Curb proselytism in Andhra Pradesh

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Curb proselytism in Andhra Pradesh

 

V SUNDARAM

 

In Andhra Pradesh we have a Congress gvernment under a

Christian Chief Minister who takes instructions from an effete UPA

Government in New Delhi which is under the stranglehold of

International Roman Catholicism. The Andhra Pradesh government has

been using its official agencies for purposes of State-sponsored,

State-aided and State-abetted proselytism in Andhra Pradesh in a

shamelessly flagrant manner during the last two years.

 

Y Samuel Rajasekar Reddy seems to be under the mistaken

impression that he can behave like Henry VIII (1509-1547) of Tudor

England and that he can take Andhra Pradesh back to the 16th century

using the International Roman Catholic might of the UPA government in

New Delhi.

 

A great champion of Sanatana Dharma and one who is known for

her fearless journalism, Sandhya Jain has rightly observed in a

recent article entitled 'Sacrilege at Tirupati Hills: 'The current

initiative of Sri Swarupanandendra Swami of the Visakhapatnam-based

Sri Sarada Peetham to mobilise Hindu seers to protect dharma in the

face of rising depredations by evangelists has not come a day too

soon. While religious conversions are innately offensive, the rising

political eminence of an Italian-born Roman Catholic has witnessed a

corresponding growth of aggressive proselytising at famous Hindu

pilgrimages and holy sites. Sonia Gandhi has reinforced missionary

muscle by sponsoring the rise of Christians in Congress State

governments and party units on an unprecedented scale. Non-Christian

Congress Chief Ministers have been made to acquiesce in missionary

activities, and outrageously 'leaky' welfare schemes have been

floated for the benefit of the tax-free NGO industry, most of which

is anti-Hindu.'

With his known hatred for Hinduism, Y Samuel Rajasekhara Reddy

is unlikely to ban physical and psychological encroachment upon the

sacred spaces of Hinduism. What is for Hindus, of cosmic,

significance and for proselytizers, of cosmic, significance, is that

the Andhra Pradesh government does not permit Panchayat elections in

Tirumala in view of its spiritual eminence and at the same time a

Seventh Day Adventist Chief Minister permits predatory monotheistic

faiths with a proven criminal record of international terrorism and

violence for more than 1000 years to have a free run of the Tirumala

hills. The Governor of Andhra Pradesh should take serious note of the

blatantly anti-Hindu postures and policies of an Evangelical Chief

Minister in Andhra Pradesh and recommend to the President of India

the institution of appropriate proceedings for the prevention of

inter-religious wars in Andhra Pradesh and more particularly in

Tirumala hills area.

If Hindus in majority throughout India do not resist the

diabolical moves of Andhra Pradesh government and Sonia Gandhi,

sooner than later we are bound to have a significant Christian lobby

in Parliament, through a fraudulently conceived amendment altering

the basic structure of the Constitution of India. Sandhya Jain

rightly concludes that an East Timor-like situation could develop in

any part of the country where Western Christian nations have a geo-

strategic or purely economic interest. Their lust for the mineral-

rich north-east predates independence and is fostered by insurgency

movements backed by various church denominations.

 

Such fears are not unfounded even today. Four nuns were

arrested from the premises of Sri Venkateswara Ruia Government

Hospital on charges of alleged proselytism in the last week of June,

2006. According to hospital sources, the nuns, who visited the

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) funded government hospital,

asked the patients of their names and details to perform 'healing

prayers' in a local church last night. The hospital staff and

attendants asked the nuns not to indulge in such an act and leave the

premises. On two earlier occasions also, nuns had indulged in

evangelical activities in Tirumala hills and at the Sri Venkateswara

University. By maintaining an attitude of Christianity-coveting

secular indifference, the Andhra Pradesh government has so far

remained neutral between the fire brigade and the fire.

 

Taking note of the serious situation developing in Tirumala

hills, His Holiness Sri Sri Visweswara Theertha of Pejawar Mutt,

Udipi appointed a Fact Finding Committee in April, 2006, under the

chairmanship of Justice G Bikshapathy. This committee was requested

to ascertain the factual position as regards the activities of Non-

Hindu religious communities in Tirumala and Tirupathi and to furnish

a report to His Holiness for considering the steps to be taken to

prevent undesirable activities of the Christian and other Non-Hindu

communities.

