Comments on: India: Attacks on Christians a challenge to the secular state

By: Global Voices Online » 2008: A turbulent year for South Asia

Global Voices Online » 2008: A turbulent year for South Asia — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:39:14 +0000

[...] lower-caste Hindus and tribal peoples are being forcibly converted to Christianity. The bloggers critically debated on the issue and the post attracted many [...]

By: anirudhpernati

anirudhpernati — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:38:11 +0000

the attack on christians is a issue,but a small one when compared to what christians have did. these christian missionaries destroyed the worlds civilizations. the europeans are in a delusion that they are christians.donot forget that christianity was not a european religion and it is from asia. you christians in europe were once worshipping roman/greek and scanidavian gods and christianity was imposed on you. over thousands of years christian missionaries killed many aborigines of us,australia. just sit and think you europeans why the ancient relgions of your ancestors are false?????.

By: Sameer

Sameer — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:02:12 +0000

It is pity when hindus react to an action by others, only such reactions are highlighted. Look at Godhra, Orissa, Karnataka, it is the reaction of hindus for the acts against them. It seems the secular minded people, media and even the govts is suffering from the memory loss. These people should be fixed first.

By: Balaji

Balaji — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:47:11 +0000

I come from India’s busiest cities and have found that Christian evangelical preachings are anti-Hindu and are not pro-Christian. No secular person will object to one preaching their religion, but there is a fineline between preaching good about one’s religion and ridiculing other religion.
The fact that Christians constitute 2% of total Indian population is not an excuse for preaching bad about other religions. In a country where the population of certain religious communities has been growing rapidly, the fact that this % was sustained speaks volumes of how missionaries have succeded.
Hindu organisations must concentrate on projecting good about their religion and clear the doubts on Hinduism. They must follow the examples set by missionaries and help poor people irrespective of caste, religion, language. Violence is a not a means to solve any problem.
Religion is a matter of faith and there cannot be a scientific logic. Noone can prove the existence of God. Let all religion live with cohesion in a secular India.

By: Dharmesh

Dharmesh — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:32:45 +0000

We can never support the voilences happened in India. Nither by hindus nor by chritians. However if one tries to find the facts, he will definately find some darkside of the missionaries. If u go on the numbers, it can be proved that the motive of missioneies is not only limited to help the poors but also to convert them to christianity.In india today 88% citizens form Asam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mijoram, Tripura, Nagaland are christian.Now the missionaries have concentrated on M.P,Karnataka, Orrisa,jharkhand tribal areas.

If a person knowingly wants to accept christianty it’s good, he must have right to do that. However a person who is illiterate,even do’t know about christianity how can he accept the christianity.
If you see 95% converted christians belongs to tribals/dalits communities. This communities are generally illiterate. Do you think they are having enough thinking power to compare even their origin religion and chritianity. How can they convert untill and unless they will not be provoked for this…….
Just think……

By: Talking Points 15th October « BBC World Have Your Say

Talking Points 15th October « BBC World Have Your Say — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:03:21 +0000

[...] of attacks on Christians in different parts of the world over the past few weeks. Here in Iraq and here in India. Is it time for christians across the world to stand up and defend their [...]

By: India: Attacks on Christians a Challenge to the Secular State - Times Topics Blog - NYTimes.com

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:32:31 +0000

[...] In the last two months, radical Hindu nationalist mobs have rioted and attacked Christians in a number of Indian states, claiming that lower-caste Hindus and tribal peoples are being forcibly converted to Christianity. More than 30 people have been killed, and thousands have taken shelter in government camps or in forests. [link] [...]

By: Thomas

Thomas — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:06:16 +0000

Conversion can be done only by God.If a person tries to convert with the lure of money or material goods it should be condemned. It is a constitutional right to preach ones religion.In orissa,the upper caste used the death of a swami to get back at tribals &dalits who were becoming socially aware &educated.

By: bhattathiri

bhattathiri — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:19:06 +0000

Excellent article.

