By and large, India is plagued by religious intolerance. However in general, people live under harmony; yet there are occasional disturbances in the country that disturb peace. Islam and Hinduism have been under logger heads for long and there were many communal disturbances between them (1). This religious intolerance between these two communities surfaced once the prospect of getting independence from British rule became evident during last century. Mohammed Ali Jinnah (Father of Pakistan) claimed that in independent India with democratic parliamentary system, Muslims shall completely loose their identity and will not be able to live as majority votes would be in the hands of Hindus. Sir Sayyad Ahmed Khan (1817- 1892) founder of Aligarh Muslim University and Poet Mohammed Iqbal earlier in 1939 voiced similar sentiments and hinted at bifurcating the country. Sir Ahmed Khan said (2 ):
“ Under a democratic system, of Government which forms the ideal of congress leaders, the larger community would fully override the interests of the smaller community”
India was bifurcated in 1947 and the consequent holocaust cost millions of lives. It has left deep scars between both communities. Scores of Muslims stayed back in India taking advantage of Indian policy of being a secular country although they voted for Pakistan. The warning of Sardar Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of India regarding loyalty of Muslims remaining in India came true in later years as a section of Muslims are on the path of separatism and creating instability with nefarious designs in mind. The air of suspicion continues in India. Hindus consider that India was bifurcated due to the adamant attitude of Muslim leadership. Even after 60 years of existence, the fissures are still evident, rather growing. Communal riots were common till recently. With growth of terrorism in the country, the air of suspicion is still increasing. The largest communal riots occurred in Gujarat after Godhra incident in which a parked train at Railway station with Hindu pilgrims was burnt by some miscreants. This resulted in waves of violence and scores of Muslims were killed and the situation was brought under control after great efforts. India also witnessed communal riots after demolition of Babri Masjid during the prime ministers hip of PV Narsimha Rao. The day of demolition is being observed as the black day even now by the Muslims in India spearheaded by Majlis Ittehad Ul Muslimeen (MIM), the Hyderabad based political party having moorings from the Razkar (Fundamentalist Volunteers) times of erstwhile Nizam VII of Hyderabad. Although from outside things appear cool, the mistrust between both the communities is very deep rooted and would not disappear. As long as the mutilated and broken temples, images, idols are present in India standing testimony to Islamic vandalism, the deep fissures between the communities would stay reminding the past mischief and atrocities.
On the front of Hindu Christian relations, situation is not bright in certain states. The Christmas that passed off recently in 2007 has witnessed communal riots between Hindus and Christians in Orissa State where tensions are known to have built up between both the communities since long. The trouble started off when some Christians attacked a Hindu religious aged leader. Hell broke out. Scores of Churches and Christian properties have been burnt without any remorse. Violence very greatly affected Kandhamal district although government has been claming that situation is under control. The rioters felled trees on the roads to prevent police vehicles to reach quickly. Police fired at Brahamnigaon town. On 27 December Christian mobs set fire to several houses belonging to Hindus and Hindus reacted by burning down 11 churches in Brahmanigaon. Seven more churches and several residental houses were burnt down by Hindus in areas Gandapadr, Badahapanga, Bhandarapada, Pisupadar, Masapadar ,Minia and Adigara. The governmnet sent reinforcements only after damage has been done as reported (3). The Hindu dominated tribal district is trouble some. In fact Orissa state was always in fore front on the issue of atrocities on Christians.
The most deplorable incident of Christian hatred in India is the murder of Australian missionary Garham Staines in Orissa by the Hindu fundamentalists. Graham Stewart Staines, an Australian Evangelical missionary had lived in India for 34 years. He ran a leprosy hospital in Baripada, in the eastern state of Orissa. On January 23, 1999, Staines and his sons Philip aged10 years and Timothy aged 8 years were burnt to death by a mob which surrounded their jeep and set it on fire. Subhas Chouhan, convenor of the state unit of Hindu Jagaran Samukhya ("Hindu Awakening Combine") alleged that Staines was killed because he was "proselytizing." (4). In recent years numerous local entities like the "Hindu Awakening Combine" and "Hindu Awakening Front," in whose names the attacks are often carried out, have sprung up across India. According to reports from India, these organizations are mere fronts for the more established organizations such as the VHP and the Bajrang Dal. In Karrenkhed village in Gujarat, mobs broke open a church and hoisted the flag of the VHP. On September 4, 1998, four nuns were raped in Madhya Pradesh; in a statement made on September 28, the VHP reportedly justified these acts of violence as "result of anger of patriotic Hindu youth against anti-national forces." They demanded that foreign missionaries be asked to "pack up and leave the country. The interesting part after the deaths of Staines and his two sons, his wife pardoned the killers at the funeral. The action of the radicals has increased the awareness of Christianity among the people, and more are looking to see what is there to make a man expose himself and his family to danger, and what would lead someone to publicly announce forgiveness of people who had burned alive her beloved family. In a culture where people are used to selfishness, the light of forgiveness and care is shining brightly. The burning shame of religious intolerance and political fascism is being overcome by the love of Jesus. It is very sad that Christian and Hindu clashes are regular affair in Orissa and in some states and this problem is required to be looked into with great concern and prevent such incidents in future. These incidents also bring down the name of the country in the eyes of international community. As a matter of fact, the exact number of Christians in India is not clear. Many Christians converted from the lower castes do not reveal for the fear of loosing the government benefits such as reservations and other benfits. In north Eastern States where Christianity has made in roads into society has been causing social disturbances. Hindu based parties are up in arms against the Christian missionaries that they are luring the poor and ignorant by money and food and are converting them into their fold. In recent times, there has been great hue and cry by the Hindu parties that The most famous temple town of Tirupati (Next only to Vatican) has becoming the center for the proselytizing actions of Christians. Certain constructions were also subjected to great criticism because the pillars fabricated and being used in the construction were similar to images of Cross. These have been removed. It is not known whether the similarity was purposefully made or was a coincidence. For the fear of Hindu backlash, the government has banned all propaganda and religious adventures by other religions at all Temple towns. Atrocities on other religions are most deplorable and it is a shame for the country and must be contained at all costs .
Bibliography
1. Prof Dr Colonel (retired) K Prabhakar Rao, Strategic studies into Muslim fundamentalism and its rise in India and its growing threat to India’s security across the borders, Ph D Thesis in Strategic studies, The International University, Independence, Missouri State USA, PP 144-165
2. RC Roy Chaudhry, HC Kalikinkar Dutta, Advanced History of India, Saint Matins press, New York, Edition III, 1967, PP 893
3. Orissa still burns on 4 th day, Deccan chronicle, Hyderabad, AP, India December 28, 2007, PP 3
4. Abha sur and Shalini Natraj, In the name of Religion, http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:dwbDU2ZMP_MJ:saxakali.com/southasia/christia.htm
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