VHP exposed "Ground Reality about allegations of so-called assaults on Christian Missionaries" infront of Indian President
6/6/2007 2:54:37 PM VHP Press Release

Ref.#VHP/331/2007 Date: May 28Mon, 2007

HIS EXCELLENCY

PRESIDENT OF BHARAT

RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN

NEW DELHI.

Subject: Ground Reality about allegations of

so-called assaults on Christian Missionaries.

MAHAMAHIM RASHTRAPATIJI,

With humble respects and compliments, we wish to approach your highest offices with the following submission.

(2) For some days now a misinformation campaign is on the go about alleged attacks on Christian missionaries. Unfortunately, some vested interests have been conspiring to haul the names of Hindu organizations into these episodes. Whenever any such incident comes to notice, even earlier than the actuality verified by the process of law comes to the fore, the Christian clergy, clerics, bishops and nuns hit the streets along with hundreds of students studying in missionary schools and make postures calling Hindu organizations names. A section of the media, with an eye on escalating their TRP and enhancing their ‘secular image’, acts hawk in putting these incidents under the nose of the world. In the process, they not only bring disrepute to the Hindu society that has a glorious tradition of tolerance and respect for all schools of religion, but also immensely damage the image of their own great country in the eyes of the world, and unwittingly allow themselves to be taken for a ride by the anti-India forces. In great anguish, we have to draw Your Excellency’s kind attention to the ground realities and relevant facts & figures in this matter, so that the atmosphere and the celebrated tradition of religious tolerance in Bharat is not unsettled and communal rancour is not aggravated due to these elements that carry in their bosom an attitude of intolerance and prejudice in the context of other religions.

(3) Your Excellency, it is a universally acknowledged fact that the Christian Missionaries do function under the garb of innocuous looking fronts but with the offensive, aggressive and imperialist design and agenda to Christianize the whole of humanity. The denigration, dishonoring and undermining of other religions is the fundamental premise that only can ensure ‘conversion’. This crazy approach results in the proliferation of unrest and hostility in the whole world and even has caused skirmishes and turbulence many a time. Their strategic approach of character assassination of followers of other religions has always been considered a masterstroke in their plan of action. When, due to the influence of Swami Vivekananda, attraction for Christianity began to ebb among the intelligentsia the world over, then also they had carried out a character assassination campaign against him the world over. In the present-day context, many western countries and many of their organizations make available to Christian missionaries immeasurable capital through various means to promote their conversion activities. Millions of dollars are pumped into Bharat for conversion purposes. According to the record and report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI, the statistics about the foreign aid being received by Indian NGOs shows that 80% of it is meant only for the Christian organizations that have been buying their ways into the Indian society and converting unsuspecting people from behind their fronts of service activities. Statistics of accounts received from different Christian organizations shake off one’s mind. There are five major aid-giving countries, viz., USA, Germany, Britain, Italy and The Netherlands. According to the available data, in the last decade alone, these organizations received more than 10,000 crores (100 Billion) of rupees. This is only official statistics. The actual amount received by bypassing the government route is much much more than this.

(4) The missionaries of Bharat engaged in a conversion overdrive have been projecting their aggressive designs and using antagonistic idioms and jargons on the strength of foreign money and following signals from foreign missionaries and foreign paymasters. In 1999 CE, on the eve of Deepavali, the Pope had set and avowed the target to Christianise the whole of Asia in the third millennium. For this an overdrive started to recruit Crusaders (Annexure-1). Publications dishonouring Hindu Dharma were brought out (Annexure-2). According to ‘Joshua 2000’ or ‘Mission Mandate 2000’, they set a target to plant a Church in every village of Bharat by the year 2000 CE. They took a vow to spread their network down to every PIN code post.