Conversion make confusion, confusion make coise and coise make pandemonium and it is a curse of the modern day society that is being indulged in by any sect. If you think it is ok to denigrate Hindu gods and prey upon the weak and gullible, then what is wrong in Pepsi claiming that it is a health drink? Why are their laws for truth in advertising? Yeah right. Rightfully, there are laws against conversion by such tactics, and all these pantywalahs should be arrested and put behind bars. Even if they are the anybody who silentyly encourages such illegal acts. Sure, arrest the hooligans who desecrate worshipful places but put them behind bars who are desecrating the minds of the gullible by telling them their gods are to be blamed for their condition, and that only God will make them happy and healthy.

By: A troubled soul

A troubled soul — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:20:59 +0000

Also the neo – converts are taught wrong things about hinduism eg: hindus are pagans, hinduism doesn’t give salvation and so on. If you want proof, just check bbc site for snaps of converts in orissa and their answers(converts) on why they converted. What is the need of brainwashing people inorder to convert them to christianity. If this had been done in another country( especially muslim) there would have been blood bath on a much larger scale. Hindus only reacted after being alienated and abused for years. I don’t support the activities of right wing groups but hindus are very hurt as evangelists misuse their tolerance.

By: A troubled soul

A troubled soul — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:15:34 +0000

Who said christians are not involved in conversions? After tsunami, the people in entire coastal belt in tamil nadu have become christians. Thanks to the evangelists who misused people in distress to convert them. Even I studied in a convent. The nuns constantly denounced hinduism by attacking different practices in hinduism. What right does a person from another religion have to abuse hinduism?

By: l. led

l. led — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:01:45 +0000

well, this is bad enough, as it goes. the indian secular fabric has alaways been a little thin. The dominant hindu majority always believes in mob dominance, and they have killed sikhs in 1984, and muslims in 2002, and the basic idea is that there are no convictions. One glariing fact is, that after all hindu-created genocide, the government in the state (gujrat in 2002, and delhi in 1984) wins by a huge majority.) this indioactes that every hindu in india rather encourgaes genocide by voting for the government that propogates it

By: An alien Earthling

An alien Earthling — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:04:46 +0000

Christianity in India is as old as Christ Himself. And Indian Christians form just over 2% of the population. Just goes to show that conversion is not something on the agenda of Indian Christians. Indian Christians have been involved in education, healthcare and social service for a long, long time. Indians have every right to practise their religion and this includes the right to change one’s religious beliefs.

Naxals have nothing to do with Christianity! Naxals are armed left-wing guerillas who belong to all communities and the large majority of naxals across the country are Hindus. The violence against Christians in Orissa just because a religious leader belonging to the VHP was killed by naxals is nothing short of ethnic cleansing! It is a shame on India and humanity!

By the way, I’m a Hindu myself and I am shocked that goon squads have hijacked a tolerant religion and are bringing shame upon India and the majority of Hindus who don’t subscribe to their ideology of hatred.

By: Raj

Raj — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:55:48 +0000

Christian Fundamentalism is the root cause of religious violence not only in India, but in other parts of Asia and Africa. It’s happening in India, in Sri Lanka, in Bangladesh, in Pakistan, in Indonesia, in Thailand, in Burma – you name it. Christian fundamentalists pride themselves on a persecution mentality. As soon as their aggresive and unethical evangelism ends, so will the religious violence.

By: Raja Basu

Raja Basu — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:25:56 +0000

While under no circumstances the mindless attacks on Christians (or for that matter any community) be supported, the respectable Christian missionaries cannot escape their share of responsibility for the unfortunate developments that we are witnessin now. Their way to encourage low caste Hindus to convert into Christianity has always been very controversial, and they have never tried to show any transparency in this regard (which somewhat strengthened this doubt that they were not following fair means).

Besides, the Christian missionaries are famous for showing scant regards for other religions, if not directly then at least indirectly. They have failed to realise that all this has alienated them from the people of other religions, eventually sending a wrong message to the latter.