The entire Christian community in our country is agonised at incidents such as ‘Ghar Wapsi’. Christians in India are mentally and physically tortured. Churches and Christians schools are attacked and destroyed. The proposed anti-conversion bill is violating the fundamental right of Freedom of religion in India guaranteed by Article 25 of Indian Constitution.
Article 25 (1) guarantees to every person, the freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion. To ‘propagate’ means to spread and publicise one religious view for the edification of others. By the word “propagation” only indicates persuasion and exposition without any element of coercion. Conversion in the name of ‘Ghar Wapsi’ by force is against the Constitution of India.
According to Schedule 3, Constitution of India any individual who is appointed as a minister takes the Oath of Office by swearing in the name of God that he or she will bear true faith and solemnly affirm allegiance to the Constitution Of India as by law established. And that he or she will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the Law. Thus the angry reaction against an editorial in the Herald under the title “Utt Goenkara Utt, Niddhantlo Utt” by the Chief Minister stating that he did not want the advice of outsiders to run his government is improper.
Mother Teresa was an outstanding humanitarian who devoted her entire life to care for the agonised human beings all over the world like the destitute, abandoned children, the poor, the sick, the mentally ill, aged and the victims of incorrigible diseases. She saw the face of God in each and every agonised human being. Conversion to Christianity was never the objective behind Mother Teresa’s service to the poorest of the poor as stated by the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
In the Holy Gospel according to Mathew Chapter 6 verses 2-4 Jesus says, “So when you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the house of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, you have already been paid in full. But when you help a need person, do it such a way that even your closet friend will not know about it. Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.” Mother Teresa always honoured the Word of God. Mohan Bhagwat do not insult the soul of Mother Teresa and agonise the sisters of the Missionaries of Charities whose only motto is to serve the poorest of the poor.
The US President Barack Obama referred to India as a beautiful, magnificently diverse country where the acts of religious intolerance in India would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi who played a big role in India’s freedom struggle. It is important to protect our unity in diversity. It is important to maintain religious harmony for the growth and development of our country. Let us end the agony in our country. The world is watching us. Let us ensure that India is triumphant in emerging as the most developed nation of the world.
