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A fact finding team recently spent three days in the Mandla-Jabalpur region and is deeply concerned over imminent threats to the Christian community. Two million attendees are expected during the Narmada Samajik Kumbh from 10-12 February 2011 in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Earlier this week appeals for preventative action to halt anti-Christian hate speech and ensure peace were sent to state and national government officials, by Christian NGOs, like The CSF.
 

John Dayal, aicc Secretary General, said, "We fear that, even if there is no violence or a forcible conversion of Christians to Hinduism during the Kumbh, the Hindutva campaign has poisoned the atmosphere in Madhya Pradesh. This will negatively impact relationships between Christian and other tribals in the hamlets, villages, and townships of the region". The team uncovered plans for (homecoming celebration) or conversion to Hinduism of local Christians despite Madhya Pradesh’s Freedom of Religion Act which requires prior notice of such actions. Literature distributed near the site talks about purging the region of Christian missionaries, who are falsely accused of large-scale conversions of tribals, mostly Gonds. The fact finding report was submitted this week to the Madhya Pradesh Governor, the federal Minister for Minority Affairs, the federal Minister of Home Affairs, and the National Commission for Minorities.
 

The penetration of hard core Hindutva activists in Madhya Pradesh may have a long-term dampening affect on freedom of religion in this region. It may also negatively impact the continuing social work of Christians, including schools and medical centers in under-developed districts," said Dayal. The fact finding team was comprised of Dr. John Dayal, member, National Integration Council, Government of India, and aicc secretary general, and Mr. Vijayesh Lal, human rights activist and secretary of the Religious Liberty Commission, Evangelical Fellowship of India. The organisers of the kumbh (a holy riverbank gathering) are Sangh Parivar groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
 

"We were told that sadhus and Hindutva activists have traveled throughout the Mandla district’s villages. While collecting money for food and care of Kumbh participants, they made oral threats and allegations of illegal activities by missionaries or priests, according to Christian and social leaders in Mandla. They threatened to wipe out Christianity from the region and convert the region’s Christians to Hinduism through ritual cleansing", said Dayal. The fact finding team collected or photographed pamphlets, posters, banners, hoardings, and were given copies of other printed material. Slogans on the materials charged Christian missionaries of deceiving people through educational and medical services. One slogan translates, "Church will do anything for conversions". Some of the materials display the name "Dharma Jagran Samiti, Maharashtra"
 

The police superintendent issued orders on 6 December 2010 telling churches, and other groups, they must close schools and institutions and house visiting dignitaries and women police. School officials told police a lengthy school closure will be impossible. The police superintendent now claims he did not sign the order, but the fact finding team has procured what appears to be an authentic copy. "We are deeply concerned because Mandla police have a history of questionable demands of Christians", said Dayal. For example, they ordered Sister Olga Lucas of the Deenbandhudham Convent to give details of the nuns in the convent such as bank accounts, landline, and mobile telephone numbers, as well as details of patients undergoing treatment in the hospital and clinics.
 

The fact finding team interviewed the Catholic bishop of Jabalpur, Right Reverend Gerald Almeida, as well as over 200 Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical priests, pastors, and church workers from the area. The team visited the Narmada River, particularly the left bank, where houses and fields were leveled for housing, toilets, and other hospitality arrangements. The team spoke to local policemen and with contractors building the shamianas (tents), roads, and a new river barrage (dam). Local Roman Catholic and other Christian leaders sent a memorandum to the Madhya Pradesh Governor, Chief Minister, and divisional and district authorities. The memo lists samples of newspaper clippings and posters targeting minorities with hate slogans. The memo said, "Our sources tell us there will be a major ghar wapsi or conversion to Hinduism of local Christians. We urge the administration to take timely action and appropriate steps to protect the citizens and particularly the minorities, their places of worship and institutions, and religious personnel. The administration would be entirely and wholly responsible in case of any undesirable eventuality".
 

Different kumbhs are held on various rivers across India. The "Narmada Samajik Kumbh" is distinguished because it is a very recent event, invented by the Sangh Parivar to recruit tribal people in western and central India, specially the Chhotanagpur region which is inhabited by some of the oldest tribes in the world. The people call themselves Adivasis (original people), but the Sangh Parivar calls them Vanvasis (forest dwellers). The government has allotted 140 crore INR (Rupees 1,400 million) for civil works, tents, roads, and other arrangements.
 

