the pattas...

O Little Town of Bethlehem

2011-12-10T07:58:00.001-08:00

I thought young Joseph would be there welcoming

but it were young men with guns at checkpoints incoming

I thought young Mary would be there welcoming

But it were young women with guns at checkpoints incoming

I thought then it would be the manger that’s welcoming

but shockingly, it was the huge concrete wall of separation.

a wall of division

a wall of segregation

a wall of occupation

a wall of humiliation

a wall of discrimination

Making the birth of Jesus’ place invisible.

O Jesus, come now to be born again here

to break these walls of domination

to tear down these walls of demonization

to break open the cruel hearts of oppressions

to restore liberation and peace on this earth

and to bring glad tiding of joy to all these people

Come Jesus, and come now!

In hope I leave, only to return to see Joseph, Mary and

baby Jesus - in all freedom - in this land.

(In response to the invitation of 'Come & See' given by Kairos Palestine, this prayer was penned as was exposed to the ground realities of walls at Bethlehem)

Hang not, Give life a chance!

2011-08-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

“Hang him, not leave him” this was how the jail superintendent received a message on wire from his authorities, regarding executing punishment to a person who was on a trial. The jail authorities executed the order and the person was hung to death. When the higher officials heard of this news, they rushed to the jail, for the judgment declared was, “Hang him not, leave him.”

This is an anecdote I remember my English teacher narrating in the school about the syntax of using a comma in the English grammar class. A misuse of a comma in a simple sentence costs the life of a person in that trial.

After 20 years of the assassination of our former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, three people who were convicted of the crime in a long trial will be hanged to death on the 9^th of September 2011, after the President of India recently rejected the mercy petitions of these three people raising a curtain to their 11 years of waiting for mercy on their ‘right to life’ from the Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

When globally there has been an increase in the number of countries abolishing death penalty (about 94 ), India once again comes to the global map, this time for a wrong reason of ‘judicially sanctioned murder’ by hanging three convicts of which two of them are Sri Lankan Tamils. A blatant murder of ‘right to life’ recurs in India now in 2011, after the last legal execution in 2004. The present UPA government in the Center wants to score a point both from the nation and Gandhi family by giving an impression that justice is being executed by hanging these three friends to death. However, these things cannot be done at the expense of forcing some people to death, which in itself is denying life, for life is a gift of God and no person or state has the right to kill, legally or otherwise.

As a community of faith, we believe that God has given life to all human beings, creating in God’s own equal image without any hierarchies and limitations. Affirming life in all its fullness is the core principle in our Christian faith and therefore any forces of death, any kind of death or any means to death in itself is a contradiction to our belief, and we strongly oppose capital punishment. In line with this, we also believe that Jesus’ resurrection from death has made death a history, for no rule of death can overpower any form of life, and therefore as adherents of such a faith in Jesus, we are called to counter all forces of death right from its seeds till its totality. In view of this faith affirmation, we as committed disciples of Christian faith, need to oppose capital punishment, legal execution of life by hanging, to any one at any place. There are no two thoughts that execution of justice would been bringing the guilty to task, but there is no right for any one to stop the breath of life at any given situation or circumstance.

When many human rights agencies are fighting against death penalty, for they all affirm that such a punishment is against the very spirit of human rights and the cruelest denial of human rights, it is high time that we as Christians in India need to rise up to the occasion in advocating for promotion of life by calling the state in abolishing death penalty as means of exercising justice in this land of ours. May we therefore appeal to the President of India and the Central Government of India to abolish capital punishment and to revoke death sentence and grant life imprisonment to Murugan, Santhan, and Perarivalan, the three convicted for their involvement in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, and thereby extend the same to all other death prisoners in the queue. Let this campaign to say ‘no to capital punishment’ be carried on in our localities to put on pressure on the government, for state cannot dictate terms to ‘right to life.’

I wish to hear that the government officials come rushing to say that there was an error, for the judgment is “hang them not!” instead of “hang them.”

27^th August 2011

10th August 1950 An Unjust Story…

2011-08-06T01:04:00.001-07:00

Plight HistoryOn the 14th August 1947, India was declared independent free from the union jack, where celebrations waved across India for the freedom it has attained. The Constitution of India came into force on the 26th January 1950, and on the same day was also declared India as a Republic, with the total sovereignty given to its citizens. But freedom for Dalits to choose their own religion to preach and practice has been curtailed with a Presidential Order in 1950.

It was on10th August 1950, the then President of India brought out the list of Scheduled Castes through a Presidential Order, which has been known as Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order of 1950. Unfortunately the President then included the clause that the Scheduled Castes need to be affiliated with a particular religion to receive such status and provisions. This inclusion of religion clause deters the freedom of religion to its citizens, and after several people’s movements protested, it was in 1956 Sikhism was added and in 1990 Buddhism was added to that order.

Plight ContinuesBut the plight of the Christians of Scheduled Caste origin and Muslims of Scheduled Caste origins still continue for they have been denied equal status like the other Dalits. The fight has been on and even after 59 years, justice to these our brothers and sisters is unfulfilled and unreachable. The Central Government sponsored National Commission for Religious and Linguistics Minorities (NCRLM) headed by Justice Ranghanath Misra has already submitted its report to the PMO, studying the discrimination done to religious minorities of Dalit origin, and reports confirm that the Commission has recommended to ‘de-link religion in granting Scheduled Caste status’. The Supreme Court is also hearing Public Interest Litigation in this regard and the judgment has been delayed by the delay from the Central Government’s response in delivering its opinion on the issue. The recent dharna for justice in New Delhi has instilled rays of hope for the communities who have been awaiting justice, though we have heard several unfulfilled promises from the politicians and leaders in the ruling parties. For politicians, though they express that this is a genuine struggle for justice, lack of political will on their part, for fear of majority religious fundamentalist forces and for reasons best known for a voices of tiny minorities in India have been going unheard or either told to deaf ears.

Price PaidHowever, 61 years of waiting for justice to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims was not an easy wait. When most Christians of Scheduled Caste origin were attacked and humiliated in the name of caste they were not protected under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act for they are not Scheduled Castes according to the Government census. Most Christians and Muslims of Scheduled Caste have not been selected to most of the educational institutions and have been denied promotions in their jobs, because they are do not have a Scheduled Caste certificate like their other relatives, who still have either Hinduism or Buddhism as their religion on certificates.

Prosecuting JusticeAt this point it is interesting to note that some of the Christian leaders have told their congregations to openly write as Buddhists or Hindus on the Government issued caste certificates in order to avail the Scheduled Caste status, and are free to attend the Church and participate in its sacraments. On the other hand, there are few Christian Churches, who taught their congregations that to be Christian is to take up our Cross, and therefore not being granted Scheduled Caste status is the will of God on their part and is the Cross, which has to be bore in this world. So a tiny rich Christians are happy that they are not Scheduled Castes, like those others in the Church. These Christians discriminate the Scheduled Caste people within the Church, and proclaim the wrath of God by quoting Jesus’ words “ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angles.” (Luke 9: 26)

These quoting of Jesus’ words are from the people, who think their citizenship is only in heaven and not here and who are absolutely unaware of the Constitutional rights of citizens in India. This situation brings to the discussion the caste system prevailed within the Churches today. The upper caste rich Christians are self-content and do not have any discrimination or any facilities lacking for they are complacent and can achieve by paying money. Therefore they preach such things and force on the poor Dalit Christians. I really wonder, is fighting for Scheduled Caste status to Christians of Scheduled Caste origin is to be ashamed of Christ’s name? No not at all, on the other way those not fighting for the cause of Scheduled Caste Status for Christians are being ashamed of Christ’s name and the gospel of liberation preached by Jesus Christ.

Proceeding in Hope…Dharna after dharna, delegations after delegations, several ways of expressing our displeasure against the lethargy of the ruling governments continue and will continue, our peoples struggle for justice will thrive one day, for we are on the constant march towards justice and liberation. We dwell with a hope against hope, yet keeping our fingers crossed some times, holding our grips in tight, we are confident that justice will be triumphant Wherever you are, kindly make sure you shall keep advocating and lobbying for this cause and personally I feel hope is not too far away. Let us take up advocacy for Dalit Christians as a faith issue and justice as a faith issue.

Let us not lose our hope,
Justice spiraled as a rope,
Building trust as we cope,
Victory will never grope.

Advocacy is a way of mission,
Conspiracy is nowhere in session,
Democracy within its vision,
Efficiency in all its commission.

Marching together side by side,
Searching inclusivity far and wide,
Torching rays of hope in stride,
Approaching justice in all its tide.
August 2011

Fasting Convinces …

2011-03-09T03:37:00.000-08:00

Ash Wednesday Reflection on Jonah 3: 1-10

It was a day of fasting at the city of Nineveh. After the miraculous save of Jonah through the belly of a fish, Jonah finally arrived in the city of his destination, Nineveh to proclaim the prophecy of God. At prophet Jonah’s call, the entire city from the king to the citizens to the animals joined the fast and put on sackcloth seeking repentance from God for their wicked deeds. The cry of Jonah, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” put the city to test and gathered the political attention, for His Highness the King of Nineveh took the lead and made it a public policy in calling for a fast with his royal proclamation. The call for the fast included turning away from the evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands, besides putting on the sackcloth and ashes. The call for fast on that day put God in a fix to change God’s plan for the sake of the life for that city. From the clashes of conflicts, the city went into fasting and ashes, and out of ashes, the city came out into a splash of liberation and life.

1. Fasting Challenged the Polis (5 V)

As Jonah proclaimed the prophecy of God, the people of Nineveh believed God, and sought God’s help through a very democratic, political and spiritual way of fasting. This idea of fasting emerged from among the people of the city. The fast they proclaimed was communitarian and for the need of their city. Their fast was not for a selfish need or for an individuals need or for an exhibition of their piety. Their fast was a political necessity, for it challenged the whole of the city. As the fast was proclaimed, everyone in the city without any objections or reservations or concessions observed their fast by putting on their sackcloth and ashes. Great and small in the city, man and women in the city, child and adult in the city, the sinning and the sinned-against in the city, powerful and powerless in the city, irrespective of their lines of divisions and identities, the city came out to the open for a fast in support of their city. When the whole city got together to fast, both the sinned and the sinned against joining the fast meant repentance with regard to the sinned and an indication from the sinned-against that time is ripe for reconciliation. This fasting, which included everyone and in which no one was excluded, displayed the true spirit of fasting. It was this fast that challenged the city.

2. Fasting Challenged the Polity (6-9 Vs)

With the impending peril at hand, when a fast was proclaimed by the city, the royal power at the city, who represents the polity, furthered the fast. The fast for the city was a mandate that emerged from the people and for the people, and therefore His Royal Highness was challenged to endorse it and made it a public policy for the good of the city. The king with all his power consciousness could have easily downplayed and rejected the idea of fasting, for as kings they only know to feast and they cared least if the city would go into a doom. The king was challenged by this fasting, and therefore at the peoples call for fast, he had to rise from his royal throne, had to remove his royal robes and had to cover him with sackcloth and had to sit in ashes. The spirituality of this fast was such, that it demanded the powerful to give up their power costumes, attires, attitudes and masks, and calls for a wholesome solidarity with the powerless and weak symbolized through ashes, the waste product that comes after the consumption of energy. The fast for the city challenged the king to issue a public decree calling everyone in the city to restrain from food and feed and be in solidarity for the cause by putting on the sackcloth and ashes. The royal public decree calls everyone in the city to turn their evil practices, practices of discrimination and oppression and to turn away from violence that was in their hands. The king also felt, such a fasting that comes from the community may also challenge God.

3. Fasting Challenged the Prophecy (10V)

The king, who was challenged by the communitarian fasting, felt that even the prophecy from God could be challenged of such fasting by people attempted for a change in the city, and may change God’s plans for the sake of promoting life. As was foreseen, the fasting challenged the polity and eventually challenged the prophecy of God according to the writer of this book. The prophecy from prophet Jonah that ‘forty days from now, Nineveh shall be overthrown’ was challenged because the fasting was for the sake of community and not for an individual need. The prophecy was challenged for the barriers of power, for the powerful gave up their power and joined the common, and the community encouraged each other along with the creation to save their city. The prophecy was challenged that the residue ashes became the common binding and bonding symbol in the city, which reveals their deepest concern for righteousness. The prophecy was challenged for both the oppressors in the city and the oppressed in the city joined together to fast, where the oppressor sought repentance from God and the oppressed and oppressed could see justice being enforced in the land. This fasting challenged the prophecy of God, for it was political in nature, for the fast focused on ‘save the city’. This fasting was for the common good of the people and the community in the city, and it has shown the city’s belief in God and in their spiritual quest for God’s intervention. On all these counts, this fasting by the city of Nineveh challenged the prophecy of God and challenged God, for according to the understanding of the writer of the book of Jonah, the city did not perish as was willed by God earlier.

Fasting in the book of Jonah is the recognition of the fact that

• God is concerned about unrighteousness as disastrous for creation.
• God’s concern of impending danger as proclaimed by the prophet can bring people and powers together for common good, which directs the mission as lobbying.
• The righteous could feel excluded in this process of reconciliation like Jonah, and such people need to include themselves in God’s act of reconciling all.

As churches, we are called to prophecy, reconcile and heal our situations of wickedness and bring in transformation to our localities and societies. The polis, the polity and the prophecy were thoroughly challenged by the fasting of the people in Nineveh that brought in a change within and around them. Out of clashes they went into ashes, and out of ashes they came out splashing life and change.

Implications for Today

• In the season of Lent, is our fasting political and for a communitarian purpose?
• In the context of the Campaign for climate justice, should not our fasting in this season sensitize our congregations and communities to be akin with the flora and fauna, address indiscriminate mining and save our splendid earth?
• In the context of the growing violence, oppression and discrimination done in the name of caste, gender, religion and region, should not our fasting in this season conscientize our communities to become peacemakers and bring in justice and liberation?

The Injustice of the Justice: Is the Wages of Sin Death?

2011-01-25T02:22:00.000-08:00

On the Verdict of Supreme Court on Dara Singh’s Life Imprisonment

A Plea on the eve of India's Republic 2011

On the 21^st January 2011, exactly twelve years after the Graham Staines and his two young boys Philip (10yrs) and Timothy (6yrs) were burnt alive in their Jeep by the ilk of Dara Singh and the other fundamentalists, the Supreme Court of India upheld the verdict of the Orissa High Court and granted life sentence instead of the death sentence granted by the lower court of law to Dara Singh. As they declared the judgement, Justice P.Sathasivam and Justice B.S. Chauhan, the honourable bench of jurists further commented that

“In the case on hand, though Graham Staines and his two minor sons were burnt to death while they were sleeping inside a station wagon at Manoharpur, the intention was to teach a lesson to Graham Staines about his religious activities, namely, converting poor tribals to Christianity… It is undisputed that there is no justification for interfering in someone’s belief by way of use of force, provocation, conversion, and incitement or upon a flawed premise that one religion is better than the other. It strikes at the very root of the orderly society, which the founding fathers of our Constitution dreamt of”.[1]

Forgiveness to what extent? Church leaders across the denominations welcomed the judgement of life sentence to the cruel killer Dara Singh, for they have all said that their theological persuasions teach them to forgive and not to kill anyone, for they believe that in the course of time, the guilty can turn good as there is power in the ideal of forgiveness. All the more some Churches have even gone to the extent of relating this curtailing of death penalty to opposing abortion in their theology, for they all affirm life and not killing or death of life.

My initial impulses on hearing about the judgement of the Supreme Court, is what a grave injustice the highest courts of law in the country have done for they have pitied with the guilty killer and cut down the punishment from death to life imprisonment. How can the Supreme Court spare a fundamentalist who is bloodthirsty and is all out to kill anyone on false prejudices? Death penalty for such crimes should have been pronounced by the highest court of law in India.

Moral Victory for Fundamentalist Forces: Burning alive three people, which includes two children deserves a death penalty. Although one cannot bring back the lives of the three that were burnt by penalizing the murderer with death penalty, penalizing with a death penalty would have been a learning lesson for others not to indulge in heinous activities such as this. Now the fundamentalist forces think this verdict as a moral victory to them, for they think can take law into their hands and execute it at their leisure, for they know that it is their own colour of people that are there in the judiciary and legislature and a mere penalty would be imposed for such crimes of hate.
The Wages of sin is Death: Pronouncing death penalty is not a ‘tooth for tooth’ theology, for the perspective of Christian theology is grounded on forgiveness virtues. However, God does not take sides with those that commit crimes of death and simply leave them scot-free. For I think God, in whom we affirm and believe is a God who exercises justice, which I mean is to take them into task those that involve in injustice. By Christ’s victory over death, Christ has chained all the forces of evil and injustice to death in his grave and proclaimed new-life over against it. So I believe, people who are involved in acts of injustice are prone to death, be it pronounced in the court of law or in any other form. Christian theology surrounds around life and life affirming channels, subsequently meaning to reject and crucify all the forces of death. God is going to pronounce the judgement, where righteous will be blessed and the unjust will be punished. The wages of sin is indeed death, and no better act can be called a sin than the killing of three innocent people on the pretext of forceful conversions.
No one can take law into their own hands: Assuming that there were forceful conversions (the Wadhwa Commission has clearly indicated that no incidence of forceful conversion took place in this particular incidence), the honourable jurists callous comments that ‘to teach lesson to Graham Staines’ was something unwarranted of a learned jury. To teach a lesson, if every one starts killing the others I think Indian society will be left with none except the killers, on the contrary Indian ethos are built on the values of tolerance and non-violence. Hope the Jury would take back their comments on this judgement.
Are the Dalit & Tribal Communities in India prone to forceful conversions? This verdict is against the Dalit & Tribal sentiments in India. For the jury has assumed that these communities do not have any brains in choosing their spirituality, and therefore are taking on them these external religions forcefully and for want of meeting some temporary needs. For the jury has projected Dara Singh as the messiah of Tribal communities from preventing them from the religious conversions, which is very unfortunate.

In the light of this discussion, I think the court of law needs to make a review on their verdict of upholding life sentence to Dara Singh instead of death penalty, if at the fabric of secularism is to be upheld. Staines and his two sons are the martyrs of secularism in India, and it’s high time that the unjust forces of fundamentalism and communalism need to be buried. Let no other Dara Singh spiral and arise in this our country of ours.

[1] http://www.deccanchronicle.com/dc-comment/conversion-factor-022 as used by Fr. Dominic Emmanuel in his opinion piece.

Anthem for the National Ecumenical Conference on Justice for Dalits 2010

2010-10-25T01:22:00.001-07:00

We are the church, you are the One we search

We ‘re on the march, for you are our life’s approach

We bear the Cross and overcome our sins reproach

We ‘re in your reign living the values in perch

Caste or Christ, make a choice now
one gives death and other lets live
to cast out caste, come let us vow
the spirit of our calling lets re-live

Divisions, discriminations and oppressions

Dominations, admonitions and suppressions

O Caste, how cruel are your descriptions

Found within and around our inscriptions

Let justice roll down like a river

cleansing away injustices forever

Let righteousness flow down to revere

cleaving up the divisions sever

Come out to celebrate inclusivity

Come back to life burying exclusivity

Cull out to fight darkness in all sincerity

Call out a fast for it’s a gain to liberty

NCCI- Commission on Dalits

The Unheard Voices of Youth: Challenges to the Church Today

2010-09-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

Our Year, Our Voice & Our Choice

On the 12^th August 2010, the United Nations launched International Year of Youth, calling the attention of the worldwide youth to raise their voices in all freedom and courage, and also calling the attention of global citizens to rise to the occasion of listening to the voices of the youth, whose voices have been either unheard, or neglected thus far. Approximately about 1.7 billion in the world are young people, and the world has more young people now than ever before. This directs to a phenomenal change in the demography of the world, and necessitates for the upsurge of the voices of youth be it in governance, community building or any other facet of life. The theme for this year proposed by UN is “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding” and the slogan for this year is “Our Year Our Voice”. Thanks to the efforts of NCCI-Commission on Youth for highlighting this year and for joining with other youth movements in raising our voices for a just world.

The youth speak the facts as truth without any adulterations to their voice, for they believe in the strength of truth. They are bold in calling, ‘a spade a spade’; for they don’t mince their words nor doctor their speeches according to their conveniences. Unfortunately, these voices are regarded as cacophonous, worthless and sometimes called immature, and are not heed to.

The Context
The recent suicides of young Dalit men and women due to the unbearable torture of discrimination on the basis of caste continue to be a reality of our times. Institutions of higher learning are not an exception, for such incidences have been happening unabatedly. Mr. Senthil Kumar, a research scholar in Physics at Hyderabad Central University committed suicide and Mr. Bal Mukundh, a final year student of MBBS in All India Institute of Medical Sciences committed suicide, due to caste discriminations highlight the plights of young people today. These young peoples’ voices were unheard, their cries for justice were unheard and their tryst for destiny had to come to an end abruptly. These young men’s road to death started with the day they joined their institutions, for the institutions of higher learning have become fertile crescents for caste perpetrations. The voices of the dominant continue to amplitude their power by suppressing the cries of the oppressed communities. They bring in the argument, as those that have ‘merit’ will be rewarded, and lets do away with the reservation systems. And students, who enter these educational institutions through reservations and quotas, undergo a hell lot of discrimination and humiliations. Where is the space for the voices of our young Dalits to speak out and articulate? Where is the space for dialogue and mutual understanding in situations like that of this? Is the society open enough to listen to the cries of the Dalit communities? Questions concerning this go on and on, but the fact of the matter is, in this year of our youth, are the voices of Dalit youth heard or muted?

Time has now come to listen to the voices of the youth from across our Churches and societies, and more certainly the voices of our Dalit young people, whose voices have been marginalized, for being Dalit and for being young. Jesus Christ as a young man, voiced out against the injustices done in his days, and has given space for those voices that were marginalized in the society to be heard. As a Church, we need to confess that not enough space was given to the voices of young people, for always their voice was sidelined under the guise that these voices are from inexperienced and so on.

Jesus' Silence
In Matthew 15: 21-28, we see a Canaanite woman, who cried to Jesus for healing her daughter who was demon possessed. Here is a voice of a woman, a Canaanite, and more over who had a daughter who was demon possessed. I assume that this woman would have been a young woman, who took all the courage to voice out the need of her daughter. At that very instant verse 23 says, ‘Jesus did not answer her a word’. Did Jesus become deaf at that point to listen to the voice of that woman? Was Jesus closed in making a conversation with a woman, who was from a different community? Was Jesus worried that his Jewish male identity would be maligned if he spoke to a woman in need? Was there not a space at Jesus for the voices that are in deep distress and pain? Jesus’ silence and his reluctance to answer to her voice probably would have pained that woman at that moment. Now enters the disciples, to add fuel to the fire and not just asked or requested Jesus, but were begging Jesus ‘to send her away, for she is crying after us.’(23b)

Disciples Grievance
The cry of that distressed woman was jarring to the ears of the disciples, was a disturbance to their following Jesus and the disciples were even prejudiced, thinking that the woman was crying after them. This act of the disciples is yet again to suppress the voice of that depressed woman. At the behest of the disciples, Jesus gives a political answer with some shades of theology and philosophy, telling that his jurisdiction is within the house of Israel and was destined for the lost sheep within that fold. By this answer, probably Jesus thought that this woman would leave that vicinity, for his intellectual propositions cannot be challenged. The woman did not give up, until her voice was heard, and in all desperation, probably in a louder tone, she knelt and asked Jesus to help her. Jesus now took the occasion to interpret his theological answer from a day-to-day affair and said how just it is to take the bread from the child and throw it to the dogs? Jesus probably again would have thought, with this kind of analogy, this woman would shut up and leave.

Woman's Resilience
All the more the woman was more challenged and replied in all boldness to the analogy with yet another analogy, that ‘even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the masters table.’ That day she made it a point to make her voice be heard at any cost with any kind of theology. Her strong voice for healing, her cry for justice and her tongues for liberation challenged a person like Jesus and brought in a change in him. No doubt the disciple would have been dumb at the response of Jesus when he said, ‘ O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ The woman’s voice was finally heard.

As Church we have most times been reluctant to listen to the voices of youth and voices for healing, and all the more like Jesus and the disciples, our adults and elders in the Churches have every reason to let down the voices of youth. This woman, challenged Jesus, challenged the disciples and I believe even the Church today for we need a change from within, where we can move from speaking and being a noisy church to a church where we allow the voices of youth and those in distress speak out, where we can move from preaching mode to listening mode, and where our Churches become the platforms for the varied and diverse voices of youth to be heard and attended to. The silence of Jesus, the grievance of disciples was challenged by the resilience of this woman, who spoke in all courage to voice out for her daughter’s need. The voices of youth are always kept in a mute mode, and let us give them a voice. Wake up Church to voice out the voices of young people in this year. Wishing you all an eventful International Year of Youth. Our Year, Our Voice and lets make it our choice.

Churches’as Hills of Help: A Quest for Ortho-praxis

2010-09-01T23:39:00.003-07:00

Reflection on “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?”

Psalm 121: 1

Introduction

The recent James Cameroon’s blockbuster movie Avatar takes along the viewers to the hanging mountains and dreamscape of flora and fauna of planet Pandora. Famous theologian Kwok Pui-lan in her review of the film titled “Avatar: A Subversive Reading of the Bible?” she writes “in Avatar, planet Pandora is not only a land of milk and honey, but also has a large reserve of a precious metal unobtanium. The avatar of Jake is sent as a messenger to ask the natives to relocate so that the humans can mine the unobtanium. Jake learns the native ways, falls in love with one of them, and becomes so identified with the natives such that he helps them to fight against the colonizers. The movie invites us to look at the world from the point of the indigenous people—to see the beauty of their interconnected way of life and learn about their culture.”

Britain’s Vedanta Resources, the multinational bauxite mining company, has pitched its tent in Orissa, one of the eastern states of India. In August last year, the Supreme Court of India allowed Vedanta Resources to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri Hills of Orissa. The mined bauxite would feed the company’s proposed $800-million alumina refinery in Kalahandi district and an aluminium smelter project, costing Rs.70 billion, in Jharsuguda districts of Orissa. This project is going to damage the livelihood, their daily bread and environment of more than 8000 Dongria Khond adivasi people. The Na’vi in the film Avatar and the Dongria Khond adivasis in India share several common issues for justice and peace.

The above two situations sets our given text in our context to ponder and delve upon. Psalms 120-134, which are popularly called as ‘songs of ascent’, where used as hymns that were sung by pilgrims as they gathered to Jerusalem during the appointed feasts for the whole of their nations. As the pilgrims journeyed to the elevated Jerusalem, their eyes were continuously upon the hills, for the hills were their solace and destiny to which they were journeying. The pilgrims anticipated for help, calling on the accompaniment of the divine, which the psalmist records in the first verse of the Psalm, and the assurance from the divine was recorded in the succeeding verses.

Taking cognizance of the realities of our adivasi people, our indigenous brothers and sisters and their struggles for daily bread, their ongoing campaigns to affirm self-dignity and their fight for justice, allow me to reflect the given verse from the perspective of the marginalized communities. The Dongria Khond peoples daily prayer is ‘we look up to the hills, from where will our help come?’ In a context, where the hills are broken down for profit, and where the forests are cut down for selfishness, from where will our help come from?

