COMMENTARY of the cost, we will hasten the end of the last ideological challenge to the Gospel in . Gladys Staines has given us a tremendous model. Many of

© Greg Parsons us, through our personal cross bearing and tragedies, will need to reinforce Can Hindutva that perception of true . The nation needs to see that all religions are not the same; that the Gospel and Survive the Hindutva, Gladys Staines and , stand as opposites. If we follow Persecution Christ and Gladys Staines, the light of the Gospel will shine even brighter when the religious violence does turn of Christians in India? into political violence of fascism. A personal analysis and some recommendations. At present, it seems to me that much of the Church is trying to take —Vishal Mangalwadi shelter under the cover of “secular” parties. This, I believe, is a serious Interpreted literally as “Hindu-ness,” Hindutva increasingly carries connotations of mistake. Hindutva came to power a radical vision for a Hindu nation. Provided here are excerpts from an open letter to precisely because secularism had India originally published in April 1999 in the aftermath of the gruesome death of already failed. Graham Staines and his two sons. —The Editor Therefore, my first strategic recommendation is that we need to resolve to take the bull of Hindutva by the horns, and allow the issue to remain as Gospel vs. Hindutva instead of April 12, 1999 — London lower castes and tribals. Hinduism has making it secularism vs. Hindutva. HE PRESENT PHASE of kept these people by force as (India needs to remain a tolerant and persecution, at its roots, is a marginalized, ignorant, and vulnerable pluralistic society. But it is the Gospel, testimony to the effective to oppression and exploitation. The not secular political parties, that will ness of the work of the missions are giving them a new provide the real, solid basis for building Tmissionaries at the front lines, most of identity, self-respect and new principles a tolerant, pluralistic society where whom are located in South and North- for individual life, family and social every individual’s right and conscience East India. They, therefore, need our organization. is given equal respect. I have argued prayers and support as they seek to Can Hindutva Survive in India? this point in my book of letters to Arun bless also the northern parts of India at Providence has polarized the public Shourie, Missionary Conspiracy: tremendous personal risk and cost. opinion in India as a clash between Letters to a Postmodern Hindu. Here I Most front-line missionaries don’t Hindutva and Christianity. It will be only need to remind us that the Sikhs seem to understand the power of their tempting for many Christians, espe- and Muslims rejected the Congress own work. They don’t realize that their cially the nominal Christians and new party because they rightly perceived work is an historic threat to the socio- converts whose worldview remains that it was not as “secular” [pluralistic] economic power equations that have Hindu/animist, to retaliate in self- as it claimed. Its obsession is with existed in India for over 2,000 years— defense. I would urge Christian leaders power, not with principles.) ever since Hinduism marginalized the to prepare them not to retaliate. They Needed: A Theologically Vishal Mangalwadi, along with his wife, need to understand that in the present Informed Vision for India Ruth, has served the rural poor in phase of persecution, at stake is not the As I have shown in my books (e.g., central India through community question of the existence of the Church India: The Grand Experiment), from development, political empowerment, in India. It is Hindutva’s survival that is Charles Grant and William Carey up to evangelism, leadership training and at stake—and no one understands this the time of Stanley Jones there was a writing. He has authored numerous as well as the Hindutva’s leadership. If books, including India: The Grand distinctly Christian vision for building we choose the way of the cross—the a great India. It was Christianity, not Experiment, Farnham, Surrey, U.K.: way of self-sacrificing love in the midst Pippa Rann, 1997. This article initially the Gandhian struggle, that gave us the appeared in Mission Frontiers, March- of suffering—if we continue to love, rule of law, democracy, fundamental April 1999. serve and preach fearlessly, irrespective rights, universal education and health

