And then...they came for the christians...

While the whole nation was just trying to recover from the economic crisis, a fresh political storm has set in in the name of religion. It looks as if the words ‘religion’, ‘God,’ ‘Swami,’ and ‘priest,’ can easily set fire to the whole nation more than any other fire accidents. While the former sets fire and rifts people apart the latter only destroys the property and not so much the people with flesh and blood; people with heart and soul and conscience.
The great nation that claimed that it was tolerant for centuries towards any religion, kings and empires, proves now that such tolerance and goodness are over with the bygone ages. This seems to be a new era. Intolerance is the order of the day. Anything can kindle fire to appease the political thirst of the parties particularly the BJP, RSS and VHP that use religion for political gain.
The recent attacks on Christians and churches come as a retaliation for the killing of swami Lakshmanananda and outside Orissa and practically in many parts of India as a retaliation for conversions to Christianity. No BJP leader has as yet condemned or even regretted the attacks on churches.
In an article, ‘It’s time to act, Mr Advani,’ written by Raghu Krishnan that appeared in THE ECONOMIC TIMES on 21 September, 2008 commented like this: “Those of us Hindus who studied in convent schools and continue to be Hindus will know how irrational the argument is that the recent attacks on churches in Orissa and Karnataka was a response to an attempt at forcibly converting members of the majority community. Even if the Bajrang Dal activists claim they were upset by what they perceived as forcible conversion, the logical response should have been to bring this to the notice of the state governments.”
He continues, “If its governments in Karnataka and MP cannot even prevent attacks on churches while investigating complaints of forcible conversion, then how can the party keep claiming that a BJP-led national government will protect the entire country from serial blasts by diabolical terrorists!”
And if there are recent reports that some Christian missionary somewhere is involved in an attempt at forcible conversion, it should not take too long for an experienced national leader like Mr Advani to have things sorted out through administrative measures, especially in BJP-ruled states.
Just nine years and two months ago, when the BJP-led NDA ruled the nation, its leaders inspired young soldiers of all faiths to fight and die for the country while evicting armed cross-border intruders from the frozen heights of Kargil.
Surely, some 110 months later, it should not be too difficult for a national leader like Mr Advani to ensure that the unity and integrity of the country is not harmed by unruly activists who think that vandalising a church or any other place of religious worship in a BJP-ruled state is what 21st century India is all about!
While the BJP, RSS and VHP groups have lost the control of their senses, there is still another question that deeply arises: What is quietly happening to the Christian community that is known for its unity?
Not many years ago Muslims were attacked. Mosques were demolished and Christians kept quiet about it. They thought that Christians will never be attacked. We wake up to see the Christian Community under attack in many parts of India.
This immediately reminded me of the poem “First they came…” which is attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group:
“In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up.”
Times have ripened for attacks on Christians. We have been studying about the various attacks in history on Communists, Muslims, and Jews. This time they came for the Christians… Unfortunately, to their astonishment, they found them divided. Our divisions based on language, caste, creed and greed are killing the Christians more than any external force. The pity is that we are not united when they came for the Christians.