brink of disaster.
Therefore, like the Apostles who never stopped proclaiming
what they had seen and heard from the Lord, we shall
continue to proclaim our experience of the Risen Lord
to all people in word and deed, and bear witness to
God's Love for all. Inspired by Jesus and his life
giving words, and led by His Spirit, we shall continue
the mission of the Lord and bear witness to Him without
rest and without seeking any compromise. Only this
will one day will expose the evil and wretchedness
of our adversaries and put them to shame before the
world. In our response, Gladys Stains who stunned
the whole world by her response to the attackers,
the heroic death of the priests, pastors, nuns and
our people will remain an inspiration for us.
Our adversaries are jealous of our good works. They
hate us and falsely accuse us of forcible conversions.
But in fact, they are afraid and cannot accept the
fact that the message of Christ shakes the very foundation
and one day will pull down the edifice of Hindu religion
founded on the Caste System. The church on the other
hand, is making every possible effort to uplift the
poor and give them human dignity denied to them for
ages, and it will continue to be one the side of the
poor and the downtrodden. It is in this context that
the church has a prophetic role to play and in doing
this, it will never give in to any threats or attacks
even on our life. Human as we are, we have done some
mistakes in the past; and we regret for them. On 12th
March of the year 2000, on the occasion of the great
Jubilee Year, the Holy Father John Paul II before
the whole world sought pardon for all the offences
committed by the church mostly by its silence in the
face of human tragedies in the past twenty centuries
of its history. He is an inspiration for us to be
humble before the people whom we serve.
Together with our life witness and the Proclamation
of the Gospel, there is another giant task before
us in these days when the secular fabric of our country
is in danger of extinction. It is the need to protect
our democracy, our constitution and the fundamental
rights enshrined in it. This seems to be the need
of the hour and part of our mission. We must join
our hands with all the like minded secular organizations
in the society to denounce any violation of the Human
Rights, and stand for freedom of Religion, dignity
of human life, equal rights and opportunities to all
citizens irrespective of caste and creed. We must
understand we cannot do this unless we christians
get actively involved in the political process, find
a place in the governance at all levels and be part
of the main stream of the country. We must realize
that we have very much neglected this aspect of our
life all these years, and now try our best to do what
we can. Or else, the battle is hard to win.
My heart grieves at the brutal killings of Fr. Bernard
in Orissa and Fr. Thomas Pandipally CMI, in Andhra
Pradesh, and many others in the recent past, the gang-rape
of Sr. Meena, the fate of those thousands of our brethren
who have lost their houses and all their belongings.
But the Spirit tells us that they have died or suffered
as martyrs. Their death is heroic, and precious in
the sight of God. Their martyrdom and suffering will
work like seed for a new and more abundant Christian
life. As they have suffered for their faith in Jesus,
He will surely listen to their cry and vindicate their
suffering. With a true spirit of forgiveness let us
pray for our adversaries. With a firm faith in the
Lord who is the Lord of history let us earnestly pray
for our leaders that they may act fearlessly to uphold
the freedom enshrined in the constitution for all
the citizens of this great country.
When Jesus sent his disciples into the villages and
towns where he would visit, he warned them saying,
" Look, I am sending you out like sheep among
wolves; so be cunning as snakes and yet innocent as
doves " (Mt.10/16). We understand these words
very well today than any time before. Jesus tells
us to be watchful always. There is danger that 'the
enemy is prowling round like a roaring lion' to devour
us. Our self- complacency will only bring the danger
ever more closer.
Let us be watchful and pro active to make this world
a better place to live in for ourselves and for all
our countrymen.
Do not be heated about the wicked
Or envy those who do wrong,
Quick as the grass they wither,
Fading like the green of the fields.
Put your trust in Yahweh and do right
Make you home in the land and live secure
Make Yahweh your joy
And He will give you your heart's desires … Ps37.
1-4
A Very Happy New Year to you all
† Robert Miranda
Bishop of Gulbarga