Hills Represent Strength

For the indigenous people in Niyamgiri, Orissa and for several others like them else where in the world, hills are the symbolic representations of their life systems. For generations they have lived on the hills and their livelihood, their sentiments, their religion, their culture, their beliefs, their civilisation and their value systems all are interwoven with the hills. Their strength is their relationship with the hills; their stronghold is in their association with the hills, the fauna and the flora there on. Life for the Dongria Khond people is their hills in Niyamgiri, and they cannot expect life with out their hills. ‘We look up to the hills, from where will our help come?’ continues to be the echo that’s heard from that hill, and help shall certainly come from the God of the hills. ‘A mighty fortress is our God…’ is the hope against hope with which these our people live and God of justice who cares for the displaced and the indigenous people shall come in rescue of them. Hills do not represent power, rather they are part of God’s creation and their strength lies in being a help to the others, be it in causing rains, be it in protecting the forests and be it in giving a livelihood to the people and nature.

Hills Replenishes Succor

The people will be forced to leave and will be displaced from their original inhabitations, they continuously look towards the hills, for they know out of the hills they see the sunshine and out of the hills their help will come from. The modern technology may blast the hill into pieces to dig out the mine, but the will of those on that hill is so strong, that no force on earth can disunite nor shatter them, for they affirm that their hills are their strength. Hills serve as healers for these our people; they give succor and comfort to the wounded and tired. The natural eco systems give them fresh air of healing, for there is interdependence of humans and creation, in its perfect balance. The LXX has the Greek work boetheia for ‘help’ in Ps 121: 1 and is used in Acts 27:17 as ‘supporting cables’, therefore the supporting help to hold together in all harmony comes from the hills, which is the belief and comfort to the people there. God of comfort, who succors God’s people through the presence of Holy Spirit, is the driving force for the people who are fighting against the mining industry.

Hills Reassures Solidarity

When the rights of the indigenous people are violated and violence against them is rampant, the hills unite people to stand for justice at any cost. The indigenous peoples’ lives are at risk, and they are in need of support and voice from across the globe for justice. Hills, which sees that the nature is in solidarity with the people there, and the people in solidarity with the nature for they both live in mutual harmony, establishes a strong bond of kith and kin among them. Therefore when one is in trouble the other comes in solidarity with the other. Thanks to all the social activists fighting for justice and thanks to the Church of England, who have withdrawn their investment support in this particular firm, for they are violating the human rights of the indigenous people in Orissa. God of justice, who has created the heavens and the earth, builds communities of peace and solidarity for the good of the creation. God holds together the creation and human who work hand in hand with each other. Solidarity comes from God, for God is the local inhabitant with the people on the hills, and we need to accompany the victims of injustice towards liberation and justice.

Conclusion

At a time, when huge structures of Churches are being built across the country competing with each other to build expensive structures, at a time when the orthodoxy of the Churches limits us to perform certain rituals within the four walls of the so called sanctuaries, at a time when Churches criticize among themselves on the basis of doctrines and dogmas, at a time, when we as Churches are struck with our orthodoxy, it is certainly a challenge to turn towards an ortho-praxis understanding of the Church. How practical are we as Churches? Does our existence as Churches have any meaning and relevance to the society in which we live?

The Churches today needs to be like that of the hills, where the human beings, the flora and fauna and the entire creation live in mutual harmony with each other. The Church needs to give strength to those indigenous people for they look up to the hills of the Churches, which objectively needs to be the homes of justice. The Church is the place where succor and comfort is granted to those victims of human rights violations, and it is time that we as Church needs to rise up to the occasion of replenishing succor and tranquility to the communities around. When people look to the hills of the Churches, are we able to come in help to them? The Church is the place that reassures solidarity, for we need to journey with the marginalized and the oppressed towards their destined liberation. No matter what the identity of the people is, no matter what religious affirmations the people practice, if the struggle is for justice, Church needs to be in solidarity with them, even at the expense of their lives. People look up to the hills of the Churches for solidarity, from where will the help come?

These days, when the Lutheran World Federation in its General Assembly in July 2010 is discussing upon the theme, ‘give us today our daily bread’; if our Churches can be Bethlehems, the houses of breads, we can make our Churches more relevant for our times. As we join in the breaking of the bread, let us forget our orthodoxical Church traditions and affirmations and cling towards ortho-praxis, where we will be willing to be broken for the cause of our communities around, for only by being broken we can quench the hunger of many around. It is not the hill top Churches, that we are in need of, but the Churches, which serve, as hills of strength, succor and solidarity are the need of the hour. The will of the Churches should be the hills of help. Let us as Church wake up to see the grim realities around and lets commit ourselves to be in solidarity with the people of Dongria Khond in saving the hills of Niyamgiri in Orissa, and be a channel of liberation and justice. We may be distanced by space and time from Niyamgiri, but our sensitivity towards the indigenous people and their struggles needs to be taken into the cognizance of our Churches lives, for we need to garner support in favour of the people by expressing our total support to this cause of life and justice.

May God grant us God’s strength, succor and solidarity as we pledge to make our Churches the hills of help for people around who are fighting for their daily bread. Amen.

Voice of God Affirms Human Dignity to All

2010-08-12T03:47:00.000-07:00

Our Year, Our Voice - International Youth Day

12th August 2010

Matthew 4: 1- 4

Key verse: “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus answered, “It is written, one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 3-4 V

The tempters direction to the hungry young Jesus, who was in fast for forty days and forty nights, is a challenge for Jesus. Jesus who turned water into wine, with all his powers at this point would have easily turned the stones into loaves of bread to satisfy his deep physical hunger. In Jesus as human, his divinity was put to test, but Jesus though is divine affirmed his human dignity and countered back at the tempter accordingly. For the tempter, the physical hunger was not important; rather a miracle to turn stones into loaves of bread was of high regard.

In our times today, to the hungry, to the weak and to those in poverty, most times the tempters of today the rich and the powerful show forth stones like situations and asks the poor to work on those stones until they are made as bread. The tempters of today crib and complain, because the poor are lazy they are not willing to turn stones into bread, because they are technically not sound enough they are unable to turn stones into bread, because they are not meritorious and always fight for reservations they are unable to turn stones into bread. Such complains go against the human worth and dignity of these our friends. On the contrary the tempters enjoy life and privileges at the expense of the vulnerable poor and hungry people. Those people who toil day and night are paid meager wages, but the huge bulk of profits go into the hands of the rich, for they have capital and power. The tempters of today are hard task masters, for they do not want any stone unturned in making profit for themselves, even though it costs human dignity to those poor workers.

Jesus, therefore affirms his self-dignity and counters the tempter by not performing any miracle, rather quotes the Scripture, the voice, where he says that it is not bread alone that will quench the hunger, but the voice of God, which is the word of justice, equality and dignity that keeps life going. Word of God shows right direction to earn bread through right means and right modes. Word of God counters the rich who make profit by easy means and by exploiting the weak and the poor. Word from the mouth of God, which is in hunger when lots of people go with hungry mouths, affirms human dignity and provides means and methods in addressing hunger. Word of God is life giving and hunger satisfying.

Prayer: God, who has sent the Word to become flesh in order to know the hungry, help us to be prudent in affirming dignity in all people and help us to voice against all tempters, who exploit the weak and the poor of our times today. Amen.

Our Mother Earth Bleeds…

2010-08-07T05:09:00.000-07:00

(An offering on the eve of the 35th anniversary of coining the term 'global warming'. It was on 8th August 1975, Wally Broecker for the first time used this term in a scientific journal. )

Bombs on civilians were thrown in Hiroshama,

Making many innocent fight against comma,

Tombs have resulted for those in trauma,

For death spread around its stinking aroma.

Let there be peace in land filled with violence,

Make our faith to take cognizance

Of conflicts around, using our lives lens,

Seeking forgiveness for our deep silence.

Temperatures of our earth are rising,

Apertures covering the earth are widening,

Creatures on the earth are vanishing,

Raptures within the earth are deafening,

Departures from the earth are increasing,

Signature the earth to save her from shrinking.

Our life giving earth’s womb is soon turning to be a tomb

Plumb and do not succumb to it. Save our earth

Our mother earth bleeds because of our greeds,

she ‘ll be pleased if we can take care of her seeds/needs

Is peace and justice still a reality?

Oh sure, only when we give up our cruelty,

Fighting together justly with out any partiality,

Affirming equality and sharing in commonality.

Peace is not only absence of war,

It is not when people are afar,

It is when we are one at this hour,

When self is gone, peace remains forever.

Our Mother Earth Bleeds…

2010-08-07T04:59:00.001-07:00

Bombs on civilians were thrown in Hiroshama,

Making many innocent fight against comma,

Tombs have resulted for those in trauma,

For death spread around its stinking aroma.

Let there be peace in land filled with violence,

Make our faith to take cognizance

Of conflicts around, using our lives lens,

Seeking forgiveness for our deep silence.

Temperatures of our earth are rising,

Apertures covering the earth are widening,

Creatures on the earth are vanishing,

Raptures within the earth are deafening,

Departures from the earth are increasing,

Signature the earth to save her from shrinking.

Our life giving earth’s womb is soon turning to be a tomb

Plumb and do not succumb to it. Save our earth

Our mother earth bleeds because of our greeds,

she ‘ll be pleased if we can take care of her seeds/needs

Is peace and justice still a reality?

Oh sure, only when we give up our cruelty,

Fighting together justly with out any partiality,

Affirming equality and sharing in commonality.

Peace is not only absence of war,

It is not when people are afar,

It is when we are one at this hour,

When self is gone, peace remains forever.

Come Let’s be Friends

2010-07-28T04:26:00.000-07:00

In my search for the ends of the rainbow

On my journey to the origins of the streams flow

In my search for the pearls in the depths of the seas so low,

I found you my friend, precious in all glow

Come lets be friends

Communicate life’s new trends

Committing to cast away fiends

Communing to meet lives ends

How pure you are O my friend just as water,

For to you life-giving is all that matter,

Nursing my wounds and healing is what you cater

Flowing in silence to make others greater and greater

Friendship with God is friendship with human,

Friendship with human is friendship with nature so common

Friendship with creation is what God summon

Friendship has no barrier, slave, free, man and woman

In our times when divisions dominate,

When conflicts and prejudices dictate,

When enmity and cruelty abominate,

Let friendship emulate unity and precipitate

How old are you O friendship?

As old as the world that’s made from God’s tip

As old as the Word that came from God’s lip

O boy, you are as eternal as God, who’s in total grip

(Dedicated to all my friends and wishing you all a very happy friendship day on 1^st August 2010)

Give us today our daily bread…

2010-07-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

Give us today our daily bread,

Teach us today to thank on what we’re fed,

Help us today, realise many go to bed,

Without a meal and are nearly dead.

Refrain:

Food for thought, food for life and food for all,
             Good for thought, good for life and good for all,
             Said our thought, said for life and said for all,
             Live our thought, live for life and live for all.

Forgive us O God for we eat in greed,

For selfishness is what we breed,

Forgetting that sharing should be our creed,
Forever we are insensitive those in need.

O God, the maker & the giver of life,

You have sent your son as bread of life,

Broken for us to save from death & strife,

Promising those that taste you, eternal life.

Is starvation swallowed up in victory of sharing?

Its sting, accumulation broken by caring,

Root of greed is uprooted in that sharing,

Food for all and life for all will be its bearing.

Mission Towards Building Just & Inclusive Communities

2010-07-17T04:14:00.001-07:00

Reflection on Luke 15: 11- 32

1. Equal Bread Builds an Equal Society.

Key Verse: But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger.” 17 verse.

Occupational discrimination has been still a rampant phenomenon in India, and particularly in the name of caste and gender there has been unequal distribution of wages. Unequal treatment of workers at work, some occupations are being looked down and have been attached to caste-based works and work force has been divided and ruled by the oppressive ruling class in our society.

The Parable of the Prodigal and his brother, when re-read in out times of hunger and food security, it is surrounded around food politics. The younger son in a distant land, when he was dying of hunger thinks of his father’s house, his memory cannot but think of the plentitude of food the workers enjoyed there. The house of his father was an inclusive community where there was equal food for all at that house. No matter what the identity of a person is, what the work of a person is, if they are at father’s house, whether hired ones, temporary workers, permanent workers, day labourers, his own sons and even himself, all had the privilege of enjoying food, which was served equally and justly. Probably what the father and his son ate so was it for those hired hands in that house. All sufficient food was available for all those working at father’s house. No discrimination, no exclusion, no barriers, no boundaries, no gaps and no individualism, the bread was enough and was even to spare for all those working at that house.

This parable calls us to fight against occupational discrimination in our society today. There should not be any discrimination at work. Like the father’s house in the parable our Churches and homes should be examples where equality and sufficiency is maintained to all at work. When there is equality at work, there is peace and productivity at work. Give us today our daily bread is meaningful, when there is equal bread and sufficient bread to all at work, transcending all barriers. Equal bread builds an equal society.

II. Feasting Together Builds Inclusive Community

Father said, “…And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.” 23 V

Bishop VS Azariah, in 1910 Edinburgh World Missionary Conference in one of his speeches he said that ‘missionaries have always prayed for granting us thrones in heaven but have never given their chairs in their rooms to sit for us.’ This has been so, for most of the Christian mission engagements elsewhere, which is even practiced today. Most of us when people come in hunger, forget to address their hunger and have either prayed for those who are in hunger to be fed, or made hunger as the vulnerable situation for us to evangelize and show mercy and charity, and least of all have forgotten to feed them when they are hungry. By doing so, a hierarchical society is further made, with donor and receiver.

But the father in this parable, on seeing his son coming from a distant country in hunger, first of all addressed his hunger by ordering a grand feat of non-vegetarian dinner. Even though the son has asked for forgiveness, and expressed his unworthiness to be called as his son, long before he forgave him, he addressed the hunger of his son. By ordering a feast, father builds an inclusive community with the others over there. The father did not order to give his hungry son some left over food, nor did he give some snacks that were available instantly, nor took him to a restaurant for an individual private dinner. But the father organized a feast, where his hungry son was fed as well as the others in the community was also fed. I assume that every time a hungry person comes to this father, there would have been a feast for the whole of the community. By doing so, probably father was building an inclusive community, where the ethic was if one is hungry in the community, every one needs to feel for them and when is fed, every one in the community needs to be fed.

Therefore let our Churches and houses become the places where hunger is addressed not by mere prayers, nor by charity but by inclusivity and justice. Let us as individuals feel hungry, when one in our community is hungry, and let us make feasting for when the hungry are fed along with them.

III. Complacency A Threat to Inclusive Community

Key Verse: But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you and I have never disobeyed your command, yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.” 29 V.

Complacency has been one of the manifestations of self-righteousness of our times, and has been a dire reality of Christian living. The ethos globalisation has always taught us to be self-content, self-satisfied and made us more individualistic and selfish, no matter what happens to the other in our own community.

In this parable, the younger son is projected as dying in hunger, the father as giving life out of hunger, and the elder son as depressed in anger. When the elder son saw and heard that there has been a feast at his home, he was depressed in anger for out of his complacent character, he replies his father in anger that he never has given even a young goat to celebrate with his friends. What was more pressing for this elder son was, when the property was divided equally between the two sons, the property where his father was, legally speaking the elder ones portion. Therefore, when his father on the return of his younger one threw a feast, it was from the elder’s portion that he cooked some beef for the community. And probably that did not taste good for the father shared from his portion. Complacency makes us not to share, and therefore frustration is shown. Complacency also made the elder one to further point down the allegations of the younger one, that he being hungry was his own making. Complacency breeds greed, and makes an individual excluded from the community living. Complacency made him to grumble that the father never gave a goat to be cooked for him and his friends.

In today’s context, it is high time that we Christians need to give up complacency in our lives. Our attitudes need to change, for sharing; caring and not alleging are all part of community and inclusive living. Let us give up our complacent nature, let our churches give up complacent nature and even let our missions give up exclusive and complacent attitudes. For today, complacency is the great threat of inclusivity. Complacency is the new aristocracy, which is a threat to inclusivity.

1. Logo Courtesy: http://www.lutheranworld.org/Images/LWF_Photos/Photos_Assemblies/Stuttgart2010/Logos/Assembly2010_logos/2010-Assembly_square-EN-448.gif

The Bread of Life and The Bread-less Lives

2010-07-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

Reflection on Mark 6: 30-42 : Exploring the Theme of LWF Assembly 2010

“How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”38 V

India is home to the largest number of hungry people in the world, accounting for more than 20% of the total. [1] With rise on the inflation in the economy and with the adverse effects of climate change now being realized, food crisis has been a grave need for our times. The ratio of the food production and food consumption has been so glaring that the food produced is not enough to satisfy the needs of the common people. On the contrary huge amount of food grains are exported, which is part of the globalisation technique incorporated into developing countries. Therefore, the old famous saying once again comes to the forefront, ‘India has enough for its needs not for its greed’. With the greed of the few rich people increasing, the needs of the common people are not met. Local foods are now replaced by the fast foods and by tin foods that are imported. Organic food, where most of it is synthetic is slowly pervading the context of food today. What is the way out in the context of food crisis?

Jesus Christ in his times addressed food crisis, which has relevance for our times also. Jesus started preaching to the huge crowds that have been gathered near the shore, and had compassion of people for they were like sheep without shepherd, and began to teach several things. And when it grew late, his disciples informed Jesus to send people away to buy and eat their own food, for that was a lonely place and the hour has been already late. But Jesus immediately was conscious of their needs and attempted to solve the hunger of those people over there.

I. Jesus critiqued the culture of consumerism

When Jesus said to his disciples to give them something to eat, his disciples immediately replied, ‘are we to buy two hundred denarii’s worth bread and give it to them to eat’. Jesus by feeding the five thousand, critiqued the culture of consumerism, where buying from outside is its norm. The culture of consumerism is driven on the very value of profit, which makes the rich richer and the poor poorer and has no concern to the holistic good of the society.

II. Jesus made use of local recipes

When the disciples were more concerned about the cost of the food to be served, Jesus then enquired, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” The disciples found and said they had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus to feed the five thousand made use of the local recipes, the bread and the fish, which were the local staple foods normally people eat.

III. Jesus organised the people into groups

Jesus then commanded the people to be organised into groups by hundreds and fifties on the green grass there, so that the food will be served equally, probably meeting the needs of the children and women with a preferential option.

IV. Jesus broke the loaves and divided the fish

Jesus then took the loaves of bread and fish and looked up to heavens seeking the help of God, the baker of bread and the maker of fish, so that these local recipes would be shared among all people over there. Jesus did this to share among all with what they have, with the available local resources.

V. Jesus would have ordered the disciples to collect the remains

Jesus would have asked the disciples to collect the remains, which they did, and collected it in twelve baskets. This is to teach people there not to waste and to eat according to the need and not according to the greed.

In our times today we as Church need to teach our congregations on food management, food sovereignty, food security, to share, to remind our people to be conscious of the people in need and to make use of the local recipes and resources to combat food crisis. Time and again our churches have romanticised this passage and have described bread and fish as spiritual food to be given to all people around, and have least been bothered about the needs of those people who are hungry and with out food. It is said that “Bible is not a cake to be taken on occasions but is a bread that is to be eaten daily”, and have been self-content with such reading of Bible every day, without living according to it. When we pray daily as “Give us today our daily bread”, this prayer reminds us that we need to be conscious to the needs of those without bread and food, and our prayer needs to be translated into actions. Let us all strive to make our ‘bread of life’ more relevant by sharing food with those that are hungry.

[1] Times of India, Dec.12, 2008
2. Logo courtesy: http://www.lutheranworld.org/Images/LWF_Photos/Photos_Assemblies/Stuttgart2010/Logos/Assembly2010_logos/2010-Assembly_square-EN-448.gif

9th July – Mission Thanksgiving Day

2010-07-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

In our times, when theological articulations and missiological enterprises are more explored in new vistas, in creative panoramas and in modern and post modern methodologies, it is not an over statement to express that our memory towards the contributions of significant people in the history has been slowly fading away. Our generations today subscribe to the saying ‘live the today, forget the past and forego the future.’ Personalities who have toiled for the mission of God in the past are either neglected or even forgotten from our memories.

9th July has been a significant day in the pages of the Indian mission history. Some Churches in India earmarked this day to ordain their pastors and some Churches celebrate as ‘Mission Thanksgiving Day’ on the 9th July. But I am afraid, whether the same is celebrated today in all enthuse and commitment as it was thought of. In our seminarian days, I remember on this day, we were sent to different denominational Churches to speak about the ‘mission day’, explaining the significance of the day. You may ask, what is so special of 9th July? I believe the whole Protestant Christians in India cannot forget this day, for it was on this day the first Protestant missionary to India, Bartholomaus Ziegenbalg arrived at Tarangambadi, now know as Tranquebar in South India in 1706. It was the day of the arrival of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to India through the Protestant missionaries and ever since then, the seed of Christianity, which like mustard seed grew into a huge tree, giving shade and solace to several people across the country. Thanks to all the contributions of Ziegenbalg, for his untiring and sacrificial missional engagements he had made, despite several hardships and hurdles. Ziegenbalg celebrated his 24th birthday on the very next day of his arrival in India, and I imagine probably he had to thank God for his life in a foreign land with out any friends as a stranger. However, in a span of 13 years he had had made an indelible impact in the lives of the people in India and breathed his last in 1719, at the age of 34 years. The young, the bold and the vibrant Ziegenbalg will continue to live in our midst with all his dynamic contributions. We need to thank God for the life and witness of Ziegenbalg and we all need to rededicate ourselves to participate in the widening and deepening of the reign of God here on our earth and in our times.

My only prayer is that our Christian nurtures need to include the mission contributions of Ziegenbalg in our curricula, for our children can get inspired and challenged by his efforts for the mission of God. Ziegenbalg continues to be a young icon in the world of mission, and let us all join in thanksgiving to carry forward the rich legacy of his service to the next generations. Jai ho Ziegenbalg!

For Ziegenbalg’s contributions you can visit my earlier blog found at http://thepattas.blogspot.com/2009/07/celebrating-bartholomuas-ziegenbalg.html

Book Review on "The Violent Sight on a Silent Night"

2010-06-17T03:34:00.001-07:00

A Violent Sight on a Silent Night: Missiological Discourses in the Context of Violence against Christians by Raj Bharath Patta, Delhi: ISPCK, 2009. pages 144

Rev. Raj Bharat Patta, the writer of the book is a young ordained minister from the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church and currently serves as the Executive Secretary for Commission on Dalits in NCCI. The author is an alumnus of Gurukul and his primary interest is in the field of cross-cultural and contextual theology.

The book is a painful, contextual reflection on the horrendous violence on Dalit Christians of Kandhamal district in Orissa during the advent season in the year 2007. The author had been to the affected area many times as part of the NCCI fact finding and solidarity Delegations. The book differs from most of the common Christian responses to religious violence in the manner that it does not blindly and solely find fault with any agency outside the church. Instead the author finds this time of crises in the life of the church in Kandhamal in particular and the church in India in general as an opportunity to contextualize its witness. Hence for the author, the time of persecution in the church’s life is not a time to switch to defensive strategies, but rather a time to contemporize its witness.

The reflections on the witness of the church are dealt with in three parts; each one deals with different dimensions of Christian witness namely; Proclaiming witness, Public witness and Prophetic witness.

The section titled “Proclaiming Witness” is an attempt to draw energy from the available Christian resources to propel the church’s witness forward. This is a search for the life affirming biblical resources to stand against the impending violence. The contextual re-readings of the biblical passages are intended to inform the dalitness, marginality and liminality of the dalit Christians of Kandhamal and to instill ‘hope against hope’ in them. This section also deals with the interplay of various factors such as the business interests of the high caste business men, the age old rivalry between the dalits and tribals sustained through the carefully crafted fantastic “histories” (without any real historical grounds), male chauvinism, casteist hegemony and bad governance to engender a greater catastrophe with indescribable proportions for the Christian population. The riots emerging out of economic, ethnic and religious fundamentalism should not encapsulate the Christian community; instead the church has to give out its witness as “peace makers” and responsible citizens “fasting unto justice.”

The second part of the book is the compilation of author’s responses to the violence, intended to be read by the general public of the country, written and published during and immediately after the days of the violence. It is an invitation extended to the public, without any discrimination between their religious belongingness, to sensitize their conscience of the perilous human disaster happening at Kandhamal and other Christian pockets of Orissa. The public witness of the church must not delimit itself at organizing protest rallies and fasts, even though they bear symbolic significance in some way or other. It further urges the solidarity of responsible citizens from all walks of life to come together in condemning religious, ethnic and economic fundamentalisms, upholding the rule of the law, affirming religious freedom, acknowledging the cultural diversity of the country and asserting the basic human rights of all people. It in short is a call to strengthen the democratic foundations of the country to overcome all sorts of coercions on human freedom on the basis of any form of parochial ideology.

The third section of the book titled as the prophetic witness is again a compilation of appeals and statements on the issue by NCCI and other ecumenical partners. It is an appeal to all citizens of the country with clear conscience to join the chorus in pressing on the government to act promptly to ensure the safety of its citizens against all forms of violence. The statements and appeals are deliberately crafted in such a way to make the responses comprehensive by incorporating the aspects of solidarity, immediate intervention, emergency relief, advocacy, affirmation of hope and even protest. Most of them are attempts to update the ground reality at relief camps and forest dwellings of people to expose the false claims of the government agencies the situations are getting back to be normal. The statements also stress the need to be mindful of the livelihood issues, lack of law and order and other gross deprivations through which the people of the place were going perennially. The author being a dalit activist makes it a point to look at the issue in a dalit perspective. He looks at it as another instance of explicit violence against the dalits, in response to the efforts to assert their identity. The issue is also looked at from the women’s perspective, as women bore the brunt of the attacks. The statements in principle argues for a “common vision and united action” against all sorts of violence without differentiating it in religious, ethnic, racial or casteist lines.

The message of the book is very cogent and the proposals towards the solution of the problem are much realistic. The church should not waste its energy and resource base in simply lamenting over its unfortunate predicament. She has to turn the crisis in her witness as an opportunity to contextualize it in the changing world. The church must also be wary of the danger of falling into a tunnel vision in understanding the violence that she experiences. She has to rise up over the present sufferings to develop a broad perception of reality, which she may be able to share with all the concerned citizens of the country to resist the parochial ideological formations of any kind. The violence against the Christians should not be dealt with in isolation; it has to be linked with the struggles of the dalits, tribals, women and other subaltern sections for liberation. The author calls for an unbiased governance ensuring peace and security for the citizens, tribal-dalit interface to get rid of the frequently recurring conflicts and finally unconditional solidarity cutting across all sorts of divisions in the civil society. The simple language and the use of imageries (the use of the familiar slogan Jai mata ki to correlate with goddess Diana is an example) in re-reading biblical passages from the familiar communal discourses in prevalence are very much appealing and communicating. The reading of the book quenches the queries of the academician and the common man alike to be led by the insights to a better understanding of Christian witness in a context of abounding violence.