(5) Aggressive idioms like “Harvesting the Crop of Souls” came to be widely used. Consequently tensions spread and some unpleasant incidents came to the fore. Mr John Stock, a media reporter of The Daily Telegraph, wrote, “Communal tension won’t be there if the missionaries muscled with foreign money would let the Indians live with their religion.” Father George Palakkapillai, a top Christian clergy of Kerala, himself admitted, “The demeaning comments against Hindu gods and goddesses that are made by Christians for conversion purposes, that is the basic reason of conflict between the two communities.” (Satyadeep, Christian magazine, Oct. 1999). These belligerent efforts at conversion brought at various places in society survival instincts to the fore and natural reflex protests and objections were manifest. In order to hide their sins, the conversionists used the Hindu organizations as shields. Accusations were routinely heaped on Hindu organizations for every incident. A section of the media with vested interest kept projecting farfetched conclusions without even waiting for the judgment of the process of law. The unfortunate part was that, when the truth came out as against their propaganda, none of them had the courtesy to beg pardon or say sorry. In this regard, we compiled a list of the real facts exposing the false allegations and sent the same to the then Prime Minister, the Chairman – Minority Commission and the Chairman – Human Rights Commission with the request to verify the truth and demanded to set up an Inquiry Commission to investigate into the misdeeds of the Christian missionaries (Annexures 3, 4, 5, 6). After investigations, the National Minority Commission said: “The mishaps with the Christian community are not communal.” (Dainik Jagaran, April 29, 2001). George Fernandes, the then Defence Minister of Bharat, who is himself a patriotic Christian, said on the floor of the Lok Sabha, “False propaganda is being carried out about these so-called atrocities. The involvement of Hindu hand was not proved in any such violence.”

(6) Excellency, in spite of this strong protest of the society, the missionaries have greatly accelerated their aggressive conversion activities being propelled by foreign money and fortified by their foreign masters and by cooperation of pseudo-secular politicians and a section of the media. Now their goal is articulated in a new manner. Abenejer Sundar Raj, general secretary of India Mission Association has said, “To begin with we want Churches within the bicycle range, then within the walking range and finally within the hearing range.” “George Bush has conversion plans on a wider scale in India.” (Tehelka, 7.2.2004).

(7) To the conversion overdrive by the Christian missionaries and the denigration of Hindu Dharma in their hands, reaction of the Hindu society has started manifesting at places. In some places in states like Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, etc., the society has displayed reflex action and instinctive reaction, and as always, the offense of heaping of abuses in hostile and unparliamentary language on Hindu organizations is continuing by the missionaries and a section of the media. In the context of the Kolhapur incident, in spite of presentation of the certificates by the Hindu victims that were issued to them after illegally converting them and in spite of there being no VHP worker among the persons arrested under the pressure by media, the language being used for these organizations in no way comes within the limits of civic behaviour and cultural taste. Can it be acceptable and right in democracy to carry out misinformation campaign about any allegation without any knowledge of truth and facts and then not even say sorry for propaganda of untruth after the truth is uncovered? Can the work of the judiciary now be entrusted to a section of the media that unilaterally charge sheets and even passes judgment without taking note of the say of the opposite side?

(8) Excellency, the Christian missionaries have been functioning in Bharat like the Talibans. Wherever they are powerful, they are finishing the non-Christians by use of force. In the Northeast Bharat, they are tormenting Hindus through crimes like terrorism, murder, kidnapping, etc. Their relation with terrorist organizations there is widely known. The then Union Minister of State for Home Affairs in 1996 had said on the floor of the Lok Sabha, “A Christian clergy was apprehended with RDX. It is true.” Even the Leftist Government of Tripura, in its report sent to the Union Home Ministry, had written, “The terrorists and the Church have deep relations” (The Telegraph, 22.3.1999). In Tripura they got killed a Hindu saint HH Shantikali Ji Maharaj and have many a time forcefully stopped performance of Hindu way of worship, rituals and traditions. When in Mizoram the Riang tribe refused to give up their Bauddha Dharma, they were persecuted and 40,000 Riangs were compelled to flee and become refugees in Tripura. Where the missionaries are not as powerful as in the Northeast, they keep the Hindus terrorized by use of weapons like fraud, allurement, misinformation campaigns, etc. They use the provisions of the Constitution in an arbitrary and licentious manner and openly make mockery of the Constitutional provisions and measures. Article 25(1) gives the right to practice and propagate religion, and not to convert. The Hon’ble Supreme Court had clarified in the Staineslas case in 1977 that: “The right to propagate religion does not mean the right to convert… Conversion done under allurement, use of force and fraud in which the poverty or ignorance of the individual is taken advantage of, is not only undemocratic but also unconstitutional…Respect for all religions is the foundation of secularism whereas the seeds of conversion lie in religious intolerance.” In spite of clear orders, they are engaged in anti-constitutional conversion activities with great fanfare. Due to such transgressions on their part, communal hostility is created. That is why, after Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattishgarh, Gujarat, now even in Himachal Pradesh laws have been passed in order to ban the crime of conversion.