20 Special Hindu Edition : Mission Frontiers USCWM•1605 E. Elizabeth St.•Pasadena, CA 91104•626-797-1111 care, corruption-free administration, neither from the Bible nor from Church equality of sexes and castes, economic history, but from Frank Perretti’s freedom, opportunity and infra- excellent fiction. Understandably, it structure and religious and journalistic does confuse the focus of some Indian freedoms that we enjoy at this moment. Christians. From the very first advocate of a missionary movement for India— Taking the Bull by the Horns Charles Grant—the missionary move- The BJP government will not like ment had a “singular focus”; but engage in overt persecution in the contrary to what Arun Shourie says, immediate future. Because of this, it is that focus was to bless India, not to imperative that we do not allow each count how many bodies had been other to go off to sleep. The next phase ducked under baptismal waters. The of attack is not likely to be against the “battle” between Hindutva and the missionaries and new converts; it is Gospel is a battle between fascism and already directed against Christ and the freedom. This Christian vision for a Christian faith. great India did indeed become weak as Therefore, my next recommen- the large part of the Church gave up the dation is that we turn that attack into biblical worldview in the 20th century, an opportunity to expound, defend, and by a surrender either to liberalism or to commend the faith. While the hatred an anti-intellectual, individualistic, has to be countered by love, and force privatized, pessimistic, un-Biblical by suffering, the propaganda must be . This evangelicalism countered by a fearless presentation of has weakened the Gospel by perverting the truth. The evangelists, church it. Allow me to help us recover the planters, and social workers get honor, focus: recognition, and funding. The Indian What is the Gospel? Is it a message Christian tradition has little space for about my soul going to heaven, or is it apologists. But this is their moment. a message about the Kingdom of While the hatred has to be We need well-crafted letters to the Heaven coming to this earth in the countered by love, and force editors in responses to what writers person of the King of Kings and the such as Arun Shourie write. Lord of Lords? Is the Christian battle by suffering, the To begin with, as Professor Guptara for heaven? Or does God already rule propaganda must be argues, such letters need to correct the in heaven, and therefore, the battle is countered by a fearless terminology being used today. The for this earth? Who will rule on this press is wrong when it talks of “Hindu earth, God or Satan? If it is the latter, presentation of the truth. fundamentalism” or “Hindu zealots.” then should the passion of our lives be There are no “fundamentals” in to go to heaven—and take others Christian vision for India because the Hinduism to which Hindutva can lead there—or should it be “Thy kingdom language of the “spiritual warfare” Hindus. A good Hindu can choose to be come, Thy will be done in India as it is movement has become the main a strict vegetarian, but he can also in heaven”? justification for the present persecution. choose to be a tantric that kidnaps and So my second recommendation (If a tiny section of the American sacrifices a neighbor’s child. Hindutva is that as the nation flounders we need church has declared India to be an is about zeal for demolishing mosques to articulate a clear Christian vision for “enemy territory” that has to be and burning Bibles, but it is not about India. Such a vision will include a “conquered,” surely the target group a zeal for Hindu spirituality. The vision for an “Akhand Bharat”—a has a right to defend itself.) Is our appropriate terminology, therefore, is United States of South Asia (USSA). mission driven “by the love of God that “Hindu fascists” or “fascist Hindus,” The logic of Hindutva seeks to unite constrains us”? Is God seeking to bless because Hindutva is about incorporat- South Asia with the help of nuclear India or to conquer it? The Indian ing Italian fascism and German Nazism weapons, because the Hindutva has no church needs to have theological into Hinduism. spiritual resources to lead the subconti- maturity to stand up to the teams of We are seeing seeing hundreds of nent towards repentance, forgiveness naive young missionaries from America articles in the media and millions of and reconciliation. The Gospel is who today assume they are the ones to pamphlets circulating against our faith. capable of creating a united India, a define what “spiritual warfare” is all These should not be ignored. We need to “USSA”—the greatest nation on earth. about. Their naivete derives from a study them, debate them, formulate It is necessary to articulate afresh a theology of spiritual warfare that is thoughtful responses, write and publish. www.missionfrontiers.org Mission Frontiers : Special Hindu Edition 21 We need a feature film on However, some in the Needed: Structures for the martyrdom of Graham Hinduism— “mainstream” are so Countering Persecution Staines that explains Christian addicted to corruption For years the National Council of service, the Gospel and whatever its that they cannot be Churches had a “Secretary for National conversion to the Indian strengths—has committed to any kind of Issues” based in Delhi. Hardly anyone masses. singularly failed conversion—even when knew of the existence of such an office. We need well-produced the word means a turning Now that the need is really acute, the documentaries on what the in strengthening from sin to God. These NCCI has not been able to fill the Gospel has already done for