Reviewed by Rev. Jacob P. Thomas, who served as a missionary priest of the Mar Thoma Church in Orissa for six years, and currently is a student at Gurukul in the MTh (Missiology) program

Mothers Day Lyric 2010

2010-05-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

అమ్మతనమే కమ్మతనముగా
నమ్మకత్వమే అమ్మతత్వమా
నమ్మకమునకు ప్రతిరుపమా
సమ్మతమే అమ్మ నీ మతమా

1 నవమాసములు నన్ను మోసిన ప్రేమ
నా మోసములన్ని భరించిన ప్రేమ
వినాసములన్నీ క్షమించిన ప్రేమ
ఆకాశమంత విశాలమైన ప్రేమ - అమ్మ నీ ప్రేమ

2 ప్రసవవేదనలో నన్ను కనిన ప్రేమ
ప్రయసభారముతో నన్ను పెంచిన ప్రేమ
ప్రయాణమంతటిలో నాతో ఉన్న ప్రేమ
ప్రసన్నమైన ప్రేమ ప్రాణమైన ప్రేమ - అమ్మ నీ ప్రేమ

౩. జగములన్నిటికి మూలమైన ప్రేమ
త్యగామంతటికి అంకురము నీ ప్రేమ
రాగమంతటికి అరంబము నీ ప్రేమ
సురాగమై సుమధురమైనా ప్రేమ - అమ్మ నీ ప్రేమ

TOWARDS A LIBERATIVE ECCLESIOLOGY: A TRIBUTE TO DR. K. RAJARATNAM

2010-04-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

INTRODUCTION

It was said of Socrates that, he has brought philosophy from the gates of heaven to the streets of Athens, so also can be said of Dr. Kunchala Rajaratnam, that he has brought the relevance of Church for our times from the gates of heaven to the streets of India and abroad. As a theologian, over the years, Doctor[1] exercised his faith in a dynamic way in our Indian economic and socio-political situation. As an economist, as an ecumenist, as an ecclesiologist, as an ethicist, as an administrator, and as a theologian he expressed his deep commitment to the Gospel and contributed to the Church and society in India and abroad. Doctor has always affirmed that his association with theological education is from the standpoint of his life in the life of the Church, and his starting point whether to development or theology is his commitment to Church. Doctor, having received the impetus to serve the community from the Gospel and the Church, thoroughly analyzed the society and brought out the theological relevance to his times. Mahatma Gandhi’s assertion that his life was his message to humankind aptly applies to the life of Dr. Kunchala Rajaratnam.[2]

On the 7^th April 2010, when he breathed his last, a saga of a legend has come to an end and an era of faith in action has come to an end. He has left a legacy so rich and challenging that we carry forward in bringing in a transformation in our communities. In my twelve years of association with Doctor, I had the privilege of being his student and also had the rare distinction of working as the Secretary of NCCI-Commission on Dalits, for which Doctor served as its Chairperson. He was a walking encyclopedia and a walking gospel with full of action for the cause of liberation. “You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, as a shock of grain comes up to the threshing floor in its season.” (Job 5: 26). Joining with the galaxy of friends, we thank God for the life, vision, mission and witness of Dr. Rajaratnam, for like a shock of grain he has gone to the threshing floor in its season, after living with meaning and purpose. This article is a humble tribute to Doctor, brining into light his understanding of Church, in which he believed and affirmed as a channel for change and liberation.

Doctor’s contributions contain valuable insights, covering a wide range of aspects like wider ecumenism, wider Dalit liberation, wider ecclesiology, wider feminism, bold theological education and economic equality. His writings provide a direction and method in the realm of widening ecumenical theology. However, here I shall limit my presentation to highlight five important aspects of the ecclesiology of Dr. K. Rajaratnam.

TOWARDS LIBERATIVE ECCLESIOLOGY

The Church in India has been satisfied for over years with their pietistic and visions for life after death. Doctor being committed to the Gospel and the Church, looks into the Church in India, and tries to broaden the horizons of the Church, to participate for the development of the wider society. Church as a ‘called-out’ community is not just a social and economic community, but one committed to her Lord Jesus Christ and works towards the transformation of her community. Doctor says that the Church is commissioned with a challenging and exciting task of ‘New Creation’. Much has happened through the witness and service of the Church in transforming the world into a place where God’s love is present.[3] Church is dynamic in expressing the love of God to all people. Church needs to be liberative in its vision, mission, nurture and action.

1. The Church in India becomes Static

Doctor, being a committed Churchman was bold enough to have an introspection of the Church in India and comments that she has ceased her dynamism. The Church in India has not yet come of age. He says that she has developed two layers. They are:

1. The life of the Parish/ congregation where a two-fold ministry of worship combined with Sunday School and confirmation classes routinely exist.

2. The Church level administrative life- Parish/congregational elections to Synod/convention, to the Executive Councils or to other administrative bodies.[4]

Doctor further says that the materialistic dimensions of the Church with her political and economic gains are in the forefront rather than the witness and service of the Church. A mere theoretical and theological ritual assertion of the holiness of the Church, as a fellowship of forgiven sinners- in which there is neither fellowship nor forgiveness but a lot of sin, without acknowledging the reality has been a time less frustration.[5] The Church is caught up with the camouflage of corruption and court cases reflecting a negative witness to the Church. Doctor with his love for the Church, was bold in his analysis of the Church. The Church at no time is an establishment. She is a prophet and shepherd seeking to enable society to force the challenges to God’s authority and justice. Thus the Church is a process, God’s representative process for striving for Truth and Justice. This is the permanent role of the Church.[6]

2. Rediscovering the Church and her Location

Doctor says that the Church is located in the Parish/ congregation and not in the administrative and financial power structures of the Church. The Church level administrative life is the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, which is the congregational life. Shift of focus requires faith and commitment of the Church. He further says unless the focus is shifted from power to socio-spiritual life of the congregation as the foundation of the life of the Church, the churches will become yet another social organizations fighting for the fish and loaves that Church leadership and vast rich properties perhaps offer.[7] The Third Assembly of the WCC in Delhi in 1961 and later the Commission on Stewardship of the LWF identified in a bid to resume the Gospel from the stranglehold of ecclesiastical structures, identified very rightly, the ‘local congregation’, as the missionary Church. The Church has established a vast network of worshipping communities throughout the country in the form of congregations. For Doctor it is this ‘local congregation’, which is not only the real Church but also the nucleus to spread the good news and serve the people.[8] Thus in a dominant ecclesiastical structures, Doctor redefines the Church as, “a group of believers living in any place- but committed to worship, praise and service of Jesus Christ and proclaiming and living Christ’s way of life, being the salt of the community – the light of the community, and serving the rest of the community through love and suffering for the sake of truth and justice in the community.”[9] Doctor thus widens the frontiers of the Church by making her serve the community at large for the sake of justice.

3. Widening the Frontiers of the Congregation

For Doctor the eternal task of the Church is to demonstrate the power of Cross, which is the power of God, in the variety of human life situations and through that power fight the evil, which is also eternal. He further says that her task is not to exterminate evil and sin altogether from the world, but to struggle against sin and bring about new creation by the power of Cross and Resurrection.[10] In achieving such a task Doctor, launched a four-fold ministerial aspects, which will widen the frontiers of the congregation. The congregations need to exercise all the four-fold aspects in integration and not in isolation, so that she serves the wider community and makes her the powerhouse of the Gospel. The four-fold ministerial aspects are, Worship, Nurture, Evangelism and Development.[11]

The congregation gathered together as a worshipping, learning, witnessing and serving community would surely help the wider community in its pursuit for liberation. These four-fold ministries enriches the ‘Missio Dei’. Doctor envisions if about 30,000 local congregations in India are activated in the four-fold ministry, greater power of love to all the people of the country will be released, and there will exist a transformed society. The Church then will become a strong, divine and human force for God’s peace and justice for all people and creation.[12]

4.Cleansing our Churches

Dr. K. Rajaratnam delivered a prolific Keynote address at the last Quadrennial Assembly 2008 of the NCCI at Shillong on the theme, “ Together in Mission: Empowering Local Congregations.” In his address, Doctor has analysed three models of Mission, the Gandhian model, the Pauline model and the Jesus incarnate model and blended that analysis with the nature and work of the Churches today. He has at the end brought a mission package for the Churches in NCCI, in which cleansing the Churches from the corruption of commercialization and politicization was the top priority. He explains the sacred commercialization, where the theology of prosperity and arm-chaired Christianity continue to dominate. He also further explains the secular commercialization as bribes and corruption that are permeated into the life of the Church. Doctor said, “Unless Churches clean the life of the Church, we are forfeiting the moral right to proclaim the Gospel, thus invalidating the legal rights we possess.”[13]During Jesus’ time, Jesus was bold in cleaning the temple from the den of robbers, and such a cleansing of our Churches today becomes immanent, for the houses of prayers are dominated by values of marketization and consumerism. Transparency and accountability of our Churches is the need of the hour, and Doctor’s call has tremendous relevance for our times today.

5. The Church and the Dalits

The Church today in India is basically a Dalit Church for the majority of the Christians in the Church are Dalits. According to Doctor the Church is not an exception for its indifference towards Dalits, for the minority upper classes in the Church are dominating. However the Dalits in the Church were much better than the Dalits outside the Church, with educational opportunities thrown open to them, had better social standing and indeed they were freed from the Hindu religious and social regimentation.[14] Doctor with his passion to the gospel emphasizes that it was Christianity that was the dynamite that burst the rigidity of untouchability. He opines that it was Christianity that represented the first break through as far as untouchability is concerned.[15]

5.1.The Limited Concern of the Church

Doctor, having evaluated the Church in India and its mission felt that the concern of the Church in relation to Dalits has been rather narrow. He also says that the missiological aim of the Church was aimed at conversion bringing saved souls into the membership of the Church through baptism.[16] On the other hand the NCCI and the CBCI from1950 have been going from pillar to post seeking justice for Dalit Christians regarding the constitutional reservations, for which all their efforts are in vain. Doctor thus says that the Church was wasting its time and hope in its pursuit of justice for Dalit Christians.[17] However striving for justice to Dalit Christians is always a priority of the Church today. The Church did not look at Dalit issue beyond the interests and aims of the Church. According to Doctor the Dalit issue per se, its injustice, atrocity, cruelty, sub-humanness, its poverty, hunger and misery, did not interest the Church. For the Church outside its missiological goals the ‘Dalits’ was a non-issue.[18] Thus the Church confined to her four walls and could not have a wider ecumenical dimension in relation to Dalits.

5.2.Towards A Wider Ecumenical Liberation Paradigm

The Dalits were not in favour of extension of the constitutional privileges with the Christian Dalits who are already an enlightened and educated lot. Doctor says that the UN Conference on Racism in Durban in August 2001 was the turning point. The Dalits of India who were in Durban experienced that it was mostly the Christians that were fighting for the cause of Dalits at UN Conference. The Evangelical Christians prepared to support the Dalits even as they were prepared to embrace Buddhism following the footsteps of Ambedkar, setting aside their motive of conversion to Christianity. This approach giving priority to Dalit liberation from traditional social slavery presents altogether a new challenge to Christianity.[19] For Doctor this represents a sea change in Christian approach to Dalit issue. Dalit liberation per se, liberation of all Dalits irrespective of their regional and religious identity has become the missionary objective of Christian concern. This paradigm shift, he calls as a new agenda of the Church as a visible and active preferential ministry in India.[20] The predicament of the Dalits in India is a challenge to the Church in India, especially to the Gospel of Christ in India. He further says that, “in a dehumanizing scenario, it is mandatory that the mission of the Indian churches for the 21^st century ought to be different from retaining the Dalits and Adivasis as objects of charity and mission, to making them as subjects of history and missional agenda, enlarging the Church’s traditional mission concerns from confining to Dalit and Adivasi Christians to all Dalit and Adivasis with focus on liberating the oppressed.”[21] Thus Doctor expounded a wider ecumenical liberative paradigm for the Dalits. The Church must accept Dalit liberation as its new agenda and join hands with all forces that enable Dalit liberation.

5.3.Rationale for Wider Ecumenical Liberative Paradigm

Doctor in widening the ecumenical liberative paradigm asks how can the Church shut its eyes at the suffering of the oppressed community? When he goes on to say the Church of Christ in its missiological endeavour as ‘liberation of Dalit per se’ receives the mandate from Christ himself. He further says that the ministry and the mission of Christ is a package of liberation of the oppressed- the good news to the poor.[22] For Doctor Jesus’ methodology of liberation of the oppressed serves as the primary rationale for wider ecumenical liberative paradigm. Jesus’ package of liberation of the oppressed according to Doctor is as follows:

1. Jesus’ birth in a manger is a spectacular identification with the poor.

2. The Nazareth manifesto of Jesus in Luke 4:16-19 is to set at liberty the oppressed, not just the Christian oppressed only but all oppressed- the poor, the hungry, the lame, the deaf, the dumb, the sick, the naked, the prisoners- of society, of tradition, of false religion, victims of discrimination- those denied equality, human dignity and rights, indeed those denied humanity by the power of unjustified authority and the oppressed constitute in this dear land of ours at least 25% of the total population of 1.1 billion- all these segregated in dwelling places- with no water, sanitation and left to tender mercies of the oppressor for work, food, water and dwelling, 250 to 300 millions of people.[23]

Doctor calls the Church in India to liberate India’s society as a whole by liberating the Dalits and Adivasis. The Cross of Jesus to which the Church is committed has a tryst with India’s destiny. The Church with her theological strength from the Manger, the Cross and the Empty Tomb, must commit itself to the service of the poor.[24] Thus Doctor paves the way towards a wider ecumenical paradigm of liberation to the Dalits and Adivasis.

5.4. Acts of Apostles vis-à-vis Acts of the Church

Dr. K. Rajaratnam, as a Chairperson Commission on Dalits and Adivasis, of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) initiated the congregational empowerment of 50 pilot congregations in India for Dalit liberation. In one of his addresses in the follow up workshop on congregational empowerment, he has asked the participants, what is their favorite book in the Bible? One answered Psalms because it has many prayers, one answered Isaiah because he speaks of justice, but Doctor said, his favorite book in the Bible is “Acts of Apostles.” The reason he said was this book contains “actions”, activities that were done. So he emphasized the need for actions, making our faith into actions, making our preaching into action. He questioned, how many of our church reports, executive committee meetings minutes, diocesan minutes, synod meetings minutes, parish church council meeting minutes match with the Acts of Apostles? May be not even one. So it is high time for the local congregations to act, record the acts of liberation of Dalits. Actions speak louder that words, and so the preaching of the church should be actions, and particularly acts of liberation to the Dalits. Jesus was all along involved in doing actions, rather speaking mere words. The Cross is the highest act any one can do, and it was Jesus who suffered and died on the Cross for the sake of liberating us. Therefore the local congregations’ agenda should be the agenda of Jesus. In setting people at liberty, Jesus has to oppose and confront the socio-religious and political structures and hierarchies of his day. And so should be the role of all the true disciples of Jesus. Jesus did not have any reservations in healing the people; he healed all those came to him, so also should the local congregation strive for the liberation with out any reservations and boundaries. Ultimately in his struggle for justice and liberation, Jesus has to be rewarded with the brutal Cross, and so also the local congregation may receive the Cross as a reward in their work for liberation of Dalits, but let the local congregation be bold and courageous. For Jesus himself said that in your struggle for justice, you might have many false allegations laid on you, you may be persecuted, so let the local congregation make Jesus and his agenda as the agenda, and continue to work for the liberation of Dalits, said Doctor. He further emphasized, that the congregation should be ready to take up the Cross, since the means itself become the ends of the church. He said that without addressing the Dalit issue one cannot have an agenda. Today the priorities of the congregations are different, and yet times even with out a mission agenda. He stressed that Jesus’ agenda, Nazareth manifesto cannot be neglected, for it acts as an apex for Christian action and faith. He urges the local congregations to be sensitive the voice of the Dalits, not just the Christian Dalits, but Dalits per se, to form an agenda of the church, which will be in line with the Jesus ideology. He has given the clarion call for the local congregations to work both in season and off-season for the liberation of the Dalits in their particular contexts.[25]

CONCLUSION

Dr. Kunchala Rajaratnam with his adventurous faith, bold theological vision and commitment to service has contributed deeply untiringly for the cause of Church and society. His ecclesiology surely provides a method, meaning and direction to the Church in India at this present juncture and makes the Church to commit herself to strive for liberty to all that are oppressed specially the Dalits in their contexts. Therefore according to Doctor, the Church in India has to play a prophetic role and should strive towards a just society. The Church today needs to rise from its slumber and needs to address the challenges of Dalit oppression. The Church should give up all its petty politics aside, and need to re-look to her call and commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If the Church is not able to be the channel of liberation, it ceases to be a Church, and all the rituals and the activities of the Church will just be materialistic with out meaning and relevance. Three dimensions of Doctors’ ecclesiology are of prime relevance. 1. An introspection of our Church, to be bold in analyzing our Church and to accept our shortcomings in the light of the Gospel. 2. To rediscover Churches mission and witness in the context of marginalisation and exclusion. 3. To strive consistently for justice, equality and liberation of Dalits and make local congregations to be the channels of liberation in their contexts. Doctor believes that the Church is a strong enough force to confront the evils in the society. The Church should be conscious of its role, as God’s chosen instrument, to establish God’s Kingdom, undeterred by the power and might of God’s foes. The Church must become more obedient to God’s call to face suffering for God’s cause.[26] I pray our Church in India shall become vibrant in extending the Reign of God here on earth. Men may come and men may go, men like Rajaratnam will go on forever with their imprints of rich Christian heritage and legacy.

Rev. Raj Bharath Patta,

Executive Secretary,

NCCI- Commission on Dalits

[1] Dr. K. Rajaratnam was mostly revered and called as Doctor

[2] Prasanna Kumari, “Foreword,” in Empowering Society, edited by Prasanna Kumari Vol 2 (Chennai:GLTCRI, 1995) P.xi.

[3] K.Rajaratnam, A Missionary Congregation (Madras: UELCI, 1993), P.1.

[4] K.Rajaratnam, A Missionary Congregation (Madras: UELCI, 1993), P.1.

[5] K.Rajaratnam, “A Vision for the Church in India,” in Women in Church and Society, edited by Prasanna Kumari (Chennai: GLTCRI, 1999), P.130.

[6] K.Rajaratnam, Ethics in a New Economic Order (Madras: CRENIEO, 1995), P.41.

[7] K.Rajaratnam, A Missionary Congregation (Madras: UELCI, 1993), P.3.

[8] K.Rajaratnam, “A Vision for the Church in India,” in Women in Church and Society, edited by Prasanna Kumari (Chennai: GLTCRI, 1999), P.133.

[9] K.Rajaratnam, The Local Congregation (Madras: UELCI, n.p.), P.1.

[10] K.Rajaratnam, “A Vision for the Church in India,” in Women in Church and Society, edited by Prasanna Kumari (Chennai: GLTCRI, 1999), Pp.130-131.

[11] K.Rajaratnam, A Missionary Congregation (Madras: UELCI, 1993), Pp.4-11.

[12] K.Rajaratnam, “Foreword,” in Mission Today Challenges and Concerns, edited by Abraham P.Athyal and Dorothy Yoder Nyce (Chennai: GLTCRI, 1998), P.viii.

[13] K. Rajaratnam’s Keynote address at the XXVI Quadrennial Assembly of the NCCI held at Shillong during 30^th April to 5^th May 2008. Pg. 14

[14] K.Rajaratnam, “The Indian Christian Church and the Dalits of India- A New Agenda of the Church in India: Dalit Liberation,” NCC Review 122/3 (April, 2002):P.291.

[15] K.Rajaratnam, “Contemporary Reflection on Global Oppressed Communities: A Multi-faith Approach,” Gurukul Journal of Theological Studies 12/1&2 (2003): Pp.6-7.

[16] K.Rajaratnam, “Contemporary Reflection on Global Oppressed Communities: A Multi-faith Approach,” Gurukul Journal of Theological Studies 12/1&2 (2003): P.7.

[17] K.Rajaratnam, “The Indian Christian Church and the Dalits of India- A New Agenda of the Church in India: Dalit Liberation,” NCC Review 122/3 (April, 2002): P.294.

[18] K.Rajaratnam, “The Indian Christian Church and the Dalits of India- A New Agenda of the Church in India: Dalit Liberation,” NCC Review 122/3 (April, 2002): P.294.

[19] K.Rajaratnam, “Contemporary Reflection on Global Oppressed Communities: A Multi-faith Approach,” Gurukul Journal of Theological Studies 12/1&2 (2003): P.8.

[20] K.Rajaratnam, “Launching of Dalit Liberation Movement,” Report Presented to NCCI Executive Committee, New Delhi 25^th-26^th November 2004.

[21] Declaration and Recommendations of Pre-Assembly National Conference on Dalit and Adivasi Concerns in NCC Review126/2 (February, 2004): P.85.

[22] K.Rajaratnam, “Contemporary Reflection on Global Oppressed Communities: A Multi-faith Approach,” Gurukul Journal of Theological Studies 12/1&2 (2003): P.8.

[23] K.Rajaratnam, “Tryst of the Cross with India’s Destiny,” presented at XXV Quadrennial Assembly of NCCI, Tirunalveli, 10-13 February 2004. P.2.

[24] K.Rajaratnam, “Towards A Just Society,” NCC Review 117/7 (August, 1997): P.501.

[25] K. Rajaratnam’s Key note address at the follow up workshop on “Local Congregation as the Locus of Dalit Liberation” held at Chennai on 23-26 June 2006.

[26] K.Rajaratnam, “Communicating the Gospel in the Context of Globalisation, Religious Fundamentalism and Nationalism- the Indian Context,” in Communication of the Gospel edited by Samuel W.Meshack and Eberhard von de Heyde (Chennai: GLTCRI, 2002), P.5.

Lenten Campaign for Equality & Justice 2010

2010-02-18T01:32:00.000-08:00

National Council of Churches in India- Commission on Dalits have initiated a Lenten Campaign for Equality and Justice 2010, during this season of Lent. This campaign is a call to all those observing Lent to 'fast unto justice'. Specifically advocating for the Dalit Christian Rights and committing to eliminate manual scavenging by 2010 are the two calls given in this campaign. Join in this campaign, bring awareness about these concerns, talk about these concerns during our homilies and prayers and network with other faith based agencies to ensure justice.

1. A Lenten meditation on Fasting is posted on
http://www.nccindia.in/resources/view.htm?no=132
2. Lenten meditation on the first word of Christ from the Cross is posted on
http://www.nccindia.in/resources/view.htm?no=134

Let this season of Lent challenge us to bring equality and justice in our societies.

Lyric on Cross

2010-02-04T02:28:00.000-08:00

సీలువలో హతమైన ప్రభువా
విలువలకై నిలిచి నందుక
సీలువపై గెలుపొందిన ప్రభువా
అల్పులకై ఇల వీజయుడైన ప్రభువా
గెలుపును మాతో పంచె ప్రభువా // సీలువలో //

1. పాపపు చేతులకు చిక్కినవారం
పాపపు చేతలతో చచినవారం
అయ్యో పాపమని జాలి పడక
పాపులకై సీలువలో మరనించెతివ
పాపమును బంధించి విజయుడైతివ
పాపులుకు రక్షణ ఇల నిచితివ // సీలువలో //

2. కులము పెరట దుషించిరి హిమ్సించిరి
బలము కలిగిన వీరు బలత్కారము చేసిరి
ఈ క్రియలు చేయుట ద్వారా
మరల నిను సీలువకు అప్పగించిరి
కాలములన్నిట నిను చంపూచుంటిరి
పాలకులే నిన్ను బలిచేయుచూన్తిరి // సీలువలో //

3. మగువలపై పురుషునిఅరాచకం అనాగార్పు చూలకన బావం
తగువను పెంచే వీరి అహము వీరి ఐక్యతను వీడదీసన
తగునా మగువలపై పురుషాహంకారం
మరల నిను సీలువకు అప్పగించేన
మగువలకు వీడుదల ఎలా కలుగును
పునరుతనమే వీరికి బలమునిచును //సీలువలో //

Translation in English

O Christ, who was murdered on Cross,
For having stood for your values across,
O Christ, who won that Cross,
Comes victorious for least and last criss-cross
O Christ, share that victory with us

1. We have been bonded in the hands of evil
And we are dead by our actions of evil
You haven’t pitied on us ‘alas O these people’
But you have died on Cross for those in evil
And emerged victorious by chaining all evil
granting liberation to all from such evil

2. In the name of caste we have discriminated and harassed
With power at hand they were raped amassed
By such heinous acts being essayed
You are being butchered on Cross again and relayed
This has been an all time day to day butchering not delayed
And you are cut into pieces by those in power allied

3. Men’s cruel patriarchal forces on women, our oppression and look down
Fuels our masochistic ego and divides unity of men and women grown
Is man’s arrogance endurable on woman?
You are being butchered on Cross again by man
From where does freedom come to woman?
New life of change is the only hope and strength to woman and man

Photo Courtesy: Rev. Sunil Raj

Lyric on Cross

2010-02-03T02:00:00.000-08:00

సీలువలో హతమైన ప్రభువా

విలువలకై నిలిచి నందుక

సీలువపై గెలుపొందిన ప్రభువా

అల్పులకై ఇల వీజయుడైన ప్రభువా

గెలుపును మాతో పంచె ప్రభువా // సీలువలో //

పాపపు చేతులకు చిక్కినవారం

పాపపు చేతలతో చచినవారం

అయ్యో పాపమని జాలి పడక

పాపులకై సీలువలో మరనించెతివ

పాపమును బంధించి విజయుడైతివ

పాపులుకు రక్షణ ఇల నిచితివ // సీలువలో //

కులము పెరట దుషించిరి హిమ్సించిరి

బలము కలిగిన వీరు బలత్కారము చేసిరి

ఈ క్రియలు చేయుట ద్వారా

మరల నిను సీలువకు అప్పగించిరి

కాలములన్నిట నిను చంపూచుంటిరి

పాలకులే నిన్ను బలిచేయుచూన్తిరి // సీలువలో //

మగువలపై పురుషునిఅరాచకం అనాగార్పు చూలకన బావం

తగువను పెంచే వీరి అహము వీరి ఐక్యతను వీడదీసన

తగునా మగువలపై పురుషాహంకారం

మరల నిను సీలువకు అప్పగించేన

మగువలకు వీడుదల ఎలా కలుగును

పునరుతనమే వీరికి బలమునిచును //సీలువలో //

Translation in English

O Christ, who was murdered on Cross,

For having stood for your values across,

O Christ, who won that Cross,

Comes victorious for least and last crisscross

O Christ, share that victory with us

We have been bonded in the hands of evil

And we are dead by our actions of evil

You haven’t pitied on us ‘alas O these people’

But you have died on Cross for those in evil

And emerged victorious by chaining all evil

granting liberation to all from such evil

In the name of caste we have discriminated and harassed

With power at hand they were raped amassed

By such heinous acts being essayed

You are being butchered on Cross again and relayed

This has been an all time day to day butchering not delayed

And you are cut into pieces by those in power allied

Men’s cruel patriarchic forces on women, our oppression and look down

Fuels our masochistic ego and divides unity of men and women grown

Is man’s arrogance endurable on woman?

