On Kandhamal, Maoists and Christianity – Guest Post by Sanjay

Dear All: It is my pleasure to post this fascinating & thought-provoking guest article by Sanjay that looks into some lesser-known aspects of the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda in Orissa in 2008 and the attack’s links with Maoists and Christianity…Pl read and share. Comments welcome, as always.

*** On Kandhamal, Maoists and Christianity – Sanjay ***

On August 23rd 2008, VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was murdered leading to the infamous Kandhamal riots which received widespread media coverage with the Sangh Parivar, being the prime accused, being at the receiving end for the attacks on Churches and killings of Christians.

There was some mention, somewhat muted, that Maoists were behind the killing of the Swami. On 6th Oct 2008, Sabyasachi Panda, the leader of the Orissa wing of the CPI-Maoist, claimed responsibility for the killing of the Swami via an announcement on a private TV channel:

Revealing about the motive of killing Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, Panda said that the VHP leader was trying to create a class-gap in the state by propagating Brahmanism. The group targets the tribals of the state to convert them and their operation is supported by some unscrupulous traders, he stated.

The maoist group of Orissa strongly condemned the attack on Christian community of the state. It said that the VHP has falsely accused Christians and attacked them.

Recently, I came across this rather interesting site sakshitimes.org that calls itself an “Apologetics Network”. According to Wikipedia,” Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that presents a rational basis for the Christian faith, to defend the faith against objections and misrepresentation, and to expose error within other religions and world views*”

I found this site to be interesting because its name was identical to the media outlets (Sakshi TV and Sakshi newspaper) owned by Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of former Andhra Pradesh CM YS Rajshekar Reddy, a Christian. Jagan’s brother-in-law Anil Kumar is a serious evangelist (born again convert after marrying Sharmila, Jagan’s sister). He runs Anil World Evangelism. Are they connected I wonder?

I found the site even more interesting when I came across the following article by Vishal Mangalwadi whose grandparents were converted to Christianity by American Quaker missionaries. Vishal Mangalwadi’s worldviews are gushingly characterized thus,

Having read most of Mangalwadi’s works, I believe he combines Tocqueville’s profound insights into American spirituality with the passion of a Solzhenitsyn to reform his own nation

by a Professor Prabhu Guptara whose blog is also indexed at the Sakshi Times site. Professor Prabhu Guptara is described as a Hindu follower of Jesus whatever that means.

Anyway.  Now to the more remarkable sections of Mr Mangalwadi’s note:

Christians have admitted attacking his chauffer and investigators have confirmed that during those riots Christians did kill a few Hindus/Tribals and burn some Hindu/Animist homes. Therefore, it is not unthinkable that some Christians may, in fact, have targeted the Swami.

…So, while it is possible that the accusers are lying, the unfortunate truth remains that religious “conversion” has not resulted in a great deal of moral transformation of the Dalits. For example, when two Hindu priests objected to Dalit Christians slaughtering a cow, the converts beat up the Hindu priests!

Notice the attitude when referring to the (inherent) “morality of Dalits” – Maoist class theorists should love to interpret that (Christian?!) attitude!

Vishal Mangalwadi connects the Maoist to Christian evangelicals and has the following to say on the killing of the Swami. Does this perhaps explain some of Arundhati (Suzanne) Roy’s obsession with India as a “corrupt Hindu state”?

Why Do the Maoists Support Christians?

For nearly a century, Communists of many shades persecuted Christians wherever they could. Consequently, our generation grew up on stories such as Tortured for Christ and perceived all Communists as enemies of the Gospel. That Communism is virtually dead. In Nepal and in India the Maoists believe that Hinduism is the opium of the masses.

According to journalist Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri, the latest amended draft of the Maoist Constitution in Indiacalls for a total boycott of sacred symbols of Tribal worship such as stones, trees and animals as well as boycott of Hindu religious epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayana. “The Maoists” she says, “have called for action against those who propagate such religious sentiments or popularise such epics.”
(http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1210798)

Besides launching a Jihad against Animism and Hinduism, the Maoists are also active in supporting evangelists.  At times, Maoists escort evangelists into remote villages where police officers are afraid to go. They summon everyone to hear the Gospel. The evangelists may show a film such as the “Jesus Film”. Half-way through the film the Maoists would stop the film and give a lecture on Maoism. Then they would resume the film and ask an evangelist to give Alter Call. Following a fellowship meal the evangelists would be escorted back to their base! I have heard at least one credible report that Christians and some Maoists spent 2 days together fasting and praying

Christian leaders have not reported these stories to their supporters because (a) many of them can’t make sense of what they are hearing and (b) they are also embarrassed by the fact that their mission is supported by “terrorists.” What are they to do?

So, what exactly is happening?

1.       At the simplest level, Maoists and the evangelists may come from the same ethnic group (caste or tribe) and may even be related. It is not unusual for one brother to follow Mao and the other to follow Christ.

2.      Many Maoists accept the Ambedkarite belief that not Capitalism but Hinduism is the root of India’s backwardness. Since everyone cannot follow Maoists into jungles, the least Maoists want people to do is to get out of the socio-religious systems that have enslaved them.

3.      The Maoists know that the Marxist economic theory has failed. Like the Communists in China and Nepal, they suspect that Christianity has something to do with the relative success of the West, even if neither the evangelist nor the Jesus film can explain to them what Christ has to do with the West’s incredible progress. Therefore,

4.       Maoists have invited some Christian agencies to start schools and community development projects in their villages. They have given protection as well as practical support to Christians. These relationships have tremendous redemptive potential. The following anecdotes illustrate the changing face of Communism:

5.      China:   Recently, I participated in a secular conference in a Western nation along with several Chinese scholars. The eldest Chinese professor was also a senior member of the ruling Communist Party in China. On the last full day of this secular conference he asked for and was baptized by his Chinese friends. He told us that before coming for this conference he had started formal discussions within his party to open up to religion (Note by Sanjay: China’s Government back Catholic church, – what does this mean in a Communist country! – recently ordained a Catholic bishop without the approval of the Vatican)

6.      India: For decades the Communist parties in India had identified the Congress Party as their Enemy # 1 and the West as their Enemy #2.  Four years ago, they voted in favor of making Mrs. Sonia Gandhi – an Italian born, Roman Catholic woman – the Prime Minister of India. Why did they do so?

Obviously, many factors favored that decision, but for me the most amazing explanation came from an Indian software engineer who called from Chicago. “You do not know me, Dr. Mangalwadi,” he said, “but I have tracked you down because I have interesting news for you. Several years ago I was working for a software company in Hyderabad and I used to be in and out of the Parliament House in Delhi for work. I bought 70 copies of your book Missionary Conspiracy: Letters to a Postmodern Hindu” and gave them to the Members of Parliament that I met.

“Now I work for a US Company and I was back in the Parliament House on behalf of this Company. I ran into Mr. [xyz], a General Secretary of a Communist Party. He asked me, ‘Are you the gentleman who gave me a copy of the letters to Arun Shourie?’

“When I told him, I was, he said, ‘You know it was because of that book that we decided to support Sonia Gandhi. That book told us how good Christianity has been for India and we thought may be, as a Christian she too will be good for our country.’“

* Aside: There are many interesting comments/observations that refute Islamic and Hindu claims)

***

Posts: The other side of Kandhamal… ,  Who really killed Swami Laxmananda? and On Kandhmal and Conversions..

Earlier “Guest Posts” by Sanjay: Secular Harit Desh, Part I and Part II

Image courtesy: Planning Commission and Deshbhakta via Wikipedia