The old mother superior, stood at the gates of the convent she was in charge of. Her brood of young nuns and novices standing white faced around her, stared fearfully into the night, at the restless mob that stood outside.
Open the gates and let us in,” shouted the leader of the mob. “We will teach you to stop forcing us to convert to your religion.”
“The gates are open,” said the Mother Superior, “and there is no way we can force you to change your religious beliefs, but do tell me what you mean by forced conversions.”
“Your schools are meant to teach your foreign Christianity,” said the leader of the group.
The Mother Superior, put on her glasses and peered kindly at the leader of the group, “aren’t your two daughters studying in our school dear sir,” she asked. “Have they been forcibly converted yet?”
“No,” said the leader vehemently, “but they have been behaving strangely once in a while.”
“You mean they don’t follow you while your threaten their poor teachers in the middle of the night?” asked the superior with a twinkle in her eyes.
“You are being insolent?” shouted the leader.
“Let us burn the building down,” shouted his assistant as he brandished a flaming torch.
“You will only burn your mother to death,” said the Mother Superior.
“My mother?” whispered the assistant leader of the mob, looking hurriedly around.
“Yes, she is housed upstairs in the Old Folks wing,” said the Superior, “she came to us when you threw her out of your house.”
“You are mocking us,” said another young man in the group.
“No,” said the old lady, putting her arm around a trembling sister, “I am only speaking the truth. During the day some of your children study in the school over here and in the night we shelter some of your lonely mothers and discarded sisters.”
“We will die for our religion,” said the leader of the group.
“You nearly did,” said the Mother Superior again looking sadly at him, “during the riots five years ago, and we sisters nursed you back to health in our hospital.”
“They are forcibly converting us,” shouted the mob as they poured in through the gates and started beating the poor screaming sisters.
“If teaching and caring and healing is what you call forcible conversion,” said the poor Mother Superior, as she looked on helplessly, “then there is nothing I can say, except to plead guilty…!”
Monday, November 10, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
who's the real Hindu?
November 4, 2006Karan Thapar , Hindustan TimesAugust 30, 2008First Published: 23:19 IST(30/8/2008)Last Updated: 23:59 IST(30/8/2008)
Who's the real Hindu?
Who's the real Hindu?
Does the VHP have the right to speak for you or I? Do they reflect ourviews? Do we endorse their behaviour? They call themselves the Vishwa HinduParishad, but who says they represent all of us? This Sunday morning, I wantto draw a clear line of distinction between them and everyone else. My hunchis many of you will agree.
Let me start with the question of conversion - an issue that greatlyexercises the VHP. I imagine there are hundreds of millions of Hindus whoare peaceful, tolerant, devoted to their faith, but above all, happy to live alongside Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Jews. If any oneof us were to change our faith how does it affect the next man or woman? Andeven if that happens with inducements, it can only prove that the forsakenfaith had a tenuous and shallow hold. So why do the VHP and its unruly stormtroopers, the Bajrang Dal, froth at the mouth if you, I or our neighboursconvert? What is it to do with them?
Let me put it bluntly, even crudely. If I want to sell my soul - and tradein my present gods for a new lot - why shouldn't I? Even if the actdiminishes me in your eyes, it's my right to do so. So if thousands or evenmillions of Dalits, who have been despised and ostracised for generations, choose to become Christian, Buddhist or Muslim, either to escape thediscrimination of their Hindu faith or because some other has lured themwith food and cash, it's their right.
Arguably you may believe you should ask them to reconsider, although I wouldcall that interference, but you certainly have no duty or right to stopthem. In fact, I doubt if you are morally correct in even seeking to placeobstacles in their way. The so-called Freedom of Religion Acts, which aim todo just that, are, in fact, tantamount to obstruction of conversion laws andtherefore, at the very least, questionable.
However, what's even worse is how the VHP responds to this matter.Periodically they resort to violence including outright murder. Whathappened to Graham Staines in Orissa was not unique. Last week it happenedagain. Apart from the utter and contemptible criminality of such behaviour,is this how we Hindus wish to behave? Is this how we want our faithdefended? Is this how we want to be seen? I have no doubt the answer is no.An unequivocal, unchanging and ever-lasting NO!