(9) The missionaries are so reassured due to political shielding that now they try to force their way into Hindu places of worship and effect conversions. We would like to give only two of the instances of this aggressive attempt:

Propagation of Christianity in Tirupati temple by missionaries in illegal manner under government protection – society agitated (New India Express, 19.7.2006)
Conversion related posters pasted after forcing way into temple on Hanuman Jayanti – society aggrieved (Enadu, 24.5.2006)

(10) They use every means for conversion. The much publicized service activities are misused for conversion purposes only. We would surely like to give here some examples of it:

Hindu employees of Church were threatened to be given balance salary only after they get converted (Dainik Aaj, 17.3.2000)
Minor students tortured for conversion (Rajasthan Patrika, 05.02.2000)
Hoodwinked to convert against job offer (Amar Ujala, 27.5.2004)
Rashtravadi Congress workers in Maharashtra took out a procession putting a Missionary School director on a donkey back who had engaged in conversion activities and sexually exploited girl students (Tarun Bharat, 08.8.2000)
Officer of National Film Development Corporation converts candidates to Christianity before giving jobs (Hindustan, 23.12.2003)
Allegation of forceful conversion of tribal children in Madhya Pradesh – Clergy absconding (Rashtriya Sahara, 4.2.2000)
Caned the palms of girl students at Ramgarh (M.P.) that came to school wearing Mehndi (henna dye) on hands (R. Sahara, 16.8.1988)

(11) Besides conversion activities, the Christian Missionaries work in Bharat also with a political and imperialist agenda. Bringing to power the political parties of their choice that could be helpful in their conversion agenda, is one of their important goals. That is why their conversion manual titled “Operation World” clearly brands Hindu organizations as extremist organizations and called upon voters to prevent Bharatiya Janata Party from coming to power. When in Andhra Pradesh there was a bomb explosion in a Church, the Christian clergies had met Chandrababu Naidu and demanded to withdraw support from the NDA government. Later on the hand of ‘Deendar Anjuman’ was found in this blast.

(12) A few examples of politicking and issuing Fatwas under the garb of religion would be enough:

Christian missionaries proactive in Jharkhand to make Congress victorious (Ranchi Express, 10.5.1999)
Christian missionaries opened front to defeat BJP (R. Sahara, 17.5.1999)
Interference of Church increasing in Kerala politics (R. Sahara, 08.9.2004)

(13) Due to their political interference and every manner of support provided to the political parties of their choice, the clergies have started to consider themselves above the Indian Constitution and any process of Indian law. Some political parties remain ever ready to hide the misdeeds of the Christian missionaries with a view to receiving their help, brightening their ‘secular image’ by opposing the Hindu organizations and to encash the vote bank. They don’t care for the law. In spite of these, the law has penalized the missionaries on many occasions for their misdeeds and sins:

Six months jail to two clergies for conversion activities – Sarguja, Chhattishgarh (18.7.2002)
Foreign clergy expelled (Ranchi Exp., 21.8.1988)
11 clergies nabbed in Chhattishgarh while distributing money for conversion (Patheya Kan, 16.01.2007)
Christian institution guilty of conversion activities (H.T. 01.6.2004)
National Women’s Commission took cognizance of conversion of woman by clergy, illegal relation with her and abortion (R. Sahara, 03.02.2004)
Missionary illegally working in Kashmir Valley ordered to quit country (Nav Bharat, 29.4.2004)
Husband arrested who forcefully made his wife Christian and kept her in captivity in Church (Hindustan, 28.12.1999)
High Court upholds penalty on clergy for committing sin with girl student (Dainik Jagaran, 24.02.2007)
Foreign Christian engaged in sexual exploitation with Indian children nabbed (R. Sahara, 08.9.2004)

