In the article, Proselytization In India: An Indian Christian’s Perspective, C.Alex Alexander does a brilliant job in putting forwards a message for secularism in the Indian Context.
In my opinion, most Christians born and raised in India’s diverse milieu are innately liberal and pluralistic in their outlook. Therefore, they should now raise their voices against the divisive activities of the evangelical Christians, especially those that are bankrolled by the Western churches. Failure to do so is likely to do harm both to the religious freedom of India’s minorities and the territorial integrity of that nation. The peripatetic foreign missionaries certainly have no stake in preserving the territorial integrity of India. But, Indians of all religions do. Besides, separatist movements in Northeast India have been suspected of deriving support from foreign missionary groups. Given the sordid history of Western Christianity, eternal vigilance is indeed prudent.
Alexander continues…
If India is to maintain its hard-won nationhood and regain its past level of religious tolerance, all Indians of goodwill must do everything possible now to stifle the voices of religious fundamentalists. Muslim and Christian clerics must learn to tone down their assertions of monotheistic superiority as well as refrain from denigrating religions that do not subscribe to their views of salvation. They must come to terms with the fact that the Hindu perception of God in myriad forms is just as sacred and inviolate to them as the monotheistic concept is to the followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The Christian evangelists and the literal Islamists must also realize that they cannot continue to maintain their exclusive monopolies for marketing the road maps to heaven. Likewise, Hindu organizations should not allow their legitimate concerns about insensitive and duplicitous missionary groups to degenerate into generalized bashing of minorities through acts such as indulging in mass distribution of tridents or creating a climate of suspicion against all minorities. Pluralistic Indians of all religious faiths have an urgent need now to close their ranks and drown out the rhetoric of religious fanatics if they truly want to allow India to emerge as an economic and political power. Otherwise, India will remain a weak and soft State much to the glee of the Western nations.
This article was really something attracting a lot of comments from the readers. But unfortunately, I think his ideas will fall on deaf ears. Read the full article.
“If India is to maintain its hard-won nationhood and regain its past level of religious tolerance, all Indians of goodwill must do everything possible now to stifle the voices of religious fundamentalists.”
it is true to define the problem we are facing from the relegious fundamentalists. it is very much known that the so called fundamentalism has gained this much deterrent power in the last few years. it is essential to look why this has happend. why now? how can we answer these, with out looking present socio-politico-economic state……..
Just passing through… but thought I might make an observation. Fundamentalism is starting to look more and more probably *the* defining force of these times – especially the political variant. You only have to read something like “http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/index.jsp?section=today” to see just how deeply this malignant force is now embedded in civil society. Makes for somber moods…
the ALCHEMY in the page…… good…