The only problem is it can't be heard. And it needs to be. I thereforebelieve the time has come for the silent majority of Hindus - both those who ardently practice their faith as well as those who were born into it but maynot be overtly religious or devout - to speak out. We cannot accept thedesecration of churches, the burning to death of innocent caretakers oforphanages, the storming of Christian and Muslim hamlets even if these actsare allegedly done in defence of our faith. Indeed, they do not defend butshame Hinduism. That's my central point.
I'm sorry but when I read that the VHP has ransacked and killed I'm not just embarrassed, I feel ashamed. Never of being hindu but of what some Hindus doin our shared faith's name.
This is why its incumbent on Naveen Patnaik, Orissa's Chief Minister, totake tough, unremitting action against the VHP and its junior wing, theBajrang Dal. This is a test not just of his governance, but of hischaracter. And I know and accept this could affect his political survival.But when it's a struggle between your commitment to your principles and yourpolitical convenience is there room for choice? For ordinary politicians,possibly, but for the Naveen I know, very definitely not.
So let me end by saying: I'm waiting, Naveen. In fact, I want to say I'mnot alone. There are hundreds of millions of Hindus, like you and me,waiting silently - but increasingly impatiently. Please act for all of us.
Let me start with the question of conversion - an issue that greatlyexercises the VHP. I imagine there are hundreds of millions of Hindus whoare peaceful, tolerant, devoted to their faith, but above all, happy to live alongside Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Jews. If any oneof us were to change our faith how does it affect the next man or woman? Andeven if that happens with inducements, it can only prove that the forsakenfaith had a tenuous and shallow hold. So why do the VHP and its unruly stormtroopers, the Bajrang Dal, froth at the mouth if you, I or our neighboursconvert? What is it to do with them?
Let me put it bluntly, even crudely. If I want to sell my soul - and tradein my present gods for a new lot - why shouldn't I? Even if the actdiminishes me in your eyes, it's my right to do so. So if thousands or evenmillions of Dalits, who have been despised and ostracised for generations, choose to become Christian, Buddhist or Muslim, either to escape thediscrimination of their Hindu faith or because some other has lured themwith food and cash, it's their right.
Arguably you may believe you should ask them to reconsider, although I wouldcall that interference, but you certainly have no duty or right to stopthem. In fact, I doubt if you are morally correct in even seeking to placeobstacles in their way. The so-called Freedom of Religion Acts, which aim todo just that, are, in fact, tantamount to obstruction of conversion laws andtherefore, at the very least, questionable.
However, what's even worse is how the VHP responds to this matter.Periodically they resort to violence including outright murder. Whathappened to Graham Staines in Orissa was not unique. Last week it happenedagain. Apart from the utter and contemptible criminality of such behaviour,is this how we Hindus wish to behave? Is this how we want our faithdefended? Is this how we want to be seen? I have no doubt the answer is no.An unequivocal, unchanging and ever-lasting NO!
The only problem is it can't be heard. And it needs to be. I thereforebelieve the time has come for the silent majority of Hindus - both those who ardently practice their faith as well as those who were born into it but maynot be overtly religious or devout - to speak out. We cannot accept thedesecration of churches, the burning to death of innocent caretakers oforphanages, the storming of Christian and Muslim hamlets even if these actsare allegedly done in defence of our faith. Indeed, they do not defend butshame Hinduism. That's my central point.
I'm sorry but when I read that the VHP has ransacked and killed I'm not just embarrassed, I feel ashamed. Never of being hindu but of what some Hindus doin our shared faith's name.
This is why its incumbent on Naveen Patnaik, Orissa's Chief Minister, totake tough, unremitting action against the VHP and its junior wing, theBajrang Dal. This is a test not just of his governance, but of hischaracter. And I know and accept this could affect his political survival.But when it's a struggle between your commitment to your principles and yourpolitical convenience is there room for choice? For ordinary politicians,possibly, but for the Naveen I know, very definitely not.
So let me end by saying: I'm waiting, Naveen. In fact, I want to say I'mnot alone. There are hundreds of millions of Hindus, like you and me,waiting silently - but increasingly impatiently. Please act for all of us.