(14) In spite of political patronage of every sort and sympathy of the ‘secular’ fraternity, these people continue to be penalized by law again and again. The said examples are not even 10% of such incidents. Some days ago the director of a Missionary school was apprehended in Muzaffarnagar District for prefixing and suffixing Christian names with the names of innocent students. There are hundreds of such incidents that have been taken cognizance of by law. Besides these, there are thousands of such incidents in the whole country that escape the attention of the society and law and the clergies have been continuing to do their conversion work in their own way. In order to hide the misdeeds of their conversion, they even show false data about the Christian demography. The truth about it has been made clear in their own conversion manual titled “Operation World”. While focusing on the Christian demography of India, the book writes:

“Christians (official – 2.61) probably - 4%

Affiliated - 3.94% (Operation World, p. 274)”

Further, it is written in page 275 –

“Census figures are artificially low because only the religion of the head of house was recorded. Also many backward classes and scheduled caste Christians registered as Hindu” (out of fear of loosing their privileges. – These words are those of the author of this letter, so that the comments and fraud of these people are made clear.)

(15) Excellency, Bharat is a religious country. Hindu is tolerant by nature, but he loves his Dharma. He respects other religions, but when someone hurts his Dharma, in that case he readies himself to sacrifice everything to defend his Dharma. History is replete with lakhs of examples of this fact. Now the country is celebrating the 150^th year of the “1857 First War of Independence”. The British by aiding and abetting the Christian missionaries had let loose a huge wave of conversions between 1757 and 1857. Besides this, they had planned to distort the religious sensibilities of Hindus and Muslims by introducing fat of cow and pig in cartridges of guns. Bharatiyas love their Dharma very much. They could not tolerate the conspiracy to distort their Dharma. The result was the 1857 uprising. It has also other reasons, but the cause of saving Dharma is an important one. Conversion cannot be tolerated on the soil of Bharat. Mahatma Gandhiji had said, “In my opinion, converting people in the garb of service is harmful. The people of the country see it resentfully.” Due to conversion, resentment spreads in the country. The Government of Madhya Pradesh had appointed a Committee under the chairmanship of Justice Niyogi in order to study as to what could be the bad consequences of the anti-social and anti-country activities of Christian missionaries and suggest ways and means to arrest such activities. There was also a Christian member on this Committee. Their purpose was to free independent Bharat from the curse of conversion activities. After thorough surveys, this Committee had submitted its report in the year 1956. This report is still relevant and that much meaningful and useful. The recommendations and the summary of the findings of this Committee are enclosed hereby (Annexure-7).

(16) In this age of science, conversion through miracles or by denigrating other religions, is not only unscientific but also inhuman, undemocratic and unconstitutional. This also triggers spread of religious intolerance. The conversion conspiracy in Bharat can never be successful due to the patriotic people whose life-breath is also Dharma. You would be aware that in the year 2004 a clergy Benny Hinn by name from America had landed in Bharat with millions of dollars with a vow to convert 1 lakh Hindus. But in spite of government protection, there was tremendous social protest and as a result he could not convert even 10 people and had to flee in the dark of the night. The people of Bharat cannot now be fooled by fraudulent means such as “Changai Sabha”, etc. They would have succeeded in converting Europe in the 1^st millennium and Africa in the 2^nd millennium, but the people of Bharat won’t let their dream of converting Asia in the 3^rd millennium to be fulfilled.

(17) We peaceful citizens want peace and communal amity in Bharat. It is the great fortune of our country that a great scientist and spiritualist is now adorning the top job of the country as the Mahamahim President of Bharat. We are all following your able guidance to solve the problems of the country and fulfill the dream of development of the nation and its reconstruction. We humbly request you to use your good offices to urge the Government of Bharat to take appropriate steps in this direction and consider our following demands and ensure their implementation for the good of the country:-

1. Only the citizens of India have the Constitutionally given right to propagate religion, therefore, all foreign missionaries should be asked to quit the country.