You are being butchered on Cross again by man

From where does freedom come to woman?

New life of change is the only hope and strength to woman and man

Notion of Nation: Indian Republic at Sixty

2010-01-27T01:52:00.000-08:00

On the occasion of celebrating the Sastipoorthy (Sixty years) of Indian Republic on 26th January 2010, it was indeed a matter of great pride and joy for India to celebrate the democratic nationhood within the given parameters of liberty, equality, fraternity, sovereignty and secularism. Sixty years of Indian Republic also coincided with the celebrations of the sixty years of Indian Constitution and the sixty years of ‘Janagana mana…’ as a national anthem, which further strengthened the patriotic spirit of Indiahood among its citizens. Thanks to the contributions of all our great Indian heros and sheros, for their relentless services for the cause of India as a nation and for the proud legacy they have left with.

India as the largest democracy in the world, with an outstanding written Constitution has treaded the path thus far with several ups and downs. After sixty years, an introspection as a nation is required. Have we as India lived up to the values of the nation, which we have been proud of? Have we as India promulgated the values of our Constitution to the generations next? Have we been successful in implementing laws that were written to safeguard its citizens? The list of these questions will keep spiraling, for sixty years as a nation has always been a challenge to live at and live with.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of Indian Constitution, with his heart for the transformation of Indian society from the clutches of discrimination and oppression was vocal in reminding India what it means to be a nation. As a social philosopher, his commitment to the politics of India remains prophetic and inspiring. At this point, it may not be out of place to recollect the famous words of Dr. Ambedkar said on 26th January 1950 on ‘Are we a Nation?’ Though it has been sixty years since he has said, he comes alive with his words, for his words are challengingly relevant for our times now and here.

Dr. Ambedkar spoke,

“There is no nation of Indians in the real sense of the world, it is yet to be created. In believing we are a nation, we are cherishing a great delusion. How can people divided into thousand of castes be a nation? The sooner we realise that we are not yet a nation, in a social and psychological sense of the world, the better for us.”

Nation Evolves
The idea of nationhood not only has political overtones to it, but also has the social, economic and cultural fabric beguiled to it. According to Ambedkar, the idea of nation is still to be created, which implies that ‘nation’ as such is not static and lethargic, but which is in continuous momentum growing and keeps evolving. Therefore India as a nation is continuously evolving, for there is dynamism in the concept of nation for India. If we are content with the idea of nation, we have been blinding ourselves from the growing realities of our day.

Nation Erupts
He had a strong case at point to argue his idea, the reality of castes in India. People and societies divided into a number of castes and sub-castes cannot make a nation. A nation is one, which is over against divisions of any kind, specially divisions of caste, which is evil and oppressive. Jesus’ prophetic words come handy at this point. For Jesus said “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand" ( Mat 12:25) With the kind of caste hierarchies that exist in India, the divisions caste perpetuate, the discriminations caste flames up, I am afraid can India even become a nation without these divisions and discriminations? Unless caste is completely wiped of, the nation India cannot avoid an eruption, an eruption of revolution for transformation.

Nation Empathizes
Though caste system is an age-old reality in India, unfortunately most of our Indian sociologists have not analysed caste as a factor that determines Indian society today. However when we are re-visiting the notion of nation today, I think it is immanent to realize that caste is the cruelest forms that exist to divide and discriminate people, which makes us India not be a nation in its fullest sense. It is time to overcome caste and all its forms, for only then our sixty years of India as a republic will have its meaning. As responsible citizens of this country we need to empathize with the margninalised, the oppressed, the discriminated and make equality, liberty and fraternity a reality.

At this point, the communiqué of the NCCI on the occasion of India’s sixtieth Republic day, “We the People of India… Missiological imperative for the Church in the seventh decade of Indian Republic” issued by Rev. Asir Ebenezar, the Officiating General Secretary of NCCI found on the link http://www.nccindia.in/resources/view.htm?no=134 deserves immense appreciations. For it has called on the Church in India to work on the collective political activism and to search for new relevant spaces where she can impress on the citizens of India towards a common goal of life to all, with a preferential option to those who are oppressed and marginalized. Institutions like churches should become the channels where issues of political importance are discussed and addressed. Churches should join with other faith based agencies and community based organization to facilitate political activism and strive towards brining a change in our society.

Time is ripe, for us as citizens of India to comply to that fact that we have not made ourselves to be a nation, with the growing divisions in the name of caste, creeds, colour, gender, regions languages etc. At the same time, this is also the time for us to make a pledge to make India truly a nation defeating all the disparities and divisions. When justice is ensured, liberty is lived out, fraternity is affirmed and unity is ascribed, only then India can and will be a nation. On this sixtieth anniversary of Indian Republic, let us make India to become a nation, a nation free from divisions and discriminations, a nation free from dominance and oppression, into that freedom of heaven my Father, let my country awake.

Lets not be Conformed to this world, but lets Transform this our world

2010-01-13T02:14:00.000-08:00

Sankramana Kranthi is Sankranthi
As the New Year has dawn, a new season of joy and happiness ushers every mind and thought and life is celebrated. When Christians celebrated the “Epiphany” on the 6th of January, the manifestation of the divine light to the nations far and wide was reaffirmed. The immediate festival that arrives in the New Year and in the Indian sociological calendar is “Sankranthi”, the festival that is celebrated in all splendor and grandeur all across the country by our friends affirming Hindu faith. The Sun’s entry into each house is called “Sankramana” and “Kranthi” means ‘transformation through light’. Therefore “Sankranthi” is the festival that brings in a change and transformation into every house, as the Sun brings in new smiles and cheer to every household.

When our world today is caught up in several chaotic conditions and situations, which are beyond repair and cure, this festival “Sankranthi” is a challenge to bring in a transformation and change into our life situations.

· In the context of rapid climatic changes to our planet earth caused by our human greed and irresponsibility, the festival of “Sankranthi” is a challenge and a chance for safeguarding our planet with care and brings in transformational light into our earth.
· In the context of phenomenal change in the geo-political axis, where the rich continue to become richer and the poor still further poorer, the festival of “Sankranthi” is a challenge and a chance for breaking the inequality and inequity among the rich and the poor and bring in transformational light into our world.
· In the context of vigorous discriminations and oppressions in the name of caste, creed, gender, religion, region etc, the festival of “Sankranthi” is a challenge and a chance to build in just and inclusive communities, where justice will flow down like streams and peace will cover like calm skies above, and bring in a transformational light into our context.
· In the context of fermenting fundamentalism and fanaticism among religions, where enmity, violence and bloodshed have become the norm, the festival of “Sankranthi” is a challenge and a chance to build friendship among religions, commonly addressing the issues of injustices and violation of human rights and bring in a transformational light into our vicinities.

May this season and festival of “Sankranthi” challenge each one of us to become the beacons of light and transformation. May we be enlightened and join hands in lightening our societies, and may we be the change makers bringing in transformation. Enjoy the festival and live for transformation.

Dalit Liberation Sunday -6th December 2009

2009-11-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Dalit Liberation Sunday (DLS) has become an important feature in the calendar of the Indian ecumenical movement as NCCI and CBCI have been observing it jointly for the last three years. The recently concluded General Body meeting of the NCCI has resolved to observe this DLS in their respective constituencies on the 6th December 2009 to sensitize and to call our Churches to become the channels of liberation. The theme for this year is ‘Crossing Boundaries and Building Bridges: Overcoming Prejudices’. We encourage you to use this theme in your congregations and communities to sensitize, to deepen understanding, develop partnerships and challenge all prejudices and discrimination done against Dalits in our country.

The resources for DLS include, ideas for worship, thematic poster and a postcard so that you can circulate the same among your local constituencies in observing this day. You can also access the resources on the given link. http://www.nccindia.in/webapp/news/File/E__Bharath_Dalit-lib-sunday_DLS-09.pdf

Once again may I take this opportunity to request you to observe this Dalit Liberation Sunday in your dioceses, parishes, congregations and other ecumenical networks. Please keep us informed about your observing this Sunday so that we can share the same with the other members of the Council.

Blessings to you as you prepare for the DLS. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further assistance in this regard.

Looking forward for your cooperation in observing the Dalit Liberation Sunday 2009. On the 6th December 2009, wherever you are worshipping, kindly take lead to be the voice for the cause of Dalit liberation. Kindly forward this mail to your contacts and friends so that they all can join with us in observing DLS 09.

"A Violent Sight on a Silent Night" - Book Release

2009-10-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

It was a defining moment in my life, when my maiden attempt, "A Violent Sight on a Silent Night - Missiological Discourses in the Context of Violence Against Christians" was released by our NCCI President Bishop Taranath Sagar on the 19th October 2009 at Methodist Centre, Mumbai in our NCCI organised third theological conversation among Churches on "Churches as Just and Inclusive Communities."

This book consists of three sections. Proclaiming Witness - Re-readings of the Biblical Texts, Public Witness -Political Reflections and Prophetic Witness - Appeals and Statements from NCCI and other Solidarity messages from Ecumenical Partners. It is a joint publication of NCCI and ISPCK. The book is a compilation of some of my Bible Studies and re-readings of the texts in the context of violence, some of my political writings written as and when the context demanded and the reports and the statements made from NCCI and other friends. This book is dedicated to the Dalit Christian Martyrs of the Kandhamal, Orissa, for it was they who inspired me to pen down the reflections.

I thank God for this endeavour and am also grateful to you for all your encouragement and inspiration. The book has just come out from the press, and once i recieve the copies, i can post you if you require one.

You can check on this link for the cover page.
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/rajpatta/AViolentSightOnASilentNight#

Dr. YSR – A Synergy of Commitment & Courage

2009-09-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

A Tribute to Dr. Y. S. Rajashekar Reddy

On a day when global networking sites across the world celebrated the 40th anniversary of invention of Internet, the State of Andhra Pradesh in India, a well known hub of information technology, recorded a black day for the people of the State were shocked by the sudden missing of Chief Minister Dr. Y. S. Rajashekar Reddy on 02.09.2009, who was subsequently found dead in a chopper crash along with four other men on board.

Dr. Yeduguri Sanditi Rajashekar Reddy, more popularly known as YSR has been a tall political statesman, who had won accolades from all sections of the society across the State and the Country for his people-centered governance and pro-poor schemes. Born on 8th July 1949, YSR was a medical doctor by profession and served the community, healing the poor freely through his medical hospital in a small town of Pullivendula of Cuddapah District in Andhra Pradesh. He has never lost an election in his entire three-decade political career, and has always stood for the values and principles he believed in. His Padha Yatra covering about 1400 kms for 64 days at a stretch attracted global attention and paved way to become Chief Minister in 2004. He has contributed remarkably in the fields of agriculture, irrigation, education, minorities, health, women empowerment, etc. what not, you name it, and you have it, Dr. YSR created an indelible impact on the lives of the people in Andhra Pradesh, and has given leadership on all fronts towards development in the State. He was mainly instrumental in UPA government return to power in 2009 by winning 33 seats to Lok Sabha, the highest from any State.

It may not be out of place to mention that the death of Dr. YSR is a great loss to the Minorities in the State, and specially to the Dalit Christian struggle for justice. Just a week before, Dr. YSR moved a resolution in the State Legislative Assembly urging the Center to grant Schedule Caste status to the Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin. He has been constantly lobbying for this cause at the Center, discussed the matter with the Central Law Minister, Minority Affairs Minister and with several other leaders and officials. With Dr. YSR taking a lead to the Dalit Christian struggle for justice, justice to Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin would have been granted at the earliest. He was deeply committed for this cause, and at any cost would have seen the light of justice to Dalit Christians & Dalit Muslims. On seeing his passion for the cause of justice to Dalit Christians, Mr. Franklin Ceasar, the petitioner of the Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court seeking justice for Dalit Christians remarked that, “Dr. YSR is truly a man of God, for his fighting spirit for the cause of justice reveals his commitment to the faith he believes and he is a gift of God to the nation.” His other contributions to Dalit Christians in particular within the State include setting up a Finance Corporation for Christians, assigning an Officer for Christian welfare concerns and has been keen in addressing the needs of the minority institutions and schools. He had deep passion for the liberation and transformation of the marginalized and was thriving for their cause day in and day out. Dr. YSR challenged his opponents boldly in calling him casteist favouring one particular caste and community. He has clarified time and again that he did not believe in caste, community, religion and region, and also declared that there were inter-caste marriages within their family.

An exemplary leader, leader with courage, leader with commitment, leader who worked on behalf of the poor and marginalized and a leader with bold vision and charisma, Dr. YSR had truly lived up to his calling as a leader and as Chief Minister of the State. His faith in God was a great asset to him, for he always believed in prayers, be it for rains, be it for governance or on any other matter. He had always requested his people to trust in God for God’s grace and favour. His strength lay in holding together different groups within his party.

As a man of actions, he always had a cheerful disposition and had won the hearts of several people in the State and in the Country though his vision, mission and leadership. His untimely death, at this critical juncture is a great loss to the entire nation in general and to Andhra Pradesh, in particular. He left a void and his demise is an irreparable loss in the polity and governance. May God be with the members of the bereaved family and the people of Andhra, and I pray that God consoles them at this difficult time. Dr. YSR surely is an inspiration to many young people and I hope that his rich political legacy shall be carried forward to the coming generations. Let us all thank God for the life and witness of Dr. YSR, and hope the leaders across party affiliations in the State and in the Country learn from his character and rise up to the occasion in serving the poor and the marginalized. Amar Rahe Dr. YSR Amar Rahe.
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Just one week ago on the 26th August 2009, my last write up on my blog was on Dr. YSR moving a resolution urging Central government to grant SC status to Dalit Christians & Dalit Muslims. Now after a week, with pain had to write a tribute on him. We miss you Dr. YSR.

Andhra Pradesh State Assembly Resolves to Grant Scheduled Caste (SC) Status to Dalit Christians & Dalit Muslims

2009-08-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

Observing the gravity of genuineness in the struggle for justice of Dalit Christians and analyzing the deep need to address discrimination done against Dalits, the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly,on the 25th August 2009 adopted a resolution urging the Central Government to extend the benefits of Scheduled Castes (SC) to Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin. The Chief Minister of the State Dr. Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy, moved the resolution seeking the Center to amend the Constitution by granting Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims, for they have been facing discrimination like other Dalits. All other political parties in the Assembly, including the Telugu Desam Party, the Praja Rajyam Party, the MIM, and the Communists supported the resolution. The BJP and the Lok Satta party who have two members and one member respectively in the State Assembly objected the resolution.

The sensitivity of the Andhra Pradesh Government towards the struggles of Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin deserve appreciations for such a resolution moved by Dr. Reddy would further pressurize the Central Government to act swiftly and prudently in granting Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit Christians & Dalit Muslims. The struggle for justice by Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims has been a long battle, though several political parties at the Center expressed their deep concern to the cause. Due to lack of political will in taking a decision, justice has been delayed.

Dr. Reddy is the third Chief Minister in India who have moved a resolution in favour of Dalit Christians struggle for justice in a State Assembly. Prior to him, Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav the former Chief Minister of Bihar was the first one to move a resolution in his State Assembly and later it was Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh who moved a similar resolution in his State Assembly regarding Dalit Christians. We welcome the move of the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly, and hope that justice is not too far away for Dalit Christians & Dalit Muslims.

These resolutions in the State Assemblies will garnish support for the cause and shall exert pressure on the Central Government to act justly in granting SC status to Dalit Christians & Dalit Muslims. On the sidelines of a Public Interest Litigation hearing in the Supreme Court of India seeking justice for Dalit Christians, and in the light of the recent statement of the Minister of Minorities Mr. Salman Khursheed expressing his willingness to grant SC status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims, it is time for us as Churches to intensifying our advocacy and lobbying for this cause.

In the process of our mission as advocacy, the Churches in India are encouraged to exert pressure on their State Governments to move similar resolutions in their States, and also lobby with the local Members of Parliament to amend the Constitution specially the 1950 Presidential Order. The Church leadership in India owns this issue of justice for Dalit Christians & Dalit Muslims and are committed to strive to achieve it. Justice is triumphant, truly it is!

26th August 2009

National Kandhamal Day - Challenges

2009-08-24T01:30:00.000-07:00

On 23rd August 2008, when some miscreants killed Swami Lakshamananda Saraswathy, it became the occasion for the fundamentalistic forces to take on the Dalit Christians in Kandhamal, Orissa. From the day after, as the news spread, violence spiraled and several Dalit Christians were massacred, their properties were destroyed, their worshipping places dismantled, their livelihoods were attacked, and those fundamentalists were successful in instilling fear among Dalit Christians. Herewith, I bring out few challenges, as we observe this day commemorating the Kandhamal episode last year.

Interfaith Peace Process
The brutal violence and bloodshed for the last one year in Orissa on Dalit Christians, caused in the name of faith, caste, ethnicity, have not gone out of memories in the minds of people. From 24th August 2008, attacks, assaults, massacres on Dalit Christians began and spiraled all along the months in different forms and scores. Some organizations are observing today as National Kandhamal Day by organizing inter-denominational prayer meeting for peace, healing and reconciliation. Thanks for such gestures by all those organizations, in promoting peace and reconciliation. Appreciations to all those organizing this prayer for peace, which is the need of the hour. My only reticence in observing this day as a Christian event, once again makes us parochial, only sensitive to Christian needs. For the last one-year, we Christians cannot forget the solidarity, support and co-operation we received from all corners of civil society. Several responsible citizens came out in public and marched along with us in the journey and demand for justice. The violence in Kandhamal is not just a regional issue, not just a Christian issue but certainly a national issue concerned to all the citizens of India. The violence that spiraled after Kandhamal had several greater effects on the secular fabric of India and on the ethos of community living in India.

Wipe Away the Pages of August 2008
The conditions of people in Kandhamal, still the survivors of that carnage a year ago, are to be resettled, peace & reconciliation are still a distant dream for them, the memory of violence has not passed a year for them, it seems it had happened only yesterday. How would these survivors of violence observe this day? Probably they may not want to think of Aug 23-24, 2008 any longer in their lives, for those days and days after have completely shattered their lives and livelihood. Most of those surviving children will have to grow with memories of pain and bloodshed of their dear ones. Imagine the impact these acts of violence that would have made on the young minds. Fear, conflicts, violence, assaults, injuries, insults, deaths, destructions etc. will all be part of their memory, I bet can never be forgotten in their life time. On what faith can the parents nurture their children in such a context?

A Call for Social Audit
More than just a memory today, I think on this day, the government, the civil society, the inter-faith organizations and the Churches should take a social audit of their peace engagements for the last one-year. What has been their response to the violence, and how have they been channeling peace and reconciliation? How have been the labyrinths of issues addressed? How effective where their advocacy and solidarity roles? Is peace and reconciliation a possibility through their efforts? What have they achieved in countering violence and establishing peace?

Building Peace Communities
This day calls all of us to build communities of peace in our localities. Let each of us give up our exclusivistic claims, and strive for peace and harmony in our area. The Kandhamal is a challenge for all the responsible citizens to be ambassadors of peace. Never ever give up that peace was defeated, that secularism was defeated, but let the challenge be on us to be the channel of peace, building peace communities, where unity in diversity is affirmed. Let us be truthful to our conscience and make peace a reality.

Saluting the Dalit Christian Martyrs
Today, also calls us to salute the Dalit Christian martyrs of Kandhamal, who have been innocently killed, for the sake of affirming their faith openly and freely. These Dalit Christian martyrs will serve as an inspiration, for they as Dalits chose a faith, which was liberating and chose to practice it in all boldness. These Dalit Christians have been massacred for being Dalit and for being Christian. They have left a legacy of liberation and transformation, which I think will have to be carried by us.

Martyr O Dalit Christian martyr,
Your lives were made a satire,
By those with that saffron attire,
For some are killed by fire,
And some made as pyre,
On whom they had to play their lyre,
Of hatred, vengeance, death entire.

You stand as an inspiration,
your faith withstood the intimidation,
by forces of caste and condemnation.
may we carry your spirit of perspiration,
to keep up your aspiration.

Channels of peace we are called,
when Exclusivism is stalled,
And Inclusivism is installed.

10th August 1950 An Unjust Story…

2009-08-10T04:11:00.000-07:00

Plight History
On the 14th August 1947, India was declared independent free from the union jack, where celebrations waved across India for the freedom it has attained. The Constitution of India came into force on the 26th January 1950, and on the same day was also declared India as a Republic, with the total sovereignty given to its citizens. But freedom for Dalits to choose their own religion to preach and practice has been curtailed with a Presidential Order in 1950.

It was on10th August 1950, the then President of India brought out the list of Scheduled Castes through a Presidential Order, which has been known as Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order of 1950. Unfortunately the President then included the clause that the Scheduled Castes need to be affiliated with a particular religion to receive such status and provisions. This inclusion of religion clause deters the freedom of religion to its citizens, and after several people’s movements protested, it was in 1956 Sikhism was added and in 1990 Buddhism was added to that order.

Plight Continues
But the plight of the Christians of Scheduled Caste origin and Muslims of Scheduled Caste origins still continue for they have been denied equal status like the other Dalits. The fight has been on and even after 59 years, justice to these our brothers and sisters is unfulfilled and unreachable. The Central Government sponsored National Commission for Religious and Linguistics Minorities (NCRLM) headed by Justice Ranghanath Misra has already submitted its report to the PMO, studying the discrimination done to religious minorities of Dalit origin, and reports confirm that the Commission has recommended to ‘de-link religion in granting Scheduled Caste status’. The Supreme Court is also hearing Public Interest Litigation in this regard and the judgment has been delayed by the delay from the Central Government’s response in delivering its opinion on the issue. The recent dharna for justice in New Delhi has instilled rays of hope for the communities who have been awaiting justice, though we have heard several unfulfilled promises from the politicians and leaders in the ruling parties. For politicians, though they express that this is a genuine struggle for justice, lack of political will on their part, for fear of majority religious fundamentalist forces and for reasons best known for a voices of tiny minorities in India have been going unheard or either told to deaf ears.

Price Paid
However, 61 years of waiting for justice to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims was not an easy wait. When most Christians of Scheduled Caste origin were attacked and humiliated in the name of caste they were not protected under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act for they are not Scheduled Castes according to the Government census. Most Christians and Muslims of Scheduled Caste have not been selected to most of the educational institutions and have been denied promotions in their jobs, because they are do not have a Scheduled Caste certificate like their other relatives, who still have either Hinduism or Buddhism as their religion on certificates.

Prosecuting Justice
At this point it is interesting to note that some of the Christian leaders have told their congregations to openly write as Buddhists or Hindus on the Government issued caste certificates in order to avail the Scheduled Caste status, and are free to attend the Church and participate in its sacraments. On the other hand, there are few Christian Churches, who taught their congregations that to be Christian is to take up our Cross, and therefore not being granted Scheduled Caste status is the will of God on their part and is the Cross, which has to be bore in this world. So a tiny rich Christians are happy that they are not Scheduled Castes, like those others in the Church. These Christians discriminate the Scheduled Caste people within the Church, and proclaim the wrath of God by quoting Jesus’ words “ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angles.” (Luke 9: 26)

These quoting of Jesus’ words are from the people, who think their citizenship is only in heaven and not here and who are absolutely unaware of the Constitutional rights of citizens in India. This situation brings to the discussion the caste system prevailed within the Churches today. The upper caste rich Christians are self-content and do not have any discrimination or any facilities lacking for they are complacent and can achieve by paying money. Therefore they preach such things and force on the poor Dalit Christians. I really wonder, is fighting for Scheduled Caste status to Christians of Scheduled Caste origin is to be ashamed of Christ’s name? No not at all, on the other way those not fighting for the cause of Scheduled Caste Status for Christians are being ashamed of Christ’s name and the gospel of liberation preached by Jesus Christ.

Proceeding in Hope…
Dharna after dharna, delegations after delegations, several ways of expressing our displeasure against the lethargy of the ruling governments continue and will continue, our peoples struggle for justice will thrive one day, for we are on the constant march towards justice and liberation. We dwell with a hope against hope, yet keeping our fingers crossed some times, holding our grips in tight, we are confident that justice will be triumphant Wherever you are, kindly make sure you shall keep advocating and lobbying for this cause and personally I feel hope is not too far away. Let us take up advocacy for Dalit Christians as a faith issue and justice as a faith issue.

Let us not lose our hope,
Justice spiraled as a rope,
Building trust as we cope,
Victory will never grope.

Advocacy is a way of mission,
Conspiracy is nowhere in session,
Democracy within its vision,
Efficiency in all its commission.

Marching together side by side,
Searching inclusivity far and wide,
Torching rays of hope in stride,
Approaching justice in all its tide.

August 2011

Rev. John Rangiah, the Unsung Hero of World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, 1910

2009-08-05T02:45:00.001-07:00

According to the recorded statistics of those registered delegates at the Edinburgh World Missionary Conference in 1910, there were about 1,215 delegates participated from across the world. Among them there were about 17 participants from Asia either called as Natives or participants from younger churches. Out of which there were 8 Indians who participated in this conference either as representatives of the mission boards or as guests by the executive committees.

Bishop V.S. Azariah (then a reverend) was one of the prominent delegates who made a famous speech on “Give Us Friends” in the Conference, for which he has been ever cherished and remembered for. Rev. K.C. Chatterjee, the then recently elected Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of India from Punjab, was among the two Asians upon whom an honorary doctorate was conferred upon by the University of Edinburgh then, in 1910. He also led an opening devotion in the Commission IV of the Conference and also explained his experiences as the only Hindu convert among the delegates. Rev. Thang Khan Sangma was the other Indian who attended the conference, and was a Baptist Evangelist from Tura, who was serving the Garo Tribes in Assam (then) in North East India. He was pursuing his higher studies in Newton Theological Institution in Massachusetts, USA. He also made a courageous speech countering the British stance in the discussions on “Missions and Governments.” Twelve of the seventeen delegates from Asia were given chance to speak to the conference.

It has been a known fact that there has been an absence of African delegates in the Conference. However there were some African American Missionaries who attended. Rev. Dr. Alexander Camphor, who was born in Louisiana was serving as a missionary in Liberia was one of them. Besides Camphor, there was also a non-African missionary serving in South Africa who attended the World Missionary Conference, and he is none other but Rev. John Rangiah.