the moral church leaders will create vacancy! In September 1998, about 200 the tribals in Nagaland, muscles of our great problems for the of us helped launch the “National Mizoram, Meghalaya, and brothers and sisters on the Forum for Reconciliation, Religious other parts of India. society. front lines, as their Liberty and Social Justice,” under the We need well-documented counterparts did during umbrella of the Evangelical Fellowship TV documentaries on what the Third Reich in of India. So far, its performance has the Gospel has done for the untouch- Germany and under communism in the been disappointing and some of my ables in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Soviet block. For the sake of their friends are beginning to wonder aloud Pradesh. positions and security they would be if they were merely used for public We need a feature film on Pandita willing to legitimize an oppressive relations and fund raising purposes. Ramabai—not to raise money for the regime that tortures and persecutes Nevertheless, the EFI does need to Ramabai Mukti Mission, but to counter God’s faithful servants. dispel the suspicions that are beginning propaganda with an effective presenta- We need to stand up to these church to surface. This may well be the last tion of the truth. dignitaries now and expose their opportunity the EFI has to save its The above is to say that as demon- hypocrisy, since they may be in effect profile in India. The India Missions strated in my various books, the Gospel implying that their forefathers who Association (IMA) is doing from has already done more for India than turned from their sins to the living God Chennai (Madras) what it can do, but all other ideologies put together. The were fools. The tribals and lower castes they are not yet structured and nation is forgetting it because the today, like their forefathers who may equipped to meet the challenge of this leadership of the Indian Church has not have genuinely “converted” to righ- magnitude. honored, encouraged and supported the teousness in Christ, believe that they Consequently the most vigorous creativity of her young people. Many of need the Gospel. Some of the tribals leadership in countering persecution so our professors of Church History teach may be assuming that in the interest of far has come from John Dayal, a only what they learn in the Western their personal and eternal future, and in Catholic and the convenor of the United seminaries—so, sadly, even our own the interest of their future generations, Christian Forum for Human Rights. In a pastors and preachers do not know they need to get out of a false, enslav- meeting in New Delhi on Easter Sunday, what the Gospel has done for India. ing and exploitative socio-religious he expressed some of his needs to build However, it is obvious that the chal- system. a proper documentation and analysis lenge of today—the challenge of We may even disagree with the center. It would be unwise for me to put providing a fresh hope to India— understanding of “conversion” that the some of his felt needs in a public cannot be met without discovering potential converts have. But surely, document such as this report. fresh talent and supporting it. neither the Sangh Parivar, nor the However, if you want to know what Incidentally, the negative factors church dignitaries can be allowed to are some of the needs for prayer, or have to be watched too; a prominent keep these folk in their present moral, would like to help, you could write to leader of the National Council of cultural and philosophical bondage. No me or directly to him. Churches in India [NCCI] has already one, except for those committed to The needs are immense, the gone on record in the press with a corruption, would deny that spiritual/ challenge is great, risks are fearsome— statement that the mainstream church moral transformation is the greatest but the rewards can be unimaginable. in India does not believe in conver- need of a nation as corrupt as India. We need courage and wisdom because sions. Obviously, I cannot fully rely on Hinduism—whatever its strengths—has this persecution has raised a serious what the press says about a fellow singularly failed in strengthening the question—not about the survival of the Christian. Depending on what is moral muscles of our society. As I have church in India, but in the short term understood by the word “conversion,” I shown in my book, The World of about the survival of the rule of law and may even agree with the gentleman. Gurus, the mainstream Hindu democracy in India, and ultimately Some Christians may be sincere in their philosophy cannot provide even a about the survival of Hindutva as an opposition to the word “conversion” framework of moral absolutes, let alone ideological force. And, I repeat, and we can respect them even if we do the power to regenerate our sinful Hindutva is the last remaining ideologi- not agree with them. hearts. cal rival to the Gospel in India.

22 Special Hindu Edition : Mission Frontiers USCWM•1605 E. Elizabeth St.•Pasadena, CA 91104•626-797-1111