2. Foreign money meant for the foreign missionaries should be banned.

3. Let an Enquiry Commission be set up in order to investigate into the activities of the missionaries and their related NGOs.

4. Let Orders be passed to seize and destroy all literature that denigrate Hindu gods-goddesses and Dharma.

5. Let a Central Law be made to prohibit conversions by force, allurement and fraudulent means presently going on in Bharat.

Ever ready and proactive for the cause of welfare of country,

Yours in the service of Maa Bhaarati,

(ASHOK SINGHAL)

President

(Dr.SURENDRA JAIN)

Central Secretary

VISHVA HINDU PARISHAD

Sankat Mochan Ashram,

Sector-VI, Ramakrishna Puram, New Delhi-110 022, Bharat (India).

*VHP New Delhi Emails: vishwahindu@gmail.com , [email protected]

*VHP Office, New Delhi Telefax :00-91-11-26103495, 26178992; Fax: 00-91-11-26195527

Encl.: Annexures – 1 to 7

(N.B.: The hard copies were submitted to President of Bharat.)

“Attacks on Church” – Reality about the misinformation campaign

Sl.#

LOCATION

MISREPRESENTED EPISODE

ACTUALITY

1

Dumka, Bihar

Sept. 02, 1997

Father Christodas disrobed and assaulted

Christodas was caught red handed engaged in homosexual activity with a tribal minor boy and the local tribals paraded him in the same condition

2

Ludhiana, Punjab

Oct. 25, 1997

VHP workers rioted in Christian prayer meeting

Christian clergy was conducting “Changai Sabha” (Abracadabra Healing Session), in which the agenda was to effect collective religious conversion. The conspiracy failed due to protests by the local community.

3

Banswara, Rajasthan

VHP workers gave written threat to Christians to quit district

The police found the allegation untrue

4

Ahvandang, Gujarat

Dec 97 to Jan 1998

VHP, Bajrang Dal attacked Christian tribals

Truth of the incident could not be established

5

Kurnool, A.P.

April 1998

VHP threatens to bring down Gipson Central Baptist Church

This allegation was proved false in police investigation

6

Jhabua, M.P.

Sept 22, 1998

Group rape of 4 nuns,

propaganda about involvement of workers of Hindu organizations

The criminals were arrested most of whom were Christians. None of the criminals was a member of any Hindu organization

7

Kolkata, W.B.

Dec 30, 1998

Propaganda the world over by Dev Sarkar that Christians are being thrown out of running trains, slit by razors and 6 to 12 Christians are embracing martyrdom every year

Neither anything of the sort took place anywhere in entire Bharat nor was ever reported

8

Kulai, Karnataka

Nov 24, 1998

Allegation on Sangh for attack on Christian prayer meet. Christian leaders said that the manner of attack suggested that they were Sangh workers

It was found in police investigation that it was a scuffle with the local people. Involvement of Sangh was not found.

9

Kandhamal, Orissa

Murder of a Christian boy and a Christian girl. Involvement of Hindu organizations suspected

The relatives of the dead who were themselves Christians, were the culprits of this murder and were arrested.

10

Manoharpur, Orissa

Jan 22, 1999

Staines and his two children mercilessly murdered, Allegation fixed on Bajrang Dal

The Wadhwa Commission said that the Bajrang Dal had no hand in this murder case. The accused Dara Singh himself said that he was not related to Bajrang Dal.

11

Baripada, Orissa

Feb 3, 1999

Propaganda about rape with two nuns. Allegation fixed on Bajrang Dal

Rape was not established in medical investigation. When the lie was detected, the nuns were not allowed to face the journalists. The police found the allegation false.

12

Jhajjar, Haryana

Allegation of assault on and misbehaviour with nuns. Propaganda of “Jhabua repeated in Jhajjar”

No such incident took place. The over-involvement of the nuns in local elections was opposed, and they themselves admitted it.

13

Wynad, Kerala

Bible stolen and Clergy beaten up. Allegation fixed on Hindu organizations

In police investigation, the Bible was found safe. The alleged assault was also not proved.

14

Allahabad, U.P.