Rev. John Rangiah (1866-1915) was a Telugu Baptist Christian who was sent from Andhra Pradesh, India to Natal, South Africa in June 1903 by Telugu Baptist Home Missionary Society, representing the America Baptist Foreign Mission Society. He was a Headmaster of a girl’s high school in Nellore, Andhra Padesh prior to be sent as a missionary. He was probably the first overseas missionary sent out by any missions of American Baptists. He was sent as a missionary to work among the Telugu immigrants, who were taken as labourers to work in the sugar plantations in Natal, South Africa. The Baptist missionaries felt that this immigrant Telugu community were like a ‘sheep without a shepherd’, and therefore had to sent Rev. John and his wife to serve them. By his pioneering missionary works, he established a first church on 27th December 1903, just after the Christmas celebrations, with about 63 members. It has been recorded that by 1910, Rev. John was pivotal in establishing 10 churches in Pietermaritzburg, Durban and Natal, where a strong Indian Baptist community was established. Rev. John Rangiah attended the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh as one of the five Asian representatives of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. Though he had not made any speech or public contribution at the Conference, but his benign presence had an impact in mutual learning to him as well as to the other missionaries participating there. It was even said that Rev. John Rangiah attended the Conference in Scotland bare-footed, for he has always been a bare-footed missionary, probably bare-footed in every sense of the word. That would have made the other participating missionaries in the Conference to discuss about “mission on bare-foot.”

In a country of ours, where Willaim Carey, Bartholomaus Ziegenbalg, and others are hailed for their contributions, Rev. John Rangiah may not have the sufficient space in the history of missions in India. However, as we gear up towards celebrating the 2010 centenary of the Edinburgh World Missionary Conference, it is time for us Indian Christians to pay rich tribute to these unsung heroes from India who attended the Conference. These heroes history to the mission of the Church would have been unnoticed and neglected, but time is ripe that we need to bring into light their histories, their contributions and need to thank God for their life, witness and mission. Let us draw inspirations from these people of God, and let us dedicate to be the proud heirs of such rich legacy of mission.

O God of our help in ages past
Our hope for years to come,
Come 2010, come to ignite us to be a spark of transformation in our society,
Come 2010, come to involve us to journey with the oppressed and excluded people,
Come 2010, come to invite us to friendship with other people of faith and gender,
Come 2010, come to invigorate us to wake us from deep slumber of complacency,
Come 2010, come to instruct us to widen and deepen the Reign of God here on earth,
Come 2010, come to inspect us to seek our true commitment for mission of God,
Come 2010, come to inspire us to participate vibrantly in the mission of God.

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Details collected from Brian Stanley’s book The World Missionary Conference.

Well, come and feel Welcome in the Church!

2009-07-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

UK Churches to give special treatment to bald and fat people: A Church of England guidance is being issued suggesting churches should try harder to make bald and obese people feel welcome. (Times of India, Nagpur Edition, 28th July 2009, Pg. 9)

Thank God! neither Paul nor any other writers of Bible had written about baldhead and obesity telling such people will not inherit the kingdom of God, which also made the Church in England to issue a guidance (probably with out any controversy or much debate) in making bald and obese people feel welcomed into the churches. The guidance from the Church comes at a time, when discussions are geared across the globe with greater velocity, whether to accept or condemn people with different sexual orientations.

The bald headed and the obese friends would have had bitter experiences as they come to church, for some giggle at them, some look down upon them and even some mock at their physical appearances. In that backdrop, this guidance from the Church, calls on the Church and its members to be sensitive and make Churches welcome such people. Thanks to the Church of England for being sensitive to the feelings of these our friends. The percentage of population older than fifteen with a body mass-index greater than thirty is 23% in UK, which means almost a quarter of its population. Again according to a finding approximately 25 percent of men begin balding by age 30; two-thirds begin balding by age 60. There is a 4 in 7 chance of getting the baldness gene. Therefore I presume in order not to exclude such a huge population, the Church of England had to issue such a guidance to convey how inclusive is the Church today. Moreover, the gospel is all liberative and inclusive, and therefore the Church needs to welcome all people irrespective of their creed, colour, religion, sex, and even physique.

I was just wondering what does this issuance of guidance by the Church of England mean to the Churches in India? I know both the contexts of England and India are totally different, however when this news has been quoted in the secular print media in India, certainly there is an inclination for the readers of all faiths in India to attempt to imply such a guidance to the Churches in India as well. Should the Churches in India need to work hard to make bald and obese people feel welcome in its Churches? Yes, surely we need to welcome such friends, and Church can no way object them nor deject them for being bald and obese. But the Churches in India have much more pressing needs in India to address within the Church and in the wider society. People with disabilities in some Churches in India have been un-welcomed by the Churches in administering the sacraments, for the Church feels disability is a curse. Women in some Churches have been un-welcomed by the Churches to be ordained, for the Church feels God has ordained only men. People with different sexual orientations in Churches across India have been un-welcomed by the Churches, for the Church feels they are unscriptural and are perverse against the law of creation.

If all these categories of people are at one hand, the plight of a major group who have been un-welcomed by the Church are the Dalits & Tribals. Is it not startling to know that caste, a social hierarchy discriminating Dalits is alive in the Indian Church? But it is a dire reality that still exists, dominates and governs the life of the Church today. 25% of the Indian population consists of Dalits & Tribals, and the Churches in India have been deaf to the plights of these our brothers and sisters. During the times of marriages in the Church, caste plays a vital role, and marriages between caste Christians and Dalit Christians has still been a distant reality. The caste further plays its dirty politics by widening the gap between the sub-castes within the Dalits. During the times of elections within the Church, caste card plays a pivotal role, and people are elected based on their caste identities and affiliations. The plights of Dalit Christians knew no bounds, for they have been discriminated by the Church as well as by the State by not granting them equal opportunities like their other Dalit Hindus, Dalit Buddhists & Dalit Sikhs. The sensitivity of the Churches in India towards Dalits has been so minimal, and yet times even negligible. In most of the Churches, Dalit issue is non-issue and has no space in their mission agendas. Even though Dalit agenda has a space, it has always been an appendix issue or a matter of miscellaneous. When will the Churches in India issue guidance suggesting their local congregations in trying harder to make Dalit people feel welcomed? When will the Churches in India open its doors and arms to Dalits by being their friends? When will the Churches in India journey with Dalits in their struggles for justice and transformation? When will the Churches in India champion the cause of Dalits & Tribals perceiving them as not mere objects of mission but as subjects of mission?

Into that heaven of freedom my father, let my Churches in India wake up!

Celebrating Bartholomuas Ziegenbalg, The First Protestant Missionary to India

2009-07-09T02:49:00.000-07:00

Bartholomaus Ziegenbalg, the first Protestant missionary to India, despite all his sufferings and ill health, worked day in and day out, in season and off-season for the mission of God in India. It was on the 9th July 1706, Ziegenbalg first landed on the coasts of Tranquebar of Tamil Nadu, and contributed creatively in teaching the Christian faith and gospel to the people of India. 9th July all across our Lutheran Churches in India is celebrated as ‘Mission Thanksgiving Day’, thanking God for the life, witness, and mission of all those faithful men and women of God who were committed to the calling of extending God’s reign here on earth and renewing the mission for our times today.

Ziegenbalg was born exactly the same day 173 years after the famous Protestant reformer John Calvin was born. 10th July 2009 will be celebrated across the Reformed Churches worldwide as the 500th birth anniversary of Calvin’s birth, and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) in their news release has called its members to ‘celebrate Calvin as an inspiration and not as a saint’. The same may be true of Ziegenbalg as well. This occasion calls all of us to join the global Reformed Churches in commemorating the birth anniversary of famous Protestant reformer John Calvin, to thank God for his innovative spirit of addressing contextual issues of his times by extending the horizons of theology in the life of the Church.

Born on 10th July 1682, Ziegenbalg as a Danish Missionary to India, lived a very short life of 35 years, 7 months and 18 days, but has made an indelible impression and influence on the Church in India in general and on the Protestant Church in India in particular. His untiring efforts for the extension of God’s reign in India prompted the genesis of the first protestant mission in India, which has now grown to a 300 plus years of history with above 30 million Indian Christians. Ziegenbalg permeates the Christian ethos of India in a way that nothing else does. His passion and zeal for mission can be captured in his own understanding of mission as a ‘service to the soul’ as well as a ‘service to the body’.

On this great historic mission day as we thank God for Ziegenbalg’s arrival to India we need to renew our missiological tasks for our times today. Though our context today is highly volatile, with every new day new issues of prominence prop up, I think we can still take lessons from Ziegenbalg. There are several voluminous contributions of Ziegenbalg, which have had its impact on the life of the Church today, but I would like to bring out three main areas of relevance from the life; witness and mission of Ziegenbalg to the present day Indian Church. These areas epitomize the heart and spirit of Ziegenbalg that continually challenge the Church today.

1.Word Becoming Flesh
Ziegenbalg has preached on several themes from the Scriptures, and has related the Word to the context of his world. Besides preaching, he was the pioneer who translated the Scriptures to Tamil and Telugu. By translating the Bible to the indigenous languages, he has made ‘the Word became flesh’ more relevant and meaningful. Like Martin Luther, he has translated the Bible into the people’s language. It was only about 100 years after his translations of Bible to Indian languages; William Carey translated the Bible to many other Indian languages.

The contextual re-readings of the Scriptures perhaps can be the extension of the translations of the Scriptures to the local languages. The local hermeneutics have been a welcome move in this regard. Imagine the local Tamils, if at all were forced to learn and to read German in order to know the activity of God in the history that was recorded in the Bible, the historical activity of God would not have made any sense to them. Thanks to Ziegenbalg for his efforts in bringing the Word as flesh. Therefore Ziegenbalg’s translation of Scriptures challenges us today, to relate the Word to the local world and to work to bring out the relevance of the Word into our lives. Translations and interpretations of the Scriptures for our times become immanent. Today most people quote Scriptures in countering the life and life-giving activities. Probably I think, Ziegenbalg, as a true disciple of Jesus Christ challenges us to reinterpret our Scriptures in addressing our issues today, and would call on us to allow the fresh revelations of God to happen today.

2.Wider Ecumenism
Ziegenbalg always maintained healthy relationships with all people of faith. In spite of several differences with the Roman Catholics, he appreciated their commitment for the gospel and has adapted several words and phrases developed by Jesuit missionaries by reading their books and manuscripts. Ziegenbalg was also a pioneer in initiating the inter-faith dialogues with other people of faith. He had several discussions with Muslims and Hindus on several theological themes, and worked out the similarities and dissimilarities in their faith convictions and practices. He encouraged inter-cultural learning in their mother tongues. He always maintained high respect for the dialoguing partners and treated them on equal grounds. However, his conviction and faith in Jesus Christ made him to be wide open for new learning and friendship. He also worked for the liberation of the oppressed people who were exploited by the caste system from ages.

In the present context of violence in the name of religion, hatred and mistrust among religions, rise of religious fundamentalism, etc. Ziegenbalg’s relationship with all people of faith is challengingly relevant for our times. A point to note is that, to be an ecumenist one need not dilute or compromise ones convictions. That is what Ziegenbalg reminds us, his firm roots in the faith of Jesus Christ, his grounding in the Lutheran pietism made him to strive for healthy relations with other people of faith. Ecumenism means diluting ones convictions is a misconception that needs to be wiped off. Are our relationships with other denominations and with other people of faith healthy? The local congregations need to make this wider ecumenism (transcending all the boundaries of denominations, religions, regions, classes, caste, genders/sexualities etc.) as its agenda, and strive for the transformation of our creation and make our earth a better place to live in peace, happiness, justice and liberation.

3.Vibrant Missiology
Ziegenbalg’s self-understanding of mission reveals his commitment for the mission of God. For him, Jesus Christ remains the source of mission, Christ always accompanies the missionaries, and missionaries are to engage in four-fold mission i.e. to go out, to teach, to baptize and to make the believers to enjoy the fruits of conversion. Conversion was not satisfactory for him, so he was engaged in translating his faith into actions. He made the gospel to reach to the people in deeds rather in mere words. Besides all his preaching, translations of Scriptures etc. he had established several mission schools, theological seminary, paper mill, and printing press etc. to make the gospel come alive to the people and for a dynamic witness of the gospel. He aimed that education should be given to all classes of people including the girl children and the children from the lower strata of the society.

What is mission today? This has been an old question put in new contexts and is asked from time to time. This questions reveals that since the context of every kairos is dynamic, so also is mission. Mission can never be static, and if it is so, it ceases to be mission. Mission is always vibrant and relevant. Ziegenbalg analyzed his context, and translated his faith to actions accordingly. In our present day context of globalization, oppressions in the name of class, caste and gender, discussions of different sexual orientations, ecological disasters, HIV and AIDS, religious fundamentalism, war and terrorism etc. how can we translate our faith to actions. Being Christo-centric was the key for Ziegenbalg in his mission for God, so also should be for the local congregations today. Sharing and not accumulating, over coming consumerism, liberation, inclusion of all excluded groups, stewarding the creation, caring the positives, establishing peace, inter-faith relations etc. should all be on our congregations mission agenda. Ziegenbalg discerned the signs of his times and acted accordingly, so also should be the church today. Let our churches become sensitive, vibrant and dynamic in the mission of God.

On this mission thanksgiving day, let us all rededicate our call and commitment and strive for justice and transformation of our society. Thanks to the Ter-centenary celebrations of this historic day in 2006, which was celebrated in India that has further stimulated and inspired many young people. Our respects and tributes to Ziegenbalg would be honest only when we can live out our faith and when be becomes witness to the gospel values. Mere celebrations and commemorations will not be sufficient for this day, but a true renewal and revival of our commitment would strengthen the cause. May God grant us all God’s strength to become the proud heirs of Ziegenbalg in carrying along his legacy of vibrant mission to our generations. Jai ho Zeigenbalg!

patta, 09.07.2009

Human Sexuality: A Gift of God

2009-07-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

(Christian Reflections on Different Sexual Orientations)

On the 2nd July 2009, the Delhi High Court pronounced a historic judgement to amend the nearly 150 year-old colonial times law of section 377 in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and decriminalise private consensual sex between people of the same sex. On hearing the judgement, there has been a mixed reaction from diverse segments of society. Gay rights activists were overjoyed by the judgement and said it is a way forward in their struggle for equality; most religious leaders opposed the move, calling homosexuality “unnatural” and a “mental sickness”; while political parties sang their tunes of expediency by either being neutral or outright opposed to the judgement. The media has aired several discussions and debates on this issue affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, portraying a diversity of perspectives by celebrities in the film industry, social activists, religious representatives and politicians. Those in favour of the Delhi High Court judgement described the moment as a new beginning for an inclusive community, and those who were against it stuck to their guns using scriptures and notions of the will of God, tradition, culture, morality, religion, anti-creation, etc. In such a situation as this, when so much of the Christian Church has denied the existence of sexual minorities, I wonder: what would have Jesus done? This reflection is from the perspective of a young, pastoral & ecumenical learner. This is purely my own individual position and does not reflect stand or position of any Church in India, neither is reflected to contradict any people or institution’s ideas or ideologies.

Gay and lesbian issues are no longer behind closed doors in India, for these brothers and sisters have come out of culturally imposed closets to profess their sexual orientations and identities. Despite all the opposition, some of the younger generations in our society are slowly accepting the reality of these friends and are able to respect them for who they are. However, such acceptance has been minimal when compared to the resistance these our friends have faced from other quarters. The Indian Union Health Ministry last year even proposed “abolishing homosexuality,” for it claimed that HIV and AIDS was increasing due to homosexuality. The proposal was met with severe criticism from all quarters.

The Church teaches that we must love all human beings, for all are created in the image of God. Yet our same Church has largely been closed and resistant to gay lesbian realities, for it often teaches that homosexuality is unscriptural, unethical, unnatural and un-spiritual. Global Church councils and communions have been divided over the issues raised by the existence of varieties of sexualities, and many try to shy away from addressing them. I also heard someone say, “A homosexual Bishop is too much for a Church to think of.” Is such a statement consistent with God’s command to love and to acknowledge the image of God in all? As Christians are we able to respect our friends in Christ whose sexual orientation and identity may be different from our own? Are we willing to welcome them into our communities and accept their God-given gifts based on our common baptism and oneness in Christ? On the contrary, too often we contribute to discrimination against them, openly criticise their sexual orientations and identities, expose them to public condemnation, allow them to be branded as non-humans, and do not protest when vicious, derogatory remarks are made about them. Is there a way out of claiming a theology of inclusive love while living a theology of condemnation and exclusion? Is there a way forward?

Let us analyse a situation addressed by Jesus in his times, for such an analysis will provide clues for a way forward in the midst of today’s issues arising on different sexual orientations. In John 8:1-11, when a woman caught in adultery was brought to him for judgement, Jesus tells the religious leaders who brought the woman before him to be the first to throw a stone at her if they were without sin. On hearing this, everyone in the gathered crowd turned away, beginning with the elders, who were usually firmly committed to keep the status quo in place. Only Jesus alone stood in solidarity with that woman, for he neither condemned her nor sang the tune of the religious leaders in branding her a sinner. Jesus asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. “Go, and do not sin again.”

1.Jesus does not condemn by virtue of one’s body. Jesus could have easily condemned the woman and joined a mob in stoning her to death, for she was caught in an act of adultery. But what if this woman was forced into the act? And why did the religious leaders not also bring before Jesus for judgement and potential stoning to death the man with whom the woman had allegedly had sexual relations? If Jesus had gone along with the testing and goading of the religious leaders, the forces of man’s aggression and patriarchy would have bruised the woman’s body to death. Imagine, this woman would have been battered and utterly traumatized by men and would have experienced unimaginable pain all over her body. Perhaps because Jesus perceived the truth and heart of the matters before him, he did not judge by virtue of the woman’s body, but by virtue of the spirit and context of the situation.

2.Jesus does not condemn by virtue of written letters. When the religious leaders brought the woman before Jesus, they accused her of the crime of adultery and quoted from their religious laws that the penalty for such a crime was to be stoned to death. Jesus could have endorsed the written law by advocating: “Let it be so as it is written in the law.” On the contrary, for Jesus, life and life-giving spirit superseded the written laws of scripture. Jesus, as the Word who became flesh, has come to fulfil the law, all the more for the sake of life and life-enriching experiences. Jesus addressed the situation of the woman cast before him by testy religious leaders ready to condemn her by contextually translating the will of God in a way that was relevant for his times; for he knew that the revelation of God is continuous and dynamic. Moreover, when the religious leaders quoted their ancient, provocative scriptures, Jesus responded by casually scribbling with his finger on the ground, for he knew that the spirit of life- giving is above the letter of the law that would discriminate against and destroy a person.

3.Jesus does not condemn by virtue of the majority views. Although the religious leaders cite Moses’ law – that anyone caught in adultery was to be stoned to death – there is no evidence that such stoning actually took place on a regular basis in Jesus’ day. Nevertheless, it was commonly understood that adultery was a sin. Blanket condemnation for such behaviour was the majority’s viewpoint in Jesus’ time. In addressing the situation of the woman cast before him, surrounded by a crowd in the temple, Jesus was not carried away by the cultural viewpoint of the majority, but was rather the only single man who opposed the majority’s preconceived notions that would have condemned her, though Jewish law also required an irreproachable trial before carrying out any punishment. Jesus was a revolutionary and always took risks to subvert the things that deter life. Perhaps, on that day in the temple, if Jesus would have joined the chorus of the religious leaders’ legalistic, scriptural and political arguments, he would have been a hero in their sight. But rather, he decided to be bold, to be singled out, and to take a stand on behalf of the one who otherwise would have been discriminated against and victimised.

4.Jesus does not condemn the victimised, the discriminated against, and the marginalized, but listens to the most vulnerable and stands in solidarity. When Jesus was left alone with the woman, by asking “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”, for the first time Jesus invited the bleeding woman to speak. There was no space provided to this woman by the religious leaders for her to express her feelings and pain. Seeing that all who would have condemned the woman - and even killed her – had left the scene, one after the other, Jesus gave the woman the opportunity to speak for herself, building within her a source of tranquillity and trust in relationship to him. When she answered “no one [is left to condemn] Lord”, Jesus assured her that neither did he condemn her. Jesus did not condemn the victimised, discriminated against, and marginalized woman, but invited her to give voice to her own experience and stood in solidarity with her. Listening to those who have been victimised and discriminated against is the strength of Jesus. Perhaps by listening we ourselves may come to know more about the issues of our day and what we learn may allow us to be more open to new light and truth. Jesus strengthened the woman by telling her to go her way and from then on not to sin any more. He wanted her to live a life of dignity in her locality. Jesus respected the image of God in her, equal to that in any other person, and boosted her depressing life by affirming her worth, dignity, self-respect and self-determination to live life in all its fullness.

After carefully analysing this case in point, we draw some implications regarding how Jesus might have dealt with sexually diverse people today. Let me be explicit that I do not want to draw parallels between people of different sexual orientations and identities and the woman caught in adultery in Jesus’ day. Sexual orientation and identity are inherent characteristics of humankind, separate from sexual behaviours. The rationale in choosing this passage from Bible, is the kind of a different situation Jesus addressed, where the religious heads sought a judgement, just like the people seeking judgement on section 377 of IPC.

1.Jesus would not condemn people of different sexual orientations by virtue of their bodies. Bodies are gifts of God to people, temples of the Spirit, and sexuality, including sexual orientation, is an aspect of our God-given embodiment. Heterosexuals and people of different sexual orientations are born with the same gifts from God, all part of the natural diversity of God’s creation that God called “very good.” Scientific studies demonstrate that sexual orientation is an innate characteristic. Persons who discover that they are “naturally” heterosexual are no different than persons who discover an inbuilt gay or lesbian sexual orientation. Just as heterosexual persons have the freedom to self-identify as such, so our LGBT friends know that they have been born the way they are. Surely Jesus would have respected these our friends as people made in the full image of God. Jesus would not condemn people by virtue of their bodies, whether they are born as male, female or otherwise. When 5-12% of people globally are born with sexual orientations other than heterosexual, let us respect them for who they are.

2.Jesus would not condemn people of different sexual orientations by virtue of written scriptures. Most but not all religious communities oppose and condemn people who are not heterosexual by appealing to their beliefs and traditions rooted in their own written scriptures. Yet, for Jesus, scriptures were the record of the experience of God’s activity by particular communities in particular contexts. The gospels are full of accounts of Jesus’ reinterpretations of Jewish scriptures applied to persons and situations he encountered. Therefore, when people of different sexual orientations today share the dire reality of their lives and their contextual struggle for equality, it is easy to imagine that Jesus would have allowed for the fresh revelation of God to illuminate his way in addressing this struggle. It is easy to picture that Jesus would have championed the cause of life and equality whatever personal risk might be required. I believe Jesus would have transcended tradition, culture, religion, etc. and would stand in solidarity with people of different orientations, for he condemns discrimination done to anyone on any account. For Jesus, scriptures are to promote life as he himself did in his preaching, teaching and healing ministries, and scriptures should not be used as a stumbling block to deter life in all its fullness.

3.Jesus would not condemn people of different sexual orientations by virtue of a majority view. Today many of those who oppose and condemn LGBT persons claim that these friends’ self-acknowledged identities are against nature and that the majority of people are opposed to them. It is hard to believe that Jesus would have been carried away by the winds of majority thinking or that he would have condemned sexual minorities on account of popular opinion. When many people argue that LGBT persons’ claims of authentic self-discovery and identity are “unnatural”, against procreation and the laws of life, I believe Jesus would differ from the majority view. For he carefully analyses every situation, deeply knows people and their contexts, and responds accordingly. Even though he may be the only one to do so, Jesus would stand for life and justice.

4.Jesus would not condemn people of different sexual orientations who are victimized, discriminated against, and marginalized, but would listen to them and stands in solidarity with them. Jesus’ primary mission to this world is to stand by the least, the last and the lost in society. He has come to release captives from the prisons of discrimination and oppression. Jesus would have allowed LGBT people to speak up for themselves, for he listens and cares for them. Listening certainly makes Jesus to stand by them. Jesus truly would have stood in solidarity with people of different sexual orientations and identities, even if the Church would not stand with them; even if cultures and traditions would not stand with them; even if politicians would not stand with them; and even if the religions of the world, including Christianity would not stand with them. Jesus would have stood solely and singly with these LGBT persons and would not condemn them on the basis of their sexual orientation or identity. Jesus would embrace them, for he would affirm that they are the ones equally created in the image of God, like him.

Theological Implications for Justice Action
At this point, before we conclude, I would like to explore how we might apply these theological reflections to further strengthen our commitment for the cause of equality among sexual minorities who are gifts to humankind. The whole discussion raises three prominent questions, each of which requires careful attention, for all of them are parts of the theological wrestling within me.

1.Are different sexual orientations a gift of God?
2.How do we understand body theologically?
3.What does it mean, “Do not sin again”?

Due to limitation of space and time, let me just reflect on the third question only.

Do not sin again
On Vidhana Soudha building in Bangalore, it is engraved on the main wall, as “Government’s work is God’s work”. This inscription caught my attention and I find myself reflecting on several implications drawn from it. One such implication is that anything against government is sin, for anything against God is sin. Therefore, any resistance against government’s orders is sin, and people’s movements against government policies are sins. Another implication is that the government’s word is the final verdict on any matter concerning sin. This latter implication in particular helped illuminate for me the scripture passage in John 8:1-11 and what Jesus might have meant when he told the woman to “sin no more.”

In Jesus’ time, the inscription written on Jewish religious people’s hearts was “Mosaic law is God’s law”; anything against it was sin and had to be condemned. When Jesus said to the woman who had been caught in adultery: “Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you. Go, and do not sin again”, Jesus at the end pronounced a judgement. But it likely was not what religious people would have expected him to say. By not condemning the woman according to the Mosaic law, Jesus was, in a way, condemning the crowd of people surrounding him in the temple, including the religious leaders, who were sinning more and more at the expense of vulnerable sexual minorities. By announcing, “sin no more” to the woman, Jesus was confronting the act of adultery, where a powerless woman could easily be forced into it. Sin in Jesus’ times was understood as something against Mosaic law. Therefore, Jesus could have said to the woman: “Even though no one condemned you, according to the law you have sinned, and I shall forgive you.” But Jesus said to the woman “sin no more/ do not sin again.” Jesus gave that woman life which was far above the written laws and written sins.

In today’s context, what is the measure to be used to pronounce what is sin and what is against God? Some religious pundits say “Anything against nature is sin.” But who decides, and how is it determined, what is inherent to nature and what is “against” nature? The questions are ongoing. But Jesus’ words “do not sin again” offered the woman the opportunity to uphold her identity and dignity and opened up life where only the forces of oppression had once been. Jesus neither names the sin nor calls the woman a sinner. Therefore, let no one ever call any one, irrespective of their sexual orientation or identity, a sinner. Let God alone be the judge.

Like Jesus, let us work to be in solidarity with LGBT friends, respect their sexuality, accept them as human beings made in the image of God, and welcome them into our communities. Let us not diminish their self-respect, dignity and self-determination, of which they are in need like anyone else. Let us give up condemning them for, after all, they are our co-human beings created equally in the image of God. I pray that the Church, as the foretaste of God’s reign here on earth, would take the lead in standing for the rights of persons of different sexual orientations and identities, for since they have been excluded by every section of people in the society.

May God, who does not condemn human beings because of their sexuality but who is the giver of the gift, teach us to respect the dignity of our LGBT friends. And may God grant our churches the love and grace to accept them into our communities and to fight for their rights. Just and inclusive communities will still be only a dream if we do not accept people of different sexual orientations and identities into our churches’ fold. Truly, sexuality is a gift of God, distributed to humankind in splendid varieties.