 

The report of this committee was handed over to Sri Sri

Visweswara Theertha Swami of Pejawar Mutt at Bangalore on 3 July,

2006. Commenting on the report of this Committee, Pejawar Swami

condemned the evangelistic activities in Tirumala Hills highlighted

by the Fact Finding Committee. He stated: 'Every religion must work

with its own precincts. The trustees and employees of temples must be

Hindus and the government should take action against missionaries who

are propagating Christianity within the Tirumala Temple premises.

Temple funds should be used for the propagation of Hinduism. At the

moment they are being used to send people to Mecca'.

 

The following are the major findings and recommendations of

the Fact Finding Committee appointed by Pejawar Swami:

 

(i) Members of the Christian community distributed religious

pamphlets and copies of Bible to the students who were returning

after writing the EAMCET examinations conducted at various centres in

Tirupathi in May, 2006. Some student organizations protested against

these activities. Police had to intervene to maintain law and order.

 

(ii) On 9 April, 2006, two Christians by name Balaraju

(pastor) and Babu while coming down from Tirumala to Tirupathi in bus

distributed pamphlets propagating Christianity to the pilgrims

travelling in that bus.

 

(iii) As per Rule 197 of APCHR and E Act 1987 the population

living in Tirumala shall adhere to the norms and shall follow the

sentiments of Hindu Religion. As such thorough probe has to be taken

up to verify the antecedents of Non-Hindu employees who are working

in TTD. The identified employees and their families shall be shifted

from Tirumala.

 

(iv) Some of the family members of the TTD employees such as

wife, children are practicing Christian ideology and inviting the

Pastors to conduct prayers in their houses at Tirumala. The above

aspect may be carefully examined and steps taken to prevent the above

activities in Tirumala.

 

(v) Two Christians viz. David (pastor) and Kumar, were found

propagating Christianity in Tirumala and they were handed over to

police. The police seem to have registered a case and kept them for

two days on remand.

 

(vi) On 21 May, 2006, Special Officer Sri Dharma Reddy held

press conference in which he stated that no Christian religious

propaganda was going on in Tirumala. It is evident that he is not

taking a serious view of these objectionable activities of the

Christians at the holy place of Tirumala.

 

(vii) Rule 198 of APCHR & E Act 1987 in which anti-Hindu

activities have been prohibited at Tirumala may be enforced

ruthlessly without fear or favour.

 

(viii) Educational institutions at Tirupathi were established

on TTD land and with TTD funds. It has been brought to the notice of

the Committee that in the colleges and hostels at Tirupathi,

Christian religious propagation is rampant. The Christian students

themselves are acting as propagators. Sri Deva Sangeetham, Principal

of S V University College is openly indulging in propagating and

converting the students to Christianity by making them go to Church,

reading Bible and creating disaffection towards Hindu religion. After

Sri Deva Sangeetham has taken charge as Principal, the practice of

garlanding the portrait of Lord Venkateswara was stopped.

 

(xi) After Veena Noble Das took charge as Vice-chancellor of

Padmavathi Mahila University, she got removed the photos of Lord

Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavathi from all the institutions of the

Mahila University and she also got removed the portrait of Lord

Venkateswara from her office and discontinued the practice of

garlanding the portraits of Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavathi

everyday. Instead she kept a portrait of Jesus Christ and the Cross

on her office table. She is sending batches of students in the

University buses to the church. It is also stated that in the Mahila

University, the students are not allowed to have tilak on the

forehead now-a-days and that students putting tilak are being

discriminated.

 

What is happening in Andhra Pradesh can only be summarized in

the words of John E Remsburg: 'The Bible is, for the most part, the

crude literature of the people who lived 2000 years, and more, ago.

Certain principles of right and wrong they recognized, but the finer

principles of morality were unknown to them.'

 

They were an ignorant people. An ignorant people is generally

a religious people and a religious people nearly always an immoral

people. They believe that they were God's chosen people 'favourites'

and that because of this they had the right to rob and cheat, to

murder and enslave the rest of mankind.

 

(The writer is a retired IAS officer)

 

e-mail the writer at vsundaram