American doctor missionary beaten up by workers of Hindu organizations

That person was neither an American nor a doctor or a clergy. The alleged assault on him also was found untrue by the police.

15

Hisar, Haryana

Clergy lodged assault report with police and alleged involvement of Bajrang Dal workers

Clergy carried out propaganda to save his skin from inside opposition by the Christian community as he was involved in adultery

16

Chhapra, Bihar

20.9.1999

Nun disrobed and forced to drink urine and threatened in Hindi to stop conversion

Police investigation found that the nun had no knowledge of Hindi. Late reporting of the misinformed incident after 3 days also raised suspicion.

17

Halmuri, Gujarat

22.12.1999

Church demolished and replaced by Ram Temple

The Ram Temple was being constructed away from the Church. No Church was demolished.

18

Dang, Gujarat

Propaganda of assaults on Christians and Church

Attack by Christians on officially authorised religious and peaceful programme of tribals in which many Hindus were injured. 14 Christians were apprehended.

19

Agra, U.P.

31.3.2000

Hindu organizations creating atmosphere against St. Paul High School

Robes of Snehlata, a teacher of the school, were ripped apart by the director clergy of the school because she used to oppose the misbehaviour of the clergy

20

Koshikalan, U.P.

10.4.2000

Attack on school by Hindu organizations, Clergy injured

It was a case of theft. The Minority Commission also confirmed that it was a case of theft. It had no communal character.

21

Mathura, U.P.

Attack on Sacred Heart School

As the minimum pass mark was raised from 35% to 40%, 30 students failed and as the fees were unnecessarily raised the guardians were upset and there was a tussle with the school management. It had no connection with Hindu organizations.

22

Samalkha, Haryana

Attack on Church

Police reported that it was a normal incidence of theft.

23

Panipat, Haryana

Attack on Church

Police reported that it was a criminal incidence of theft.

24

Bijnor, U.P.

15.4.2000

Attack on Missionary School

Pasture himself reported in the newspaper that it was an incidence of theft.

25

Rewari, Haryana

Attack by Bajrang Dal on nuns going somewhere at 11.30 at night

Pasture himself reported to newspapers that it was an incidence of theft.

26

Jalandhar, Punjab

Christian clergy murdered. Hindu organizations suspected

The assassinated youth was not a clergy and he was killed due to property dispute (Police report)

27

Abhona, Maharashtra

Attack by Bajrang Dal during film show on life of Jesus Christ in Christian hostel

Local tribals attacked thje Church because the clergies had illegally occupied their land. The clergies were using electricity without taking proper connection.

28

Nagla Ajeeta, Agra

22.4.2000

Assault on Christian religious preachers by Bajrang Dal

The Christian priest of Andhra Pradesh had gone to Nagla Ajeeta (Agra). While propagating Christianity they used abusive language for Hindu Dharma and they entered the Hanuman temple with the shoes on. They also used offensive language “Kanjar” for the local people. The youths of the locality got agitated.

29

Bhopal, M.P.

July 2000

Assault on Christian clergies by Bajrang Dal

Clergy C.P. Singh himself told the correspondent that another clergy Anil Martin attacked him with the intention to kill him.

30

Andhra, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka

July 2000

Explosions in some churches, Hindu organizations accused, riots erupted in Karnataka during protest demonstration

The culprits of the explosion were apprehended. They were the members of ‘Deendar Anjuman’ and attacked the Church on the directions of ISI.

31

Karnataka, July 2000

Accusations against VHP that it is distributing anti-Christian pamphlets

Clergy himself said that someone else was distributing the pamphlets in the name of VHP.

32

Maharashtra, Jul 2000

Accusations against RSS that one of its circulars carried orders to attack Christians

This alleged circular is a sample of forgery. The place mentioned in this circular does not exist in Maharashtra and the police also declared it a case of forgery.

33

Faridabad, Haryana

July 27, 2000

Attack by Bajrang Dal on Missionary School

A teacher of Grace Public School managed by a Christian organization “Karuna Dham” attempted rape on a minor girl. He was later on apprehended by the local people and they beat him up. The police also arrested the culprit.