07.07.09

Injustice at one place Affects Justice at every place

2009-06-29T04:20:00.000-07:00

“I have been a victim of racism in India” was quoted recently as said by the Mizoram Chief Minister Mr. Lalthanhawla in a seminar in Singapore, which has caught the attention of media all across the nation, describing such a statement as an embarrassment to the Indian pride. This statement also comes at a time when Indian students in Australia are being beaten up on the count of racism, creating a situation of fear and threatening. Today, I have seen a cartoon, where an Australian student studying India is manhandling an Indian on the same pretext of racism. Certainly such forms of violence and racist activities needs to be condemned and the law needs to be enforced in such cases, across the globe. Several protest rallies by the students have been organized by Indian students in Australia and in India to condemn such activities and have been demanding to provide safety and security to all Indians there. The politicians have been raising their voices in and out of Parliament to address this issue of attacks on Indian students abroad. Discussions with Australian political leaders are on, articles requesting Indian students to assimilate with Australian culture and people have been voluminous, the ministry of External Affairs has been on the job, the ministry of Oversees Indian Affairs has been working hard and counselling to the victims is also on the move. As I pen down my thoughts, there is news that two Indians are assaulted in Sydney. Discrimination and hate campaigns against colour and race needs to be condemned and should be on the top priority of the international community in addressing it. I was pleased to see the FIFA football match between the USA and the Spain, where before the match began, when both the teams stand for the guard of honour, the captains of both the teams said at last, “ Let us say NO to RACISM”. Such gestures can serve as a token to make understand people in overcoming racism. I wish when India and Australia plays next a cricket match, if both the captains on behalf of their countries announce “no to racism and no to discrimination, for all of us as human beings are one and equal”, for such gestures also will send in the message of equality.

But what comes to me, as surprise is that all of a sudden racism comes to the forefront, and there have been discussions on this topic on all most every television channels and news columns. Is racism a new phenomenon that we have been caught by its sensation today? Is discrimination by colour something new to our Indian society? Or is it because such attacks are done to Indians on a foreign land that there is a lot of hue and cry? Does our Indian society and Indian political leadership have forgotten that in our own land from several ages, there have been a community of people called Dalits, who have been discriminated, ostracized and are being beaten up every day just on the similar grounds of race, or even a worse form called caste? Do caste discriminations and attacks on people in the name of caste not attract the Indian media and public? Does our Indian government give heed to the plights of these our Dalit brothers & sisters? I am not sure how to go about in answering these realistic questions of our times.

Discrimination on Dalits, violence on Dalits, and violation of human rights to Dalits have been an ongoing saga from ages in India. Caste has been one of the cruel forms that have divided our society and unfortunately it has crept deep into our societies and families that we are least bothered to address such inhuman system, which divides and discriminates people. Discrimination and exclusion have been dominating not only the rural contexts of India, but also the higher places of learning centers are not free from such evil forces. Dalit students are beaten up, Dalit students have been looked down and humiliated on the basis of caste, at some places the government schemes allotted for Dalit students have not been implemented and some even staged protests over the reservations and preferential options given to Dalits in India. When Dalit students were brutally attacked in Ambedkar Law University in Chennai, how many responsible citizens of India raised their voice? There are several incidents to be quoted, and the question still remains, are Dalits safe in India?

I am reminded of the saying, “injustice done at one place affects justice at every place”. Therefore, when there has been a great pressure on the government on India from all section of people to act on the attacks on Indian students in Australia, and provide them safety and security, I am of the opinion that the same pressure needs to be kept on the government to address the attacks on Dalits and the discriminations done to them. Let’s not forget, that since it is mostly upper middle class and upper class and caste, who can afford to study abroad when attacked, the government makes sure that no stone is left unturned in bringing the situation to normalcy. But when the poor Dalits are marginalized, discriminated, excluded and beaten up, on a daily basis, hardly there is any one to be in solidarity with them and to present their case with the government in ensuring justice to them. I think it is high time, that we as civil society needs to take up this cause of Dalits on prime importance with the attacks on Indian students in Australia and strive to be the harbingers of peace and justice. Justice, liberation, safety, freedom, equality and peace need to be ensured to Dalits in India on every front of life. India needs to be free from all sorts of discriminations, India’s unity in diversity can be witnessed when the last of the Dalits is free from the clutches of caste, India as a cradle of all major religions will be vibrant, when every faith opposes and destroys caste from its labyrinth, India as a pride for software technologies will be creative, when every industry upholds the values of equality and fraternity, with a preferential option for Dalits, and India as a developing nation will sustain, when stratification of society on the basis of caste discrimination is buried and when all its citizens live in total freedom and peace. To that vision of India, may my India remain truthful and committed for a just and inclusive community.

29.06.2009

Father’s Day Special Lyric in Telugu

2009-06-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to my Dad

Thandri neeve na Jeevanamoorthi
Thandri neeve na Jeevitha spoorthi
Panchavu naaku needhu prema keerthi
Penchavu nannu nilapalani needhu kyathi // Thandri//

1.Thappatadugulu ne vesi padinappudu
Thappidhamulu ne chesi thiriginappudu
Thappaka thotrilaka nadipinchina thandri
Thappulanni sariddhidi brathuku nichina thandri // Thandri//

2.Kramashikshana naaku nerpithivi
Kramamu thappaka deevunipai adhara pada nerpithivi
Akramamulu cheyakunda bhodhinchenu thandri
Sakramaina margamulo nadipinchenu thandri // Thandri//

3.Biddala santhoshame thanadhani bhavinchina thyagamurthy
Cheddapanulu cheyakunda kapadina rakshanamurthy
Addamulannitini yedurkonutaku thandri
Padda sramalannitini veevarimpajalenivi // Thandri//

4.Thandri ki thagina thanayulai jeevinchuma
Thandri kanina kalalanni neejamu gavinchuma
Thandri kunna kashtamulanni theerchuma
Thandri jeevanamunu anandamu cheyuma // Thandri//

17.06.09

O Deep, Dark Tunnels of Life

2009-06-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

On a fine day, when travelling on a train,
Through plains and mountains showering with rain,
Exclaimed my heart, how creative was God’s brain,
For the picturesque so serene with out a stain.

The blue sky above the huge rocks covered as roof,
The streams watering the green in all freedom as a proof,
The colourful birds singing their rhymes, ‘that we’rnt aloof,’
The rusty lonely track in curves & straight passing like a spoof.

Stopped the train in that deep at certain halts,
Sometimes to drop, to pick and even to carry some spices & salts,
When it’s stopped for long, the child to the old, every one assaults,
Cribbing aloud its getting late, though its ’cause of them, to hide their faults.

As the journey proceeds and moves forward,
From a far, there appeared several mighty hills standing upward,
How’ll the track win over those rigid huge rocks with out a heart inward?
Will those heavy rocks allow this long little train to carry its journey onward?

Thank God, the huge heartless hills are beaten and are made as tunnels,
For the passage of the train, mediating to be life-saving channels,
Carrying safe the dreams & aspirations of people in their annals,
As safe as they were brought in their lives treasures & manuals.

In a broad day light, journeying thro’ a tunnel is like experiencing a solar eclipse,
The valorous rocks of the hill coming between sun & track, making it dark,
For minutes the darkness continues, fear surrounds and doubt clips,
After which, every one’s relieved for they are back into God’s green park.

Even in the journey of life, every one passes through the rocky-hurdled hills,
Panicking how to get pass through this unachievable barrier,
Some lose hope and some ruin their life in savouring these bitter pills,
Unable to get pass through it by the tunnel, the breath within, our lives carrier.

A tunnel appears long, deep and fearful,
For it’s temporal and makes reach a land wishful,
For it’s momentary and makes search a life fruitful,
For it’s a safe passage and makes fetch happiness grateful.

Let’s be bold to face everything that’s an obstacle,
For confidence accompanies all those awaiting to pass thro’ towards a pinnacle,
It’s not just a miracle, but listen to your inner voice of oracle,
For life can be victorious at the end of tunnels in that spectacle.

(scribbled during a train journey from Mumbai to Goa 13.06.09)

An Open Letter to Mr. Martin Luther King III on his Visit to India

2009-02-19T23:49:00.000-08:00

Mr. Martin Luther King III and Mrs. King a very warm welcome to India. Indeed it is a great honour for us as Indians to have you visit our motherland, the land that affirms unity in diversities. I appreciate your pilgrimage to India in commemoration of the golden jubilee anniversary of your parents’ historic visit to India. Your dad Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Jr. continues to be an influencing personality to the whole world, and especially to us Indians for his bold and courageous fight over the cruel forces of racism, making him a towering and inspiring personality. Fifty years ago, your dad was highly influenced by the values of non-violence, for he believed that through such means and methods one can win over any power of darkness, particularly the deep rooted racism in your country. As an Indian it is pleasant to learn that our father of nation Mr. Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi, the apostle of non-violence happens to be his inspiration.

Dear Sir, it was your dad’s dream that you should not be judged by the colour of your skin, but by the content of your character, and I am glad to know that you have been living up to his dream and making his dream into a realisation. It was your dad who dreamt, who envisioned for a land free of discrimination on the basis of colour, fought for it tirelessly and made this generation reap the fruits of his efforts, even to the extent of becoming the President of the United States. It if for sure, that the bold soul of your dad would have delighted to see the sea change in your country, so also the whole world is waiting to realise the “change” that has been promised. We thank God for the life and witness of your dad Rev. King, for his courageous efforts in bringing in equality among people of your country and take this opportunity to salute him. “Kudos Rev. King! For you have run the race of life in courage, fought a good fight against the principalities and powers of your day and emerged victorious reverberating that truth is always triumphant.”

Mr. King, by now you would have had the taste of India, its varieties, its pluralities, its diversities and its various colours. Your pilgrimage of searching and researching the tenets of non-violence in various cities of India is highly commendable. Your visitations to different places of national heritage reveal your interest for learning. Especially your visit to the terror struck city of Mumbai to express your solidarity is appreciable. Your call to the different religious leaders in India and at large to fight against violence and killings has caught the attention of several people in the world, for which you deserve all our best wishes in your fight against terrorism and violence.

Mr. King, as you continue to journey as a pilgrim in India, may I call your attention to one of the dire realities of Indian society, where from ages even till today most of us are judged and discriminated in the name of descent, the inhuman caste. Not that you are unaware of this reality in India, but am just brining to your kind notice that you as a proud heir of Rev. King, who fought against discrimination should address the ongoing discriminations and oppressions done to Dalits, who have been not judged by the content of our character but are judged by the caste factor. Dalits, continue to be under the rubric of caste and are treated polluted not just by those in the rural localities, but even the so-called meritorious institutions are not free from caste discrimination. Violence on Dalits and Dalit women have been a rampant phenomena done by the caste people, which goes mostly unnoticed by the government, the media, the police and the judiciary. There goes not a single day where violence on Dalits has not been done. Discrimination on Dalits has become more subtle and aggressive these days, for caste and its allegiances rule the order of the day.

Mr. King, as you spend time in India to know more on the virtues of non-violence, my humble plea to you is to bring into the global attention the cruelty of caste on Dalits, the violence done on Dalits and for a call to end such practices and discriminations. In this pilgrimage of yours to India, besides knowing more of Mr. Gandhi, I also request you to spend time in reading other social activists like Bharat Ratna Dr. BR. Ambedkar, who challenged the forces of caste and strived hard in annihilating it. Dr. Ambedkar in many ways resemble your dad, for he too was a visionary and a tireless activist confronting and challenging all powers of caste till his death. His writings were prolific and express the poignancy of hope and aspirations of all Dalit people. All his speeches, writings and actions were Liberative and provided meaning and direction to the struggles of Dalits then and even now.

Sir, I believe it will be a fitting commemoration to the golden jubilee anniversary of your parents visit to India, by expressing your deep solidarity with the Dalit struggles for liberation. As a proud son of a proud father, and as a son who is in the mission of realizing your dad’s dream I think this your visit to India is the right opportunity for you to speak up on the discrimination and violence done to Dalits. Your expression of co-operation and solidarity to our journey of Dalit liberation, I am sure will make an impact in the society and on the government to end the discrimination and oppression done on Dalits. “We Dalits too have a dream, where our children will not be judged by the caste they are born into, but where they will be judged by the content of their character.” Sir, support us in realising this dream of ours come true. Have a good pilgrimage in India, and a safe trip back home. Our prayers go with you as endeavour in realizing the dreams for a new world.

Thanking you Sir,

For the liberation of our Dalits,

Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Raj Bharath Patta,
Executive Secretary,
Commission on Dalits,
National Council of Churches in India,
Civil Lines, Nagpur. 440 001. India
rajpatta@gmail.com

TURNING ASIDE: AVENUES FOR NEW PERCEPTIONS

2009-02-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire but of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, here am I.” Exodus 3: 2-4

A certain young man went to a bookshop and was browsing through the shelves of the shop to purchase a book of his interest. To his surprise and added to his interest he found a book titled “How to Hug”. The young man was enthralled by the title of the book and with no second thoughts went straight to the shopkeeper and asked him to bill the book and wrapped it and took it to him home. He could not withstand his curiosity to read the book he bought and in the evening creating a romantic mood for himself he started to open the cover to flip through the pages of that book he purchased. As he was flipping through the pages of the book and tried to read through the content of it, his face turned out red and his enthusiasm was taken over by utter disappointment. To his surprise the book that he thought was a romantic one did not have anything of such character and the young man started cursing himself for being cheated by the title of the book. The book was an encyclopaedia containing the meanings of the words between “HOW to HUG”. How often we are dominated in our life by our only perception we have in looking at things. There is no space for other perceptions and other side of it to look into the matters of life. Most of us have become adamant, by not letting any space to newer, creative and other perspectives in our outlook on life and life related issues. Like the young man in this story we are conditioned by our limited perceptions and all we think is only ‘how to hug’ with out any second thoughts to it. Life has to be looked and operated in varied and pluri-perceptions and only then, one can see the spectrum or rainbows in ones life.

The text that has been chosen from Exodus 3:1-6 happens to be the call of Moses by God, after he fled away from the land of pharaoh by killing a man. When Moses as a shepherds man went up to the Mount Horeb, had this calling of God through the burning bush incident, where he had the theophanic experience. Paulo Coelho in his famous “Alchemist” described that being a shepherd, the young boy could explore the riches of the land as he takes the sheep to different places and landscapes and at the end reaches his destiny in life. Similarly the hero of the Exodus episode in the Bible, Moses began his life as a Shepherd and tried to explore the riches of God’s creation and as he started exploring, on his way found the calling of God to lead God’s people out of the bondage.

The burning bush incident would not have made any impact on the life of Moses but for his listening to his own conscience of turning aside to view the great sight of burning bush. Moses recognised the language of the world, the inner burning of his heart and therefore turned aside in looking at the bush that was not burning for the second time.

1.Moses recognises only the flame of fire: When the angle of the Lord appeared in the flame of fire amidst the bush, Moses could only see the bush being burnt and saw that it was not consumed of fire. Moses could only see the flame of fire and not the presence of the Lord in it, on his first glance. For Moses as a shepherd, the flame of fire incident in the bush would have been yet another sight of new explorations in his onward journeys along with his sheep. Like his sheep on that Mount Horeb, Moses also could see the physical sight of the burning bush, where it was not consumed. For the sheep, as Paulo Coelho writes, it is only food and water that matters and therefore this incident of burning bush, whether it was burnt or not burnt would not have had any impact on it. But for Moses, he could only recognise that there was a flame of fire in the bush and the bush was not burnt, and did not get any clue of the presence of God in that flame of fire, for he was not able to discern either the language of the world nor the language of God which ultimately resonated the same substance and essence. Therefore on a first go, Moses failed to read the presence of God in that burning bush incident, and could merely see that the bush was not consumed even though there was a fire in it, and exactly saw what his flock of sheep saw on that day, at that first instance.

2.Moses discerns the flame of his heart: As Moses has seen the flame of fire; he immediately felt the flame in his heart, where his conscience spoke to him to discern the language of the world in that incident of burning bush. Therefore he said unto himself in verse three that he will turn aside to look into that burning bush, and tried to enquire why it was not being burnt. The flame of his heart or the inner voice of his conscience would have spoken to him clearly to discern the deeper meaning in that incident which he came across on that mountaintop along with his flock of sheep. In no time, Moses took a second chance, gave space to a second thought, a second perception, a second way of looking at things, and heard the second and deeper voice that is within him and immediately said that he will turn aside to see the same incident again. The burning of his heart, the flames in his heart, his deep conscience has led him to turn aside in looking at the burning bush and that led to question why the bush has not been burnt, despite the flame into it. As the Shepherds normally do, probably Moses as he listened to his heart to turn aside and see, immediately he would have spoken to his sheep and would have explained how deeply he was moved in discerning the language of the world and how he could enquire and how he could read and feel the presence of God. Like always, the sheep only wanted food and water, and therefore would have pretended to listen to what Moses was telling them and when no sheep gave heed to his feeling of inner voice, he had to speak to himself that he need to turn aside to see the same incident with new heart, new mind, new eyes and new ears. Therefore Moses ultimately could find out the presence of God in that same incident, which he has seen a minute ago.

3.God was impressed with the flaming of his heart: As Moses’ heart was flamed and as he turned another side to view the burning bush incident, his enquiring spirit earned him to feel the presence of God in it. Probably, Moses once again would have narrated his experience of feeling the presence of God to his flock of sheep, and therefore the narrator of Exodus story like Moses’s sheep also did not give importance to such explanation of Moses to his sheep, and therefore could not record it. However, when God saw that Moses was feeling the presence of God in that burning bush, God immediately was impressed by Moses’ listening to his heart of turning aside to look at the bush that was not being burnt. In fourth verse we read that when the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see, God called Moses by name. I think among all the characters Moses had in his CV, God was impressed by Moses’ turning aside quality. Moses’ turning aside quality has so impressed God that eventually when Moses raises several complaints of his inability to lead the people of Israel, God did not give heed to all his short comings and pressed hard that Moses should lead the people of Israel out of the bondage. The quality and character of turning to another side, taking a second chance, giving a deeper thought, being open to other perceptions, listening to the inner voice and giving space to new outlooks of Moses that day has won the heart of God. God also by any chance did not want to lose such a man who had a willing heart to discern the inner voice in recognising the presence of God, and therefore did not give it up in persuading Moses to lead the people living in bondage to liberation.

The contexts today have been dominated by the exclusivistic ideologies and fundamentalistic attitudes. Frictions among people and religions are counted high because of not being open to learn in their journeys. Therefore, dear friends the calling to all of us is to listen to the voice of our conscience like the Alchemist to discern the language of the world and thereby act to feel the presence of God. Moses depicted such qualities of an Alchemist and could lead the people out of bondage in all courage and boldness. Let us also try to turn aside to other perceptions in looking at and perceiving life in a better and healthy manner. May we turn aside from our own exclusivistic perceptions, from our own rigid perceptions and from our narrow domestic walls. Let us be open to turn aside from our own standings and stand points and let us try to decipher the presence of God, which appears in ordinary things like that of the common bush for a shepherd. Turning aside to other stand points and perceptions has won the heart of God, and I feel such a quality is so divinely blended into every human being equally with the rider that we need to listen to the language of the world and try to be open to new learning and new opportunities. May God grant us all that courage to be open to new perceptions and new imaginations so that all of us can lead journey in the pilgrimage of faith in partnership and friendship.

The Faction Factors and the Friendship Matters

2009-01-28T04:10:00.000-08:00

A Call on NCCI Sunday towards Unity amidst Diversity

Grace, peace and unity to you all in the name of our God who is one in unity and diverse in manifestations. Let me bring to you all greetings from the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) on this NCCI Sunday,25th January 2009 which is observed as Unity Sunday in some churches, Ecumenism Sunday in some Churches, a day of fasting for Zimbabwe and as a concluding day in observing the Global Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The NCCI has been a nonageniric in its life and witness and is marching towards a centenary in 2014. With 30 member churches, 17 Regional Councils, 17 All India Christian Organisations, 7 Related Agencies and 3 Autonomous bodies, the NCCI has been moving from strength to strength in discerning the signs of our times, in interpreting the gospel of Jesus Christ contextually and transforming the communities in coherence with the values of the reign of God. We at the NCCI have 7 Commissions to carry on as vehicles the mandate of NCCI. Today is a day to thank God for God’s faithfulness to the ecumenical movement in India lead by the NCCI, today also is a day to thank God for all those ecumenical stalwarts who have worked hard for the sustenance of the ecumenism and is a day to get challenged to become active companions with God in carrying forward the rich legacy of ecumenism.

The Sitz im Leben

Factions – Denominations, different sects, different confessions, different faiths, different affirmations etc.

Frictions – Conflicts in the name of caste, in the name of region, in the name of class, in the name of gender, in the name of religions, in the name of property, in the name of politics & elections etc.

Fractions – Doctrinal divisions, ritualistic divisions, Eucharistic divisions, ecumenical vs evangelical divisions, gospel vs culture, faith vs science, etc.

Fictions – Hermeneutics of convenience, arm-chaired Christianity, exclusivism (no salvation in other places, no truth in other faiths)

The Message
(John 10:16) – Jesus said, “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.”

1. The Frontiers of the Mission - “I have other sheep that are not of this fold”. The boundaries of the church are beyond our own four walls of denomination, confession and faith. ‘Enlarging of the tents’. This reveals the Good Shepherd’s reach, for he reaches the unreachable, he reaches the ones with no reach. He has similar sheep who are in other folds. It is not similarity that binds them, but the diversity among sheep, which still he says he has other sheep in other folds.

2. The Friends in Mission – “Other sheep in other folds”. In colour the sheep would differ, in size they would differ, in their nurture they would differ, in their diet they would differ, yet the Good Shepherd says that they are all his own. Thereby creates that unity among its entire sheep affirming their pluralities. For after all the sheep are either friends or would have been kith and kin but are divided due to circumstances. They are all equal partners and enjoy the fellowship of this shepherd who has different folds.

3. The Fetching in Mission – ‘ I must bring them also’. The Good Shepherd, not only affirms his own sheep in other folds, he also tries to bring them together. He creates a space for mutual respect for each other, mutual learning, mutual caring and sharing. He provides and facilitates a space for network among his own sheep in different folds. Bringing them together would give them a chance of enhancing their friendship, strengthening their fellowship and creating unity affirming plurality and not trying for uniformity by attempting to clone similar species.

4. The Faith in Mission – ‘the different sheep from different folds will heed his voice’. Faith comes from hearing, and when they are brought together their common pilgrimage of faith is drawn with much clarity. By listening to his voice their spiritualities are deepened. Probably the other sheep in other folds did not resist to his voice telling that it was foreign, it was not indigenous, it was not spiritual or it was not lively, but rather all these different sheep from different folds listened to the voice in search of truth.

5. The Finale in Mission – ‘so there shall be one flock and one shepherd’ the goal of mission of God is to bring all the different sheep from different folds to make to one flock, where diversity is affirmed and plurality is respected. There will be one chief shepherd, for God is always one, though we have different shepherds in our nurture and trainings. That is the finale in mission and that’s where we are all as faiths, churches, religions, ideologies, regions are journeying towards. One flock and One Shepherd, is the great finale to where all of us are marching.

In the recent campaign for Presidency in the US, I have seen a poster, which has Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s photograph on one box, under which it was written the “Dreamer” for his dream was to see when his children would be judged not by the colour of their skin but by their content of character. There was a second box, which had President Barack Obama’s photograph under which it was written “Dream”. Both the photographs were adjacent to each other calling on the attention of the people to see the reality of the dream, dreamt by Rev. King made true in the life of President Obama. As I saw this poster, and particularly on this Unity Sunday, if at all we have a poster where on one box is Jesus Christ, who prophesied that there would be one flock and one shepherd, and under his name it is written “Dreamer”. The box adjacent is an empty one, for under this box it is written, “Dream”. Therefore the calling to all of us, to our churches and to different faiths is to fill that box with our photograph if we are trying to make that dream of Christ a real one by becoming united as one flock under the shepherd-ship of one Shepherd.

Healing is a Process

2009-01-20T02:43:00.000-08:00

Text : Mark 8:22-27

Key verse: Then again Jesus put his hands on his eyes; and looking hard, he was able to see, and saw all things clearly. (25 verse)

The healing narrative in our reading today is an interesting healing of the man with blindness by Jesus at Beth-saida, the house of fish. This healing incident was one of the challenging ones to Jesus, as he has to press hard again for the second time for recovery of the sight to this man with blindness. The healing had a process and progression, a chain of reactions and happenings took place to the man with the blindness.
1.Jesus friendships with the blind man, so he took him privately out of the town, 2. Jesus first aids him, when he washed his eyes with the water in his mouth, there was a partial sight, and then 3. Jesus follows up the healing, by putting his hands and looking hard and there was clarity of sight to the man with blindness. Even in the case of the man with the blindness, there was progression, 1. He was with no sight, 2. There was partial or even a blurred sight for he saw men walking like trees, and 3. Then there was a sight with out any defect so that he could see clearly. This healing, Jesus would have done it at one sitting, but he took much care and concern to the man with out sight, and gave it a second sitting, followed it up and provided him the clarity of sight. Imagine if Jesus would have left him after the first sitting, when the man with blindness was able to see men, like trees walking, that would have been much worse and disastrous for that man. But Jesus made it a point to have a thorough checkup and gave him healing holistically, was with him until he received healing completely.
The church, as the body of Jesus Christ, how much more attention it should give to the ones coming for healing. To the sick both physically and mentally, the church should be in solidarity with them, and needs to attend to them till the healing is completely achieved to them. Healing is a process, it needs care and concern all along. We as Church have been giving a one-time prayer or grant and think that’s the greatest mission we are involved in. And this is like leaving the sick to see men like trees walking. Healing is continuous, and it requires Churches sustained and life long commitment.

Prayer: God, who is in process, make our churches’ mission of healing progressive and inspire our churches to be with needy and sick till they receive a complete healing.

Reflection:
Sickness recedes ultimately as Healing processes completely

Healing is Holistic

2009-01-13T04:05:00.001-08:00

II Kings 4 : 1-7

Key Verse:
So she came to the man of God and gave him word of what she had done. And he said, Go and get money for the oil and make payment of your debt, and let the rest be for the needs of yourself and your sons. (Verse 7)

“We cover you at every step of your life”, “you insure your faith in us, we assure your security”, are captions of the leading insurance companies in India today. The prophet, whose widow comes to prophet Elisha for help, in our reading for today unfortunately did not and could not insure his life, rather spent everything in the service of the Lord, except saving a jar of oil. As we read through this particular passage, we are reminded of two particular invisible ailments that have been bothering the widow, the mental agony of economic inability to pay back the debts made by his husband and the psychological stress she is undergoing because of the fear of forced child labour or slavery that is to come to her children as a result of it.