Conversion business
Conversion business
By Khushwant Singh
Recent incidents of violence and vandalism against Christians and their churches deserve to be condemned unreservedly. They have blackened the fair face of Mother India and ruined the reputation of Hindus being the most religiously tolerant people in the world. At the same time, we must take a closer look at people who convert from one faith to another. To start with, let it be understood that these days there are no forced conversions anywhere in the world. India is no exception. Those who assert that the poor, innocent and ignorant of India are being forced to accept Christianity are blatant liars. A few, very few educated and well-to-do men and women convert to another faith when they do not find solace in the faith of their ancestors. Examples are to be found in America and Europe of men and women of substance turning from Judaism and Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism.
There are also men and women who convert to the faith of those they wish to marry. We have plenty of cases of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Sikh inter-marriages. However, the largest number of converts come from communities discriminated against. The outstanding example was that of Dalit leader Bhimrao Ambedkar who led his Mahar community to embrace Buddhism because they were discriminated against by upper caste Hindus. This is also true of over 90 per cent of Indian Muslims whose ancestors being lower caste embraced Islam which gave them equal status. That gives lie to the often-repeated slander that Islam made converts by the sword.
An equally large number of people converted out of gratitude. They were neglected, ignorant and poor. When strangers came to look after them, opened schools and hospitals for them, taught them, healed them and helped them to stand on their own feet to hold their heads high, they felt grateful towards their benefactors. Most of them were Christian missionaries who worked in remote villages and brought hope to the lives of people who were deprived of hope.
To this day, Christian missionaries run the best schools, colleges and hospitals in our country. They are inexpensive and free of corruption. They get converts because of the sense of gratitude they generate. Can this be called forcible conversion? Why don’t the great champions of Hinduism look within their hearts and find out why so many are disenchanted by their pretensions of piety? Let them first set their own houses in order, purge the caste system out of Hindu society and welcome with open arms all those who wish to join them. No one will then convert from Hinduism to another religion.
By Khushwant Singh
Recent incidents of violence and vandalism against Christians and their churches deserve to be condemned unreservedly. They have blackened the fair face of Mother India and ruined the reputation of Hindus being the most religiously tolerant people in the world. At the same time, we must take a closer look at people who convert from one faith to another. To start with, let it be understood that these days there are no forced conversions anywhere in the world. India is no exception. Those who assert that the poor, innocent and ignorant of India are being forced to accept Christianity are blatant liars. A few, very few educated and well-to-do men and women convert to another faith when they do not find solace in the faith of their ancestors. Examples are to be found in America and Europe of men and women of substance turning from Judaism and Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism.
There are also men and women who convert to the faith of those they wish to marry. We have plenty of cases of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Sikh inter-marriages. However, the largest number of converts come from communities discriminated against. The outstanding example was that of Dalit leader Bhimrao Ambedkar who led his Mahar community to embrace Buddhism because they were discriminated against by upper caste Hindus. This is also true of over 90 per cent of Indian Muslims whose ancestors being lower caste embraced Islam which gave them equal status. That gives lie to the often-repeated slander that Islam made converts by the sword.
An equally large number of people converted out of gratitude. They were neglected, ignorant and poor. When strangers came to look after them, opened schools and hospitals for them, taught them, healed them and helped them to stand on their own feet to hold their heads high, they felt grateful towards their benefactors. Most of them were Christian missionaries who worked in remote villages and brought hope to the lives of people who were deprived of hope.
To this day, Christian missionaries run the best schools, colleges and hospitals in our country. They are inexpensive and free of corruption. They get converts because of the sense of gratitude they generate. Can this be called forcible conversion? Why don’t the great champions of Hinduism look within their hearts and find out why so many are disenchanted by their pretensions of piety? Let them first set their own houses in order, purge the caste system out of Hindu society and welcome with open arms all those who wish to join them. No one will then convert from Hinduism to another religion.
Friday, November 7, 2008
WHAT GOES AROUND
One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you. He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.' Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.
'He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.' Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.... She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything' s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.' There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.' Today, I sent you this story and I'm asking you to pass it on... Let this light shine. Don't delete it, don't return it. Simply, pass this on to a friend.
'He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.' Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.... She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything' s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.' There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.' Today, I sent you this story and I'm asking you to pass it on... Let this light shine. Don't delete it, don't return it. Simply, pass this on to a friend.
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