Religious Conversion in India

The Niyogi Committee Report of Madhya Pradesh in 1956 and Its Continuing Impact on National Unity

Manohar James

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781725294547, 9781725294554
• eBook ISBN: 9781725294561
• Topic: Théologie et religion
• Subtopic: Ministère chrétien

In this book, Dr. Manohar James explores how Hindu intolerance has contributed to anti-Christian propaganda over the centuries, how such intolerance has informed the conclusions of the Niyogi Committee Report, and how the Report's ongoing publications, redactions and recessions have intensified anti-Christian rhetoric in India over the last six decades.

1

Overview of the Research

Christians in India relished a culture of religious tolerance and non-violence for centuries. However, the notion of Hindu tolerance, which was once thought of as a national identity, a hallmark of multi-religious harmony and an integral part of India’s tradition, appears endangered by radical Hindutva1 movements. While portraying themselves as self-dedicated, culturally patriotic, and guardians of national integrity, these movements tend to ethnicize religious categories, politicize identities, and demonize “the religious others.”

Prominent Hindu leaders like Vivekananda and Gandhi often boasted about the Hindu dynamic of tolerance which they said was absent in other religions. Historically, Hindus were believed to never have launched a religious war against other nations. On the other hand, Peter van der Veer contends that the popular notion of Hindu tolerance is a misconception and a byproduct of orientalist discourse. It was categorically attributed to Hindus to differentiate them from fanatic Muslims who were religiously and politically aggressive and it has gradually come to dominate the Hindu discourse on Hinduism.2 Building on the same premise, Thomas B. Hansen notes that Hindu reformers codified this imaginary cultural category to show that it is a key characteristic of Hindu faith.3

It is true that Christians throughout history faced obstacles, opposition, and even persecution from local Rajas and religious leaders. However, such conflicts rarely turned into the widespread antagonism seen today.4

Since the last quarter of the twentieth century, Christians and their conversion activities have begun to come under the strict surveillance of the radical Hindu nationalism of the Sangh Parivar, that is, Hindu nationalist organizations which operate under the ideological guidance of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Conversions, which have met with strong criticism since the explosion of mass conversions in the pre-independent era, are systematically problematized by the exigencies of Hindu nationalist politics in post-independent India. By underscoring the cultural, economic, and political motivations behind Christian conversions, Hindu right-wing activists seek to create a consensus against Christianity, stereotyping it as a hostile, foreign, and anti-national religion which poses a serious threat to Hindu society and national security. Such widespread anti-Christian propaganda contributes to the ongoing Hindu-Christian disharmony, communal tensions, and violence in various parts of India. Since the last decade of the twentieth century, Christians in many parts of India have undergone persecution, killings, burning of churches, destruction of institutions, and displacement of families.5

Historical Setting

There are several historical dynamics that have contributed to the present-day Hindu extremist reactions to Christianity. They can be traced to the contexts of colonization, certain foreign missionary deeds, and the rise of Hindutva6 ideology.

With the arrival of Muslim conquerors, India witnessed serious political upheavals from the eighth century onwards. Political invasions which often came hand in glove with the religion of the invaders affronted and affected Hindu society and Hinduism. In the process, conquerors destroyed several Hindu temples, idols, and local shrines, and converted many Hindus to Islam.7 Ever since, religious conversions have become repugnant in the eyes of Hindu fundamentalists.

Just as Hindus resisted religious conversions associated with Islamic invasions, they similarly responded to the conversions sought and wrought by Europeans, as it was apparent to them that the comportment and the strategies employed by these colonizers and convert-seeking missionaries were not so different from that of their former Muslim aggressors. Historian T. R. De Souza mentions Sasetti, who was in India from 1578 to 1588. De Souza argues, “The fathers of the Church forbade the Hindus under terrible penalties the use of their own sacred books, and prevented them from all exercise of their religion. They destroyed their temples, and so harassed and interfered with the people that they abandoned the cities in large numbers, refusing to remain any longer in a place where they had no liberty, and were liable to imprisonment, torture and death if they worshipped after their own fashion the gods of their fathers.”8 While British colonization and western ideals gave rise to the spirit of nationalism among Indians, ...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Overview of the Research
• Chapter 2: The Historical Antecedents of Anti-Missionary Attitudes and Hindu Awakening
• Chapter 3: The Advance of Hindu Nationalism and Religious Antagonism
• Chapter 4: The Christian Missionary Activities Enquiry Committee and its Report
• Chapter 5: The Significance of the Niyogi Report on Hindu Nationalism
• Chapter 6: Summary and Conclusion
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Appendix C
• Appendix D
• Appendix E
• Appendix F
• Appendix G
• Bibliography