One is struck with awe for the prophet Elisha’s response and reaction to the situation. 1. His presence of mind, 2. His presentation of the miracle, and 3. His preparedness to heal the invisible hurts of the widow. Unlike today’s Christians and the church who romanticize the needy, and assures a mere prayer support with out addressing the need, Elisha was prompt to act and performed a miracle that healed the widow to become economically self sustained and saved her children from becoming child labourers. Elisha could have very well said a prayer, and would have sent the widow back, or would have asked the widow to support his ministry first by giving half of the oil, or with his stature would have assured her a compromise with the creditor, but Elisha responded differently. He revealed the mind of God, to be on the side of the helpless suffering from chronic ailments in the society and performed a miracle with the help of ordinary means available from within the community and healed the ailments the widow was undergoing.

The Churches today, which boasts of its healing crusades and meetings, needs to rise above it and strive to exercise such a presence of God’s mind, and be prepared to perform healing by addressing the needs of the people, particularly the ones pushed down in the society in all dimensions. Let the Church as part of their healing ministry cover the lives of the ones suffering from physical and mental ailments at every step of their life, and assure them health and happiness. Unless the churches today insure and assure health and healing from the societal evils, our mission of healing will not have any meaning and direction. Come true such a mission of healing.

Prayer: God of healing, make us as a Church to insure health and healing at every step of the lives of our people in the society.

Reflection: “When life is holistic, so should be the Churches’ mission of healing.”

Christmas Lyric – 2008 (in Telugu)

2009-01-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

Pallavi:
Theevra vadamu tandavinchina vela
Shatru bhayamu avarinchina vela
Agra varnulu krurulaina vela
Vugravadulai himsinchina vela

Anupallavi:
Ashanti, asatyamu, anyayamu
Asooya, anaikyatha, anagarpu
Rajyamele ee samayamulo
Kristu janma ku saaramela //Thevra//

1. Shantisamadanamu – Devunee danamu
Shantirajya stapana – Devunee thapana
Kristhu janma ardhamu – Devunee paramardhamu // Ashanti//

2. Cherapattabadina variki – Veedudala vemochana
Choolakana brathukulaku - Rakshana neerikshana
Kristhu janma ardhamu – Alpulaku paramardhamu //Ashanti//

3. Bheedhalaku subhavaartha – Krsithu janma vaartha
Dhanikulaku durvaartha - Krsithu janma vaartha
Kristhu janma ardhamu – Samanamaina rajyamu //Ashanti//

4. Navasamaja stapana – Kristhu raakaku karanam
Narahimsa neermulana – Kristhu rajya dhyeyamu
Kristhuvale neevundina – Kristhu janmaku ardhamu //Ashanti//

(English Translation)
Chorus:
With terrorism dancing around us
With fear of enemies enveloping us
When the upper castes turn extremists
To torture the poor and the helpless

Refrain:
Where fear, falsehood and injustice
Resentment, division and oppression
Rule the world we dwell in
What is the relevance of Christ’s birth there in?

1. Peace and harmony Gods good will revealed
God’s reign of peace God yearns to prevail
The meaning of Christ’s birth Gods ultimate jubilation

2. For those that are chained to give freedom and liberation
For the subjugated to give hope and salvation
The meaning of Christ birth for the lowly is jubilation

3. The news of Christ’s birth good news to the poor
The news of Christ’s birth bad news to the wealthy
The meaning of Christ birth is a kingdom of equality

4. The reason for Christ’s coming to establish a new world
To demolish the perpetrators of life, the aim of Gods reign
To imitate Christ in you is the true meaning of Christmas today

(This lyric is written and composed by me for Christmas 2008, in a context when the innocent people of India were brutally killed by terror attacks, when people in India have become innocent victims of religious fundamentalism and when Dalits & Tribals continue to bear the curse of caste discrimination, re-thinking what is Christmas) - Patta

The Safety of Minorities Ensures the Safety of our Country

2009-01-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

The year 2008 is remembered with memories full of stains of blood, violence and displacement of Dalit Christians in Kandhamal, Orissa, caused by the attacks of the inhuman religious fundamentalists. It has witnessed the killings of nearly 50 people, displacement of nearly 50, 000 people and about 10, 000 people even till today to reside in the relief camps. Religious fundamentalists had their day, attacked Dalit and Tribal Christians so brutally, killed innocent people, destroyed their property and created a fear psychosis among people, all this just for the sake of professing their faith boldly and openly in the values of Jesus Christ, which was a means for their Liberative living. When the violence was on, police machinery were mere spectators and did not come in rescue of the victims, most perpetrators of violence went scot-free and the governments as usual were docile, came late and said the violence is a ‘national shame’. For already five months till now, the survivors had to be in the camps with meagre basic amenities. No Christmas celebration all across India would have gone without contemplating on these black memories. Most churches either cancelled their festive celebrations in solidarity with the victims and survivors of religious and ethnic violence in Kandhamal or held the occasion in a low profile. Most homilies for the Christmas called on the people to bring peace on earth and create communities of peace by bridging the gaps among people of different faiths.

During the very first week of 2009, on the 5th January, a bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan of the Supreme Court of India, the apex court of justice had said that it cant allow the persecutions of minorities in India, and called on the State Government of Orissa to resign if it is unable to protect the minorities in its State. The bench of jury also criticised the State Government for addressing the issue very late after the displacement of 50, 000 people and for stepping in late to contain the violence in Kandhamal. It also said that no minority in secular India should be unsafe.

All the responsible citizens in India welcomed the judgement, for such judgements once again reminded the citizens that secularism is alive, justice is not dead and constitution provides hope for all its people. It has reiterated that until and unless the minorities in India are safe, India cannot be safe and secure. Hope that at least this judgement shall wake up the governments to ensure that they shall provide safety and security to all its citizens, with out any religious colour attached. Now the challenge ahead is, how far can such genuine judgements instigate the governments to address the rights of the minorities?

Even earlier the Central Government had sent an advisory to the Orissa State Government regarding their inefficiency in dealing the violence in its state. But again political interests superseded the constitutional interests and such an advisory became mere eyewash. In such a situation how can this judgement of Supreme Court challenge the governments to ensure safety to its people? Now the Orissa government rather than having introspection from the judgement, will take this judgement to its majority people in Orissa, and can gain sympathy from them and may even use it for a political mileage. This judgement will now be used by the opposition parties in pointing the ruling governments inefficiency and will use it for their own political mileage too.

Therefore the challenge for the civil society is to make sure that the state government shall accept its biased governance, and should make all the politicians irrespective of their political affiliations held responsible for wedding religion with politics and for fanning the violence in the state. The other role of the civil society is also to take this verdict to the people, and make them understand the importance of peace and peace building and thereby should create harmony among people of different faiths. Now the situation also calls for an urgent unity among all minorities and responsible citizens to withstand the forces of fundamentalism and make secularism and justice to be established.

Acharya Vinobha Bhave ‘s famous Anthyodaya is Sarvodaya becomes so relevant, that when the least in the society receives transformation only then the whole society is transformed. Therefore unless the minorities in India are safe, the whole country cannot be safe. Let us all as faithful citizens of this great country India pledge to counter all forces that create hatred among people, faiths, religions and regions and try to make secularism triumphant.

7th January 2009

Epiphany, the Celebration of Freedom

2009-01-06T03:04:00.000-08:00

As the New Year ushered into our lives, the celebration of the manifestation of God to the nations, observed as Epiphany brings the hope of God and God’s revelation to all people across the regions and religions. During a time, when God has been portrayed as an exclusive entity by each individual faith, Epiphany makes us realise the freedom of God in revealing God’s-self through God’s own choices and God’s own ways. Traditionally Epiphany is associated with the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the people, who came from far eastern nations and religions by following the star of Magi to Bethlehem. Besides this the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, Jesus’ miracle at Cana and Jesus feeding the five thousand people are also the concentric events attached to Epiphany. Epiphany is also the celebration as important as Christmas to Christians of several traditions. What is the relevance of Epiphany for us today? Does the celebration of Epiphany have any significance in our faith pilgrimages? Three dimensions in Epiphany I would like to draw your attention to.

Epiphany, the Celebration of God’s Freedom
Epiphany basically is the celebration of God and God’s freedom to manifest and reveal. God can manifest God’s-self in any form, image, way and substance. No one can limit God and God’s manifestation to a certain formula or principle, or can fix God to a particular time and place or can draw boundaries to God. Epiphany reminds us the infiniteness of God, and makes God to express God’s freedom in expressing God and in revealing God. As Epiphany is the manifestation of God to the nations, God celebrates God’s freedom in manifesting to any nation in any point of history and in any number of ways God can. When God as a Word became flesh (John 1:14), and when God manifested in human flesh (I Tim 3:16), and when baby Jesus Christ was manifested to the followers of Magi, all these events expresses God sheer freedom. God in human flesh was something unimaginable for the then people, who limited God to only holy of the holies and to the holy sanctuaries. But God in all freedom manifested in human flesh. When theologies from above were the norm of the day, God in all freedom chose to manifest from below, as human being, in human flesh and in human form. When Jews thought God was only to Jews, Christ’s manifestation to the people from far eastern religions once again expresses God’s freedom plan that Christ is for all and to all peoples. Therefore on this day of Epiphany, lets celebrate God’s freedom and let us be humble enough to know that God can be manifested in any way, in any religion and in any circumstances. Lets feel good about God’s freedom, and celebrate Epiphany.

Epiphany, the Celebration of Religious Freedom
When God manifested in God’s mysterious ways to the nations, Epiphany is also the celebration of religious freedom of the people. It was the people’s choice in accepting the manifestation of God, when God appeared in flesh, it was the choice of the people from far eastern countries and religions to receive the manifestation of Christ, and it was the choice of the people to believe in the ‘Son of God’, as was manifested during the baptism of Jesus Christ. If Epiphany is the celebration of God’s freedom it is equally important to know that God does not reveal in vacuum, rather reveals in histories and to people, and manifestation of God becomes meaningful only when it is received and accepted voluntarily by the people of God. During the days when ‘conversions’ and ‘re-conversions’ are on the rise, religious freedom and expression of ones individual faith in all freedom becomes immanent and this Epiphany reinvigorates the spirit of religious freedom. People’s freedom of choosing a faith, participating in faith exercises and propagating their faith experiences should not be curtailed, and that is the calling of Epiphany. Every faith needs be respected, every faith experience needs to be appreciated and every person’s choice of reaching to any form of God’s manifestation should be upheld for that is the ethos of Epiphany. Epiphany thereby builds community of people, and encourages people to express their religious freedom, affirming their own faith experience.

Epiphany, the Celebration of Creation’s Freedom
When God manifests in different and diverse forms, the basic question that emerges is why does God manifest to different people in different forms? God’s manifestations in varied forms are basically for the sake of people and creation. When the creation is groaning in all bondages and when the humanity is caught up in several bondages created by caste, class, religion, gender etc., the manifestation of God is to make people and creation free from all their clutches. Therefore, as we commemorate the manifestation of God to the nations, it is make creation live in all freedom and to enjoy such freedom that comes from the manifestations of God. God revealed God’s-self to liberate and save this creation from sinful conquests. As God manifests, creation dances in all freedom for in the manifestations of God, there is total freedom and total liberation. Therefore, as we celebrate Epiphany today, let us resolve ourselves to celebrate the freedom in creation and the freedom of creation given by God through God’s myriad revelations. As God manifested to the followers of Magi, they would have carried forward the message of freedom back to their eastern countries and would have continued to channel freedom to people and creation caught up in the web of bondages. Their Darshan of God would have strengthened them to witness the gospel of freedom to all people they come across in their pilgrimage of faith. Therefore, commemorating the manifestations of God during Epiphany, let us all celebrate the freedom of creation and let us resolve to liberate it, and make our earth and country free from all conflicts and discriminations.

May I wish you all a very Happy Epiphany and pray that we become the recipients of the manifestations of God, and be open to see God in different and diverse traditions, sciences, ideologies and religions. May our celebrations of Epiphany build communities of peace & freedom in our local localities and in our times, give up our exclusive claims on God and become the agents of freedom.

6th January 2009

The Magnificat & its Magnitude

2008-12-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

Re-reading the Canticle of the Virgin Mary
Luke 1: 46-55

My soul is deeply wounded with hurts, insults and pains
And my spirits are drowning in the floods of sorrows and rains
my soul still glorifies the Lord, seeking justice as all gains
And my spirits rejoice in God my saviour despite my stains & strains

When I am rejected and discriminated as polluted
People conspired, laughed at me, brought me to public and collated
For except you O Lord none has been mindful
Of me your humble servant to do any thing needful

Though all my family members call me cursed
Blaming me that I made the image of our family bruised,
But there will come a day when all generations call me blessed
For the Might One has been doing me great things so impressed.

As a Wonderful Counsellor, God solaced and comforted me as lovingly yours
As a Mighty One, God strengthened me with all God’s powers
As an Everlasting God, God journeyed with me in my darkest hours
As a Prince of Peace, God encouraged me to win over all conflicting towers
For holy is God’s name and truly victory flowers

When I am surrounded by fear
When I am pushed down to death near
I could only fear God who is so dear
Realising that God’s mercy is with me now here
From generations to generations vivid and clear

When several arms geared up to stone me to death,
God’s mighty arm guarded me from above and beneath;
When the proud religious heads gathered to take me for a ride,
God scattered the pride, saving me as his bride

Those that are drunk with power and are lusted with hierarchy,
God will throw down such to their cruelty and anarchy;
God shall lift up those who are humble and suffer sinful tyranny
For God shares freedom to both few and many.

Those that go to bed every day in hunger,
Those that curse the selfish accumulators in anger,
God will fill them with good things satisfying
And sends the rich empty, for God it’s justifying

God has always remembered to be prudent and merciful
Helping all the slaves in the history to be liberated in their full
Making all our ancestors to be such channels so graceful
Leaving a legacy to carry forward and be fruitful

(This Magnificat has been re-read by juxtaposing two important contexts. One situating Mother Mary as a young woman, who faced great challenges in her society as she had to be conceived even before she knew her husband Joseph, and the other in light of the realities of violence against women, a continuing reality in all histories.)

Hope against Hope

2008-12-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

The Message of Christmas Amidst Human Rights Violations

The ongoing episodes of violence in India, where violence on account of terrorism, violence in the name of religion, violence in the name of caste and violence in the name of patriarchy, have been on the rise. Due to which, the secular ethos of our country and unity among people of different faiths has been at stake. Against the canvas of this scenario, what does it mean to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? What is the relevance of Christmas for our times? When human rights violations are recorded on a higher scale in India, what is the message of Christmas?

Yesterday on the 9th Dec 2008 it was observed by the media that Bakrid the Muslim festival was celebrated on a low key due to the recent bomb blasts. Madam Sonia Gandhi, the president of the Congress Party in India did not celebrate her birthday yesterday, to be in solidarity with the victims of the recent terrorist attacks (this was for a political mileage). In the context of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai & Assam, in the background of the recent killings and attacks on the Dalit Christians and Tribals in Orissa by the fundamentalist groups, should we as Christians celebrate Christmas?

Generally, Christmas these days is associated with the pleasure and pomp, leaving the significance of it at the back door. Every day there are carol-singing groups that visit every Christian house, door after door to share the joy of Christmas. All through the month of December, there are several celebrations of Christmas, children Christmas, women Christmas, youth Christmas, elders Christmas, pre-Christmas, town Christmas, and united Christmas etc. you name it and you have it, so many celebrations. All of these either end in a good fellowship dinner or exchanging gifts between one another, in which all Christians are satisfied and are self content. We Christians are least bothered of our neighbours who are living in pain and pathos due to the human rights violations in their localities. Can we really think of what is Christmas to such people who are undergoing trauma, fear, and anxiety caused by violence, oppression, discrimination and marginalisation? Particularly in the context of the nun, who was raped in the violence in Orissa, and where such incidents have become rampant, is there hope in Christmas?

The birth of Jesus Christ in a manger in a small town of Bethlehem basically is a challenge to all the human rights violations that are being done during his times. Allow me to present the context of Jesus’ birth, particularly the life of a young woman who had to been the innocent victim of discrimination. The context then had been ruled by human rights violations, and the birth of Jesus gives a hope to all those victims.

Young Woman Mary, the victim of Discrimination:
Young woman Mary had to be conceived even before she got married to Joseph. Imagine the plight of this young woman, the insults she had to face, the criticisms she had to hear to and the amount of depression she had to go during her early trimesters of pregnancy. The whole society looked down upon her and discriminated her on many fronts of her life. Probably she reflects the norm of her society, where many men raped, exploited and spoiled the lives of women. Probably she is one among many women who had been the victims of human rights violations of her day, and she represents those victims. Hearing that young woman Mary is a pregnant, her family would have rejected her, her friends would have rejected her, her society would have thrown insults at her and at every nook and corner of her little town, ‘young Mary & her pregnancy’ was the talk of the town. No one came in rescue of her. Socially she was crushed, it was unbearable for her to take on the discrimination the society had shown to her. Probably no doctor in her town would have preferred to give her the required medical assistance, for she was treated as polluted. The religious leaders of those days would have passed on several sanctions on Mary, for her so called ‘unethical’ and’ illegal’ conception, and would have even banned her to enter their worship places and community gatherings. Probably many of her co-woman and family members would have advised her to go for an abortion, so that not many would come to know about her pregnancy. Mary sorrows knew no bounds that even her betrothed husband Joseph had also made up his mind to divorce her secretly. Even to think still ahead, probably Mary had this tag of stigma of ‘pregnancy from unknown’, and that would have been one of the reasons for no room for Mary to deliver the baby in Bethlehem, for most people in Bethlehem were reluctant to offer their houses and rooms to such ‘illegitimate’ births. Mary had to bear everything to save the saviour Jesus. On the whole, the young woman Mary had to bear the brunt of being the victim of the Human Rights violations of her times.

God, the Hope for Human Rights
In this Christmas story, when young woman Mary become the victim of human right violations, when her right to live, right to enjoy life have been curtailed, the message of hope comes to her from the God of hope. In all through the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy, if at all she had endured to any of the insults and succumbed to the pressure and depression she underwent and imagine if there would have been a miscarriage for her or was forced to abort the baby, baby Jesus would not have born, and there would have been utter hopelessness in their family and to the whole strings of Christian faith. God provided hope to the victimised Mary and stood by her in her times of trouble. When no one came in rescue of her, she replied to the angel o God, “ behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) She realised that it was only from God that she has hope, and no one can really understands her position and pain in her situation. God is a God who gives hope to the victims to overcome their situations of hopelessness. God is the one who journeys along with the victims in their journey of struggles. That’s the message of Christmas, the message of hope to all those in helpless situations and hopelessness. God stood with Mary, and she emerged victorious from all her insults and injuries.

Therefore the role of those believe in the birth of Jesus Christ, is to become the beacon and channel of hope to all those victims of human rights violations today. and I affirm that is the calling of Christmas to all of us. Until we become the carriers of hope in our fragile and volatile situations, our Christian calling has no meaning, message and direction. In the context of violence, let us give hope to this world to become peacemakers. In the context of fundamentalism, let us be the hope in resisting such forces in our communities. In the context of casteism, let us be the hope in liberating all those people that are oppressed. Christmas is the celebration of hope, and in hope, let us all resolve to become the harbingers of peace and hope in our contexts. May the spirit of hope enlighten all our hearts and minds to become the light of hope in our local contexts, and only then Christmas is meaningful.

Wishing you all a very meaningful observance of Human Rights Day, a hope filled celebration of Christmas and a challenging new year with hope as our guide and strength.

“Singh is King”

2008-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Thanking God for the Life of Mr. VP Singh

The sudden demise of Mr. Vishwanath Prathap Singh, the former Prime Minister of India on 27th November 2008 creates a vacuum in the modern political history of India, for his ardent fighting spirit for the cause of the social liberation and transformation, cannot be filled or replaced. His death comes on a day when the NSG Commandos in Mumbai are fighting against the terrorists in saving several citizens, who had been held captive, in an outrageous terrorist attack in the country.

This fighting spirit of the commandos’ parallels with the life of MR. VP Singh, who all through his life had fought against forces of evil with out any fear. The people of India cannot forget the great soul Mr. Singh, for his creative and innovative visions and plans in transforming the society. He remains immortal by his initiative to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission, which brought the Backward Castes into the main fray in the political scenario. His straight forwardness did not yield him power for long tenures and always held the image of ‘Mr. Clean’ all through his political career. If his tenure had continued for long, the long pending just struggle of Christians of Dalit origin in granting them Scheduled Caste Status would have been ensured.

He is also the one who spiritualised politics, when he went to Punjab seeking open forgiveness for the ‘Operation Blue star ‘, by arresting Mr. LK Advani, who was on his ‘rathyatra’ to Ayodhya. He did had that courage and boldness in being firm on his beliefs and values for justice, and least cared for the consequences to follow, where even his government had to fall by the withdrawal of support from BJP.

Long before, he joined the politics; he had been a pioneer in donating huge lands to the landless peasants as part of the ‘Bhoodhan Movement’, which reveals his virtues of selflessness and beliefs in equality, countering greed.

Today’s politicians have a lot to learn and follow from the life and leadership of Mr. Singh. His leadership skills, his passion for the cause of social justice, his desire for equality and his courage in countering any force that forges justice and peace have made an indelible impact on our country’s credibility and rich heritage. When the present political arena has been rotted to sub-standards, Mr. Singh becomes an icon, to whom the politicians can look up to in gaining strength and courage in being firm for the cause of justice. When the whole fraternity of politicians from across the nation stand up to salute the man with values and virtues, we the people of India lose a great statesman and an ideal leader of our times. Mr. Singh, we the India will miss you and we the India shall live up to the visions and directions of your leadership and promise that we shall carry forward the rich legacy, you have left. We thank God for the life and leadership of Mr. VP. Singh, and express our condolences to the bereaved family. Mr. VP Singh, you are truly a king!

The Wisdom of God is Christ

2008-11-03T23:01:00.000-08:00

“ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” I Cor 1: 24.

Today’s world witnesses several inhuman activities, which emerge from the foolishness and ignorance of the people who are responsible towards it. Violence, terrorism, attacks on the religious and linguistic minorities etc. all piles up to show the dark side of the human mind. To be filled with the wisdom of God is the only rescue we have at hand. But how do we decipher the wisdom of God?

Paul in writing to the Corinthian church gives us a clue that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. There is no other clue to understand the wisdom of God but through the words & works of Jesus Christ, who was revealed as the Logos to this world. Jesus Christ’s presence of mind, application of thought, and quick actions all exhibit the wisdom of God to our histories. Born as the prince of peace, Christ demonstrated peace by healing, transcending the religious boundaries and by associating himself with least among the society. Christ’s way of peace is not a passive one, rather an active one, which tries to counter the forces of violence and thereby paves the way to peace. Christ is a peacemaker, peace builder and he himself if the peace and wisdom of God.

To address the violent situations in our times, we need to organise like Christ, who is the wisdom of God in bringing peace to our times. If Christ is the peacemaker of his times, we as joint heirs with him needs to be peacemakers for our times. Christ by being the wisdom of God paves the way to the kingdom of God. Therefore we need to follow Christ in all his footsteps, so that we become wise, act wise and remove all vices of our society. May the wisdom of God, who is Christ fill us all with the wisdom so that we live and let other live with the values of the kingdom of God.

If Christ is the wisdom of God, can we an extension to Christ?

My Memoirs of Diwali…

2008-10-28T02:22:00.000-07:00

The whole world celebrates today in all lights and colours as Diwali, commemorating the victory of Satyabhama over Narakasura, as the victory of good over evil. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Festival of Lights, the Diwali. May we all get challenged to become agents of good striving for a victory over evil in our times and localities.

Diwali, brings to me several reminiscences from my childhood. The happiness in shopping crackers during this season, the joy in firing the crackers, the awe in watching several fireworks in the skies, and the list goes on, had always made lasting impressions on me and on my upbringing. Diwali gave the opportunity to eat some good recipes with my friends at their homes and also gave us an occasion to watch films. They were real good times of childhood spent in all innocence and happiness.

Diwali, is memorable for me, besides all these happy moments, for yet another reason, which always kept me to be on my heels. In the school, Hindi language as subject was introduced in my eighth standard and Hindi was always a nightmare for me. For it was a total new & foreign language to be learnt at that stage from the alphabets, and for some reasons I could not cope learning Hindi as I did the other subjects. The friends in the class who were doing really well in Hindi, had been learning it by watching Hindi programmes in the television at home. We had television at home only when I reached to my tenth standard and had a very little access to the television for that privilege of watching Hindi programmes. At the background of this canvas, an essay on ‘Diwali’ was a compulsory essay that always appeared in our question papers in all most every standard. I always had tough time in attempting to write the essay on Diwali in Hindi, and as follows, I had a very poor scoring in Hindi. My Hindi teacher always had a red face on reading my script, specially my essay on Diwali made her much more infuriated. The reason was, I had a good introduction for my essay in Hindi and from second paragraph I was explaining the festival using Telugu (my mother tongue) vocabulary in Hindi script. My Hindi teacher was on top of her voice, and had to warn me to be serious in learning Hindi language. So no Diwali goes for me with out remembering my Hindi teacher and my essay on Diwali in Hindi language. I still remember my essay, it goes this way, “…Deepavali, Hinduyom ka ek pramuk thyohar hi…. Is thyohar me sarvejan chichbuds or kakarpovaths kalchenge…”

The other experience I had with Diwali, is the dilemma created by my Christian folks in my locality, that Diwali is unchristian and Christians should not celebrate it. So at some point in my childhood, we had to be mere spectators of the festivity and lights, remaining at home. Though all our minds were on the festival and crackers, our eyes and ears had to be closed to all of it. But over the years, I realised the importance of the festival, the victory of good over evil and now make sure to participate in this rich festival of our Hindu friends. Now I feel how Christian it is to participate in our neighbours festivals, share with them the joy and community living.

Diwali builds community spirit and community living, and no one community should isolate from such community building festivals. Festivals add colour to life, and festival of lights adds grace and light to the communities in India. In this context of growing religious fundamentalism and religious fanaticism, festival of lights provide a space for friendship and fellowship among people of all faiths. Hatred among faiths is on the rise, and Diwali bridges that gaps among faiths and among people with love and sharing.

May this Diwali bring cheers and happiness to life. Wishing you all a very happy Diwali, and long live community living and community spirit!

Life Beyond Kandhamal for Dalit Panos

2008-10-20T02:29:00.000-07:00

Relocation as an Option

As the situation in Kandhamal is uneasily calm after about two months of violence on Dalit Pano Christians, most of these survivors of the brutal violence are perplexed to think life beyond these incidents. On the one hand if they have to return back to their houses from the relief camps, they have to face the threat of being re-converted to Hinduism or face the ultimate consequences of it. On the other hand the district administration is slowly trying to persuade them to get back to their villages and start life, as they appear to be normal. Dalit Pano Christians are caught up between these two options before them.

These Dalit Pano Christians are firm in their faith for they believe in no turning back from their Christian faith and are ready to bear the consequence for it, for they have been experiencing the price for embracing Christianity in their lives. There is clarity in their position with regard to their locus standing of their faith, for they believe in a God of freedom and also affirm their Constitutional right in expressing their freedom of choosing a religion of their own choice and conscience.

To return back to their broken, burnt and destroyed houses in their villages, these Dalit Pano Christians are reluctant for they have been witnessing a series of violence, and expect much more to come in the future. When the destroyed houses of the December violence were rebuilt again, the august violence on them sprouted and their houses and property were again either burnt to ashes or destroyed. So these people knew that there is no longer safety in these villages of theirs and have been urging the government to relocate them to other places and villages in Orissa. Their no confidence in the district administration makes them to ask for a re-location. Their fear psychosis to live in terror and bloodshed makes them to ask for relocation. Their suburbs flooded with the Sangh aggression makes them to ask for relocation.

These Dalit Pano Christians ask for relocation not in all willingness, joy and pleasure. With great despair and out of compulsion, for there is no other option left for them but for relocation. Imagine the plight of these people; their tears knew no bounds. They are asking for a relocation at the expense of their homeland, where they were born, brought up, nurtured, lived for years and experienced community living with people of all faiths. They are asking for relocation at the expense of forgoing their ancestral lands, to which they have been so deeply attached with. They are asking for relocation at the expense of their deep-rooted sentiments of their own land with the ethos of the rich cultural setting they have been used to. They are asking for relocation at the expense of the rich flora and fauna they enjoyed with and by distancing from the historical indigenous traditions that evolved from their lands.

Despite all these reasons, is relocation a possibility for these Dalit Pano Christians? Will the government authorities listen to their pleas? The government can relocate them as a community and grant them pattas, land documents in other areas of the State, but all that is required is a political will for doing it. Earlier when the Church delegations have met the Chief Minister of Orissa and the Home Secretary of Orissa, they have promised to relocate the communities that have been badly affected, based on the requisitions made by those communities. Therefore, the State government has to keep up its word and relocate the affected communities to a safe place, providing them all the requirements of land, shelter and job.

If normalcy is to be required in this violent district in Orissa, relocation is a necessity that can help the communities that have witnessed violence and bloodshed. The role of the civil societies in this direction will be to pressurise the State government to relocate these communities to a safe and secure place within the State. Earlier stories of rehabilitation done to the displaced people in India has a record of providing lands that were unfertile and barren, where livelihood is not a possibility. May the State government in Orissa, keep in mind to provide relocation to these ethno-communally affected people at a land that is fertile and safe. May relocation not make these communities isolated, but may they imbibe the community building mechanisms to live in peace and harmony.

Am I my Neighbour’s Keeper?

2008-10-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

A Call to Christians for Solidarity…

For the last few weeks, there has been clash among communities either in the name of ethnicity or religion and the ideology of conflict and the concept of hatred have been reaping greater fruits in this whole saga of violence. Innocent victims had to pay the price in this whole episode. What Samuel Huntington has predicted the ‘Clash of Civilisations’, probably is taking its deep roots with the clash of faiths, clash of interests and clash of cultures as its manifestation.

Ongoing Violence
The violent episode in Orissa, which has been unabated for the last seven weeks, though there has been an uneasy calmness during last one week, resulted in the killings of nearly fifty people, the majority happen to be Dalit Christians. Nearly ten people died in the communal violence in a village Bhainsa, Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh during last week, the victims had been from the Muslim minority community. Nearly fifty-one people died in the violence in Assam during last few weeks in Udalguri and Darrang districts in Assam dodged by clashes between Bodos and Bangladeshi migrants, where the victims are the Tribals. Besides these major incidents, there have been reported communal violence in the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat etc. Incidents of terrorism and bomb blasts continue to rock both the urban and the rural India, violence has crept into all corners of the Indian society.

Ongoing Solidarity
Time and again, it has been emphasised that the civil society needs to vigilant in building peace and harmony in times of crisis and build solidarity to communities that have been affected. Violence on any community is not a mere attack on that community, rather they are violation of human rights and a breach of citizenship guaranteed by the Constitution on India. Even the National Integration Council, which met on the 13th October 2008, under the auspices of the Ministry of Home affairs in New Delhi discussed and interacted on communal violence, and observed that the unity among different cultures in India has been tarnished by these acts of violence. On a whole the solidarity to the communities affected, particularly to the Christians in Orissa is tremendous and we as Christians need to profusely thank the solidarity that we have received from all quarters of the world, from all religious communities and from people of all walks of life. We as Christians also need to thank the solidarity systems and the pressure exerted both by the local and international friends put on the governments to intervene pro-actively, though they haven’t really could contain the violence. We as Christians need to thank all the responsible citizens of this country from all faiths, who walked with us during protest rallies, peace rallies, condemning the violence as breach on Indian secularism and for all those who stood by us in times of crisis and violence on Dalit Christians and Christians in India. We also need thank media, for airing the immediate incidents as an when happening, for exposing the inefficiency of the government machinery and for not being biased in their coverage of the violence, though few media people had reported it in their right-ideological perspective.

Am I my Neighbour’s Keeper?
But the real question that comes into light is, “Where are we Christians, in expressing our solidarity when the Muslims in Andhra Pradesh have been killed? Where are we Christians, in expressing our solidarity, when the Bodo Tribals have been killed in Assam? Where are we Christians, in expressing our solidarity, when Muslims have been killed in Gujarat?” These questions come at a time when we had the privilege of the solidarity from other people of faith, responsible citizens of India and from committed Human Rights activists and agencies, from across the world. Leave about the reason, since they have been in solidarity, so we should also be, but are we as Christians not called to be in solidarity with all those that are oppressed and attacked violently? What happened to our role as ‘Good Samaritans’, which we often preach and are boasting about, when our co-citizens are killed and attacked? Was not Jesus Christ in solidarity with those from other communities and cultures during his times? If we as Christians are silent at a time like this, I fear that our moral responsibility as citizens of India is at stake and I also fear our calling, as Christians will lose its savour and character. It is high time, that we need to join the civil society in expressing their solidarity with the bruised communities, with the wounded communities and with the communities who are in deep distress and despair at a time like this of now.

A Call for Solidarity
Therefore, now the calling for us Christians is to stand by those survivors of violence, express our solidarity and try to exert pressure on the government in ensuring safety and protection to all its citizens. As Christians, as Churches, let us engage with the civil society in countering the forces of religious fundamentalism, communalism, casteism and all ethnic conflicts. Let us all dedicate as Christians to be the ambassadors of peace and harmony, to be the ones initiating peace-building measures in our communities and to be responsible citizens of India. We as Christians need to be the apostles of secularism and democracy. We as Christians need to love our neighbours as we love our communities and ourselves. If we as a faith-based community can be a channel for promoting peace, secularism, national integration, unity, justice, and liberation, only then can we fulfil the calling as Christians. Let our voices be heard on behalf of all those victims, irrespective of their religion, region and caste. Only when we Christians stand with those affected people now, tomorrow we can expect their solidarity and support. Let us not escape the crisis, but let us be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in other faith communities, who have been attacked and killed.

Let us be reminded with the words of Pastor Martin Niemöller who said
"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."

Arise, Awake & Act…

2008-10-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

Last week also had witnessed several oscillations in the Orissa carnage on Dalit Christians and the situation has not progressed to any better. For a quick scroll on the important happenings with regard to Orissa situation here is the precursor. The discussion in the Union Cabinet on the 7th October 2008 to ban the right wing terrorist outfit the Bajarang Dal, did not end up banning it, for the Prime Minister deferred the decision. A small team of Union ministers to be sent to Orissa to engage the Naveen Patnaik government in Orissa to persuade it to end violence against Dalit Christians, PM’s proposed visit to Orissa after the Puja festival, no unanimity in imposing the President’s rule in Orissa and meeting of Mr. L.K. Advani, the Leader of BJP Party with the Catholic leaders along on the initiative made by Swami Chidananda Saraswati were some of the other important issues in the week on Orissa.

Saffron Terror
When the Union cabinet discussed banning of Bajrang Dal, which has been mainly instrumental for the killings, arson and violence on Dalit Christians in Orissa, it was reported that the Prime Minister deferred the decision as there was no unanimity among their leaders and coalition partners. On the contrary, the Congress Party makes some hypocritical statements from within to ban Bajrang Dal for its uncontrolled inhuman activities. If Congress Party was so firm in the ban, they should have pushed the Prime Minister towards it or the Prime Minister should not have deferred the decision to ban since it was on the Congress Party’s agenda also. This again shows the lack of political will from both the Prime Minister and the Congress Party. Congress Party in getting support to its nuclear deal, even though Left, which was supporting from outside opposed it, sought for a consensus among its coalition partners and also rallied with new support from the Samajwadi Party in getting its agenda pushed at any cost. What happened to such a political will of Congress Party, which they showed during the Indo-US nuclear deal in banning Bajrang Dal? Could they not garner support for it? Whatever be the reason, one thing is clear that the Congress Party, which wants to appears to be secular is soft on Hindutva ideology and wants to appease both the victims and the perpetrators, which I think will lead to a fall at any time. And it is clear that Congress Party cannot ban neither the Bajarang Dal nor its ideology and activities and want to be neutral, which makes its secular credentials at stake. Congress Party is surely going to pay its price in the forthcoming elections for its softness in dealing the saffron terror in India.

Saffron Dialogue
If one extreme in the oscillation is not banning the Bajrang Dal the other extreme is the meeting Shri. L. K. Advani with the Church leaders, which surely calls the attention of all the citizens in India. It was reported that on the initiative made by Swami Chidananda Saraswati of Paramarth Nikethan, Rishikesh, that Archbishop of Delhi Vincent Concessao, Archbishop of Orissa Raphael Cheenath and Fr. Dominic Emmanuel from Delhi Catholic Archdiocese met Shri. L. K. Advani at his residence on the 8th October. A joint press statement was made by all these leaders, which condemned forced conversions and re-conversions and called it to be stopped. The statement also called on the Hindus and Christian leaders for Inter-Faith Dialogue, which should be held in the spirit of the report of the Inter- Faith Dialogue on Conversions, which was organised at the Vatican in May 2006 by the Pontifical Council for Inter- Faith Dialogue and the World Council of Churches, Geneva. Thanks to Shri. Advaniji for his gesture of meeting the Christian leaders and for calling on peace and harmony among all faiths in Orissa. Thanks also to Advaniji for affirming the code of condust as expressed in the Vatican and WCC documents on Conversion. Having said that, I am only surprised why Advaniji could not think of calling on the Christian leaders all these 45 days when violence was unabated. Why could not Advaniji call on the Christian leaders in Orissa, during his visit to Bhubaneswar in the last one-month? Why all of a sudden his deep concern to Christians at this juncture? If Advaniji is only eyeing for some political mileage by this dialogue, I am afraid such gestures as this without convictions for the cause may not be trustworthy and fruitful too. If Advaniji had such a concern on Christians, he could have as well told his Sangh Parivar to be controlled and not to attack the poor Dalit Christians in the name of religion. When nearly 50 people died, 310 villages affected, 15, 000 people forced to live in relief camps, nearly 4000 houses burnt and about 200 prayer houses and churches have been damaged and destroyed, and when after the damage has been made, why does Advaniji now think of Christians all of a sudden. Now that the damage has been made, Advaniji can only be a sympathetic visitor to the cause of Orissa.

Therefore, I would like to see the present Prime Minister and the projected Prime Minister to act swiftly and pro-actively, for attacks on Christians are not mere attacks on a religion, but they are attacks on the citizens of India and such an issue like this should have been dealt more securely and carefully. Violence on Dalit Christians is a breach of human rights and a violation of Constitutional rights and therefore needs to be addressed with much caution and sincerity. Unless the leaders come out of their individual political agendas, safety and security of the citizens in India will continue to be in peril. Let us all bind together to protect citizens from violence and attacks caused in the name of caste or creed. Arise, awake and act to save India.

A Violent Non-Violence Day

2008-10-03T00:49:00.000-07:00

The whole world observed United Nations declared International Day of Non-Violence on the 2nd October 2008, commemorating the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of non-violence, organising several peace rallies, peace marches, walkathons etc. in protest against the on going violence and calling on all sections of people to preach, profess, propagate and practice peace. This was also the day when India’s three decades of nuclear apartheid has been wiped out, with the US Senate accepting & approving the 123 agreement, the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement, which will allow access to US civil nuclear fuel and technology to be used for India’s ‘development’. On these two occasions, scores of people from across the latitudes and longitudes of the globe on the one hand committed to follow Gandhi, the Father of India, and his values of non-violence and on the other hand congratulated Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India for his bold decisions in striking the Indo-US nuclear deal, which appears to cater the needs of the people in India. It is far to realise how non-violent is this deal to the people in India.

On the contrary to these events and happenings, Dalit Christians in Kantamal block of Boudh district, a neighbouring one to the boiling Kandhamal in Orissa had to witness violent attacks on this non-violence day. Nearly 70 houses were burnt and several Pano Dalit Christians had to flee to forests to save their lives, when nearly 400 armed religious fundamentalists marched and attacked them in five villages. The police and the State machinery cannot any more be in deep slumber, though they continue to be, when Dalit Christians in Orissa have to be burnt in the furnace of casteism and communalism. What is non-violence to these our fellow Dalit Christians in Orissa? When the apartheids of caste, violence and fundamentalism are not addressed, what good it is for the Government of India to boast of its overcoming nuclear apartheid?

Dalit Christians in Orissa today have to bear the brunt of casteism and communalism from both ends, and had to be trampled under the cruel inhuman attitude of the religious fundamentalism. Dalit Christians are attacked because they happen to be Dalits, which is oppression in the name of caste. Dalit Christians are attacked because they happen to be Christians, which is discrimination in the name of religion. More over the violence on Dalit Christians is a sheer witness of the violation of their human rights, for freedom in all fronts has been curtailed.

The other grave concern that offshoots from the saga of violence in Orissa is the rift between Pano Dalits and the Khand Tribals, who are the indigenous people who share the common ethos & culture. With the advent of the outsiders into this land, Khand Tribals have been Hinduised and Pano Dalit have been Christianised, and in recent years religion happened to be the conflicting element in this region of Orissa, and whole series of violence in Orissa has taken the religious flavour to it. If issues like land, culture, reservation & conversion happens to be the core issues that have been dividing the indigenous people in Kandhamal, I presume that these issues need to be addressed on an indigenous table and not on a religious table, which thus far has been so. Let religion and religious people withdraw from flaring up the ongoing conflict among these communities, and let a Dalit-Tribal interface be organised, so that the issues can be spelt out, addressed and solved. Here comes the role of the civil society, responsible citizens and the inter-faith communities for they need to push for such an inter-face among Dalits and Tribals for they share many things in common. Such an interface will give an opportunity to work out the convergences between the two communities, to express their divergences and to work out creatively strategies that can sustain the indigenous nature of these communities. Once these conflicts are resolved, I trust the secular fabric will retain its credibility in India, and non-violence and non-violence days will have its relevance. Together lets dream and work to achieve a country where peace will be a sustained reality.

Strengthen our foundation, lest it fall…

2008-10-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 29th September 2008, in Marseilles, France the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh had addressed a joint press conference with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, and said, "With regard to the Christian minority in India, let me say India is a secular state. We are a country, which is multi racial, multi religious and the Constitution of India guarantees to all citizens of India the freedom and right to profess and propagate the religion of their choice. There have been sporadic incidents in some parts of our country, but our government has taken a firm position. I have myself condemned these acts as a national shame." Few hours after he spoke that Christians in India are safe, fresh violence on Christians in Khandamal, Orissa sprung out. In the early hours of Tuesday the 30th September, Dalit Christians in Rudangia village in G. Udayagiri area were attacked by the armed fundamentalists, where two people died, several injured and 100 houses were burnt.

I understand that the Prime Minister must have been right now busy in France lobbying and discussing about the Indo-French nuclear deal and would have been preparing grounds for the deal to get started. As violence on Dalit Christians goes unabated in Orissa, the prime thing that comes to the forefront on the agenda of India is to save our home first, by strengthening the foundation of secularism before planning for interior and exterior designs. Violence and violations of human rights on the religious minorities in India have been on the rise, and such grave incidents deter the foundations of Secularism and Democracy, on which India as a State and India as communities of faith are built upon. Unless our foundations of India are not strengthened, it will be difficult for us to face the challenges and tsunamis of our times. Therefore as Prime Minister spoke about Christian Minority in India and his governments firm position in addressing the incidents of violence, several concerns arouse, and herewith I would present some key concerns and would like to draw the attention of all the responsible citizens of India in challenging them towards peace building measures.

Secularism
On an international platform, when Dr. Singh spoke about the Christian minority in India, I am glad and must appreciate him for reminding the people in France that India is a secular state. However, his statement has provoked me to think further as how secular is India today? When secularism in India is made a mockery by the rising fundamentalist forces, when attacks in the name of religion is soaring high, when violence on Dalit Christians in Orissa is unabated, and when all people of faith are living in fear and terror, does our conscience really remind us that India is secular state? Yes, we are all proud of our secular ethos in India, and thanks to the Constitution, which affirms that India is a Secular state, but do you not think that only on paper India is secular, in spirit does that secular fabric with which the faiths in India are intertwined are still a reality? At a moment like this, when terrorism and violence on religious minorities are on the rise, I would like to call on the government of India to intervene pro-actively, for the sake of our proud democratic and secular values of India and seek the assistance of all people of faith and government in safeguarding the lives of religious minorities in India.

Plurality
The Prime Minister has also mentioned the texture of the Indian society, which is multi-racial and multi-religious in nature. This again ponders me to think whether the plurality of religions & cultures in India is a boon or a bane? I would assume as humans many would affirm the unity in diversity is a blessing to India. But the truth of the matter is that the forces of religious fundamentalism are trying to wipe out the plurality of faiths in India and trying to establish one monolithic and homogenous culture in the name of Hindutva? How has the government attempted in building peace among different communities in India? What efforts did the government made in keeping the multi-religious and multi-cultural rubric of India, in tact? If the government has really taken efforts in upholding the plurality of communities in India, why attacks, killings, violence, arson and vandalising the people of faith in India? How did the government of India counter the forces of Hindutva, who are on the drive of creating homogeneity of culture in India, creating confusion, violence and mistrust among people of faith? I feel that the situation of Hindutva religious fundamentalists has been chronic to be dealt on dialogue and counselling. At a time like this, I seek the government’s interference in condemning the Hindutva forces, forces that have been trying to bury the plurality in India and distorting & destroying the image of India, which has been a hub of all religions, ideologies, faiths and cultures.

Freedom to profess & propagate
The Prime Minister has also mentioned about the safeguard provided by the Indian Constitution in guaranteeing all its citizens the freedom and right to profess and propagate the religion of our choice. This statement again leads me to discuss the issues of Dalit Christian rights. When Christians of Dalit origin profess their religion in Christianity, the government curtails their status from Scheduled Castes, and denies their Constitutional rights & privileges. In the ongoing struggle for justice by Christians of Dalit origin in granting them Scheduled Caste status, despite several representations made to the highest offices, the government is still has been silent in implementing the Justice Ranganath Misra’s Commission report, which has been categorical to make Scheduled Caste status religion neutral. The Prime Minister tells the Church delegations that he has been waiting for a consensus among his coalition partners in the Government on this Dalit Christian issue, where several of his coalition partners have expressed their support in favour of Dalit Christians. I think it is high time, that the immediate action by the Government in this regard is sought after. The other issue that calls all our attentions is propagating the religion of our choice in India, which has been curtailed again by acts like the Freedom of Religion in some of the States in India. Even otherwise, the freedom to propagate a religion is either termed as ‘forceful conversions’ or ‘conversions with allurements’. I firmly believe that forceful conversions by any religion need to be condemned at its core, for such a principle is unholy & inhuman. For conversion is according to the freewill of a person, and one cannot dictate terms to the freedom of ones conscience. It is appropriate here to understand the situation in Kandhamal and other districts in Orissa, where the re-conversion drive by the Hindutva fundamental groups has been on high acceleration, and Dalit Christians in that area have been treated so inhumanly and are also even threatened, if they are not willing to re-convert from Christianity. The government needs to be bold in tackling these forces of Hindutva, who try to sabotage the secular values and the safeguards given by the Constitution of India. These forces of fundamentalist groups even try to take the law and order situation into their hands and the government machinery sing to their tunes. Stringent laws need to be brought in order to arrest such people, and committed government machinery is needed to implement these laws. Responsible citizens also need to intervene, through inter-faith approaches in making India a free country, where everyone is free to profess and propagate religion of ones choice.

Systemic Violence
I am glad that the Prime Minister has agreed that there have been sporadic incidents in some parts of our country, but our government has taken a firm position. Are the incidents of violence and attacks on Christians in India a mere sporadic, irregular and infrequent ones? The incidents of violence are more pre-planned, systemic and so regular that just to mention, from August 23rd 2008, till date violence on Dalit Christians in Orissa has been unabated with series of attacks, so planned that the main roads are blocked by cutting down trees. Not only unabated, but violence has simmered into other districts of Orissa and even to other parts of India like that of Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh etc. Time and again in Kandhamal, Orissa the reasons for violence on Christians has been attributed to the killing of Swami Lakshamananda Saraswathi even though Maoists have claimed responsibility of killing Swamiji. It was said even though the Swamiji was not killed, a series of violence is planned on Christians in Orissa, for Orissa has become the second laboratory for the Hindutva forces. On looking at the whole saga of violence on Christians in India, does it appear to be a mere sporadic and irregular incidents that are happening? Besides answering such questions one has also to feel the gravity and pain of all those that are attacked, killed, made homeless, hiding in jungles for life just because they have been Christians, which don’t you think is inhuman. It pains me to hear when the Prime Minister said, that his government has taken a firm position in the light of these cruel incidents on Christians in India. How firm was the government in addressing these incidents of violence? If the government have been really firm in their position, violence would not have spiralled thus far. The Union Home Minister who visited the violence-affected area in Orissa, only after 11 days of unabated violence has been so soft on the Hindutva fundamentalist groups, which I think reflects in a dark shade on the present governments ‘firm’ position. The State police in Orissa could not contain the violence and therefore central forces have been deployed, even then violence has not been stopped, and how can one say that government has taken firm position. When the police stations are not safe in Orissa, for they have been burnt down by the fundamentalist groups, how can we expect the people in Orissa to be safe? At this juncture, though it is not late, I would like to urge the Government to analyse the reasons of violence in the states of Orissa & Karnataka, name the perpetrators of violence and punish such people. A CBI enquiry needs to be made into all these incidents and bring out the truth in all these gruesome incidents on Christians. The state governments in Orissa & Karnataka in particular have been terribly failed, and there is no more confidence in these state governments, for they have been a mere onlookers to the violence in their states and I urge that President’s rule needs to be implemented in these states. I only see the present government’s firmness only in making statements and not in actions. Unless the government is really firm in its position particularly in the context of violence on Christians, the strong foundations of secularism becomes weaken and I think the trust the people have in the government will soon fade away.

National Shame
I also need to thank the Prime Minister for once again echoing his own words in calling these incidents on Christians as ‘national shame’. Calling the violence on Christians as ‘national shame’ in how what way it sooths the people in Kandhamal, Orissa who have been suffering in pain and bloodshed? What immediacy it has to the people affected in communal violence? I would fully agree with the Prime Minister when he termed these incidents as as ‘national shame’. Yes surely the violence on Christians by religious fundamentalist groups is a national shame; for India is know for the peace and harmony among all people of faith. My only worry is terming the violence on Christians, as ‘national shame’ has not stopped the violence in Orissa. Calling it a ‘national shame’ has no way checked the Hindutva forces, and on the contrary when the fundamentalists have further invigorated their saffron agenda of creating hatred and terror among people of minority religions, the terminology of ‘national shame’ has not come in rescue of the citizens of India. I think, unless the government implement peace measures on war footing basis in India, the Prime Minister calling the violence, as ‘national shame’ will lose its relevance. Unless, the government give up its soft attitude to the saffron ideology and forces, calling the violence as ‘national shame’ will have no meaning. Unless the government come into grips with the ground reality to the violence in India, calling the violence as ‘national shame’ will have no message. Further more let me plead in telling that unless these incidents of violence are not dealt as matters of ‘national shame’, I am afraid the fame of India will lose its character, which so far sustained to be secular in nature.

Immediate Response
The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has been such a great statesman, where India and other countries are really proud of for his bold decisions and contributions for the furtherance of India into a global power. Therefore, I urge the Prime Minister to intervene pro-actively into the incidents of violence on minority religions in India and make India to be proud of its rich and varied heritage. I think at a time like this the Prime Minister and the government should be bold in legislating and executing laws for the peace and harmony in India. When secular fabric of India is restored, the democratic values will yield good fruits for the progress of India. Only when the foundations of our home India are firm, strong and unshaken, the rest will add grace and beauty to it. Let us all resolve to strengthen the foundations of secularism, for the fear that it may fall. Jai hind

When I Survey The Broken Cross...

2008-09-12T03:21:00.001-07:00

On the Christmas Eve of 2007, this Church in Balliguda, Khandamal District of Orissa, India was attacked and burnt by the fundamentalist groups. (Photographs Courtesy: Bishop. Samantha Roy)

When I survey this broken Cross
On which the nailed hand of Jesus hanging
I see harmony among people at a loss
And peace broken & community raging

Jesus on an old rugged cross was pressed
And was beaten again and again,
He came to liberate all the oppressed
But the greedy attack Him for vain gain

Though Cross is the reward for His acts of Liberation
Death could not chain Jesus, the Liberator,
For Resurrection is the reward for that crucifixion
So shall every victim 'll turn victor.

CNI Church Attacked in Barakuma, Khandamal Dist, Orissa during Christmas 2007

2008-09-11T04:23:00.000-07:00

In a village called Barakuma, the CNI Church was attacked and was put on fire during Christmas 2007. Nearly 400 houses of Dalit Christians were burnt to ashes along with some other Dalit Hindu families. Their certificates, vehicles, food grains, shops were all put to fire. It was said that nearly 4000 to 5000 people attacked them on the Christmas day with weapons and the Christians had to flee into the jungles to save their lives. They had to live in Jungles for four to five days and had to starve there without food. Several people are still missing and it is so pathetic to find that many do not know what has happened to their dear ones.

the pattas...

O Little Town of Bethlehem

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The Injustice of the Justice: Is the Wages of Sin Death?

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The Unheard Voices of Youth: Challenges to the Church Today

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Conclusion

Voice of God Affirms Human Dignity to All

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12th August 2010

Matthew 4: 1- 4

Our Mother Earth Bleeds…

Our Mother Earth Bleeds…

Come Let’s be Friends

Communicate life’s new trends

Nursing my wounds and healing is what you cater

(Dedicated to all my friends and wishing you all a very happy friendship day on 1st August 2010)

Give us today our daily bread…

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The Bread of Life and The Bread-less Lives

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Lyric on Cross

Lyric on Cross

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Lets not be Conformed to this world, but lets Transform this our world

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Rev. John Rangiah, the Unsung Hero of World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, 1910

Well, come and feel Welcome in the Church!

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Injustice at one place Affects Justice at every place

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Strengthen our foundation, lest it fall…

When I Survey The Broken Cross...

CNI Church Attacked in Barakuma, Khandamal Dist, Orissa during Christmas 2007

(Dedicated to all my friends and wishing you all a very happy friendship day on 1^st August 2010)