The Roman Catholic Church is particularly active in the region in education, health, and development projects, many begun in recent years. This region is heavily forested, and the Mandla district consistently ranks among the 20 most backward districts in India. There are many similarities to Kandhamal District, Orissa, which suffered unprecedented anti-Christian violence in 2008 after the late Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati vitiated Kondh tribals against Christians. It is also similar to The Dangs District, Gujarat, where Swami Aseemanand invented the Shabari Kumbh and led a hate campaign against local Christians. This culminated in violence over Christmas in 1998 and arson of at least three dozen churches. Aseemanand is currently in police custody for his role in Hindutva terror including the bombing of Muslim shrines and mosques, as well as the India-Pakistan peace train, called the Samjhauta Express, in 2007. The Shabari Kumbh was originally planned for Madhya Pradesh, according to media reports.

RSS to hold its own 3 day Kumbh

The RSS who is already faced with a shrinking support base — the number of its shakhas (branches) has fallen from 43,905 in 2008-09 to to 39,823 in 2009-10 — the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has now decided to organise its own version of the Kumbh Mela. The mela, named Samajik Samrasta Kumbh, to be held near  Mandla in Madhya Pradesh on February 10-12, the Sangh plans to gather 30-35 lakh people from across India. The idea has been taken from the famous Kumbh melas — mammoth gatherings of devout Hindus — but it has been given a social spin as this Kumbh will mark the coming together of social groups, from the upper caste Hindu to the tribals.

It is expected that the Sangh will mobilise people through biradaris and community leaders of different castes and tribes, and believes that those who attend the meet can be ideologically indoctrinated into becoming shakha-attending Swayamsevaks. “Forty-five tent cities will be set up near Mandla, each capable of housing 5,000 people, a Sangh functionary informed.
Prominent personalities like Sarsanghchalak (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat and BJP leaders like Gujarat CM Narendra Modi,  MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh will be present, besides prominent sants (seers,” he added. Three mandaps will be set up for the event, named after Lord Hanuman, Rani  Lakshmibai, and Swami Lakshmanananda, who was killed in Kandhamal by alleged Maoists, leading to anti-Christian riots. Lakshmana-nanda’s name is being seen as a symbol of an agenda to counter Christian missionaries. The 3500-acre venue is named after Rani Durgavati. The meet will have exhibitions on themes like cow protection, Sikh gurus, women warriors and environment.

’Social kumbhs,’ Hindutva, and the politics of perpetuating caste privilege

The Indian State of Madhya Pradesh will host a social kumbh (pilgrimage / festival) on 10-12 February 2011. It will be held in the predominantly tribal Mandla district, in Mandla city which is situated on the banks of the Narmada River. Some “20 lakh” (i.e. 20,00,000 or 2 million) Hindu devotees are expected to attend this Maa Narmada Samajik Kumbh (Mother Narmada Social Kumbh). A “social kumbh” is not a traditional Kumbh Mela, but the recent invention of Hindutva (Hindu Nationalist) forces. It is a new tradition, built upon new mythologies.
 

The Hindu nationalists instigate social kumbhs for the purpose of bringing the traditionally animist Adivasis (lit. first inhabitants) — whom the Hindutva forces call Vanavasis (lit. forest dwellers) — into the “mainstream”: Hinduising them (effecting religious conversions that translate into political conversions) and communalising them so they can be recruited into sectarian militias;

stirring up hatred against Christians whose welfare and education ministries threaten the Hindu elites ability to enslave the tribals into the future; and shattering Adivasi minority solidarity by polarising the indigenous tribal communities along religious lines and setting them against each other. Integral to the Hindutva strategy is the demonisation of Christians as evil and of Christianity as a foreign conspiracy and existential threat to Indian national security and sovereignty. Indian unity, under the banner of militant Hindu nationalism, is then presented as the only solution.
 

Shabari kumbh – Feb 2006

In February 2006, the Shabari Kumbh Mela — a social kumbh organised around newly invented, purpose-built mythology — seriously threatened the lives of some 8,000 tribal Christians living in Dangs, Gujarat. God intervened in Dangs in February 2006 in answer to the prayers of many (2 Corinthians 1:11) and despite unprecedented incitement, the planned “cleansing” — the Hindu “kranti” (revolution) — did not materialise. Regardless, after the event the Sangh Parivar (body of Hindu nationalist organisations) boasted of “great gains” in Dangs.
 

Abhishek Kapoor reported for Ahmedabad Newsline (13 February 2006): “End of the three-day Shabari Kumbh here marked the beginning of a new experiment on mobilising Hindu forces. Led by the RSS, organisations have planned to use this new tool — more such kumbhs across the country in a semi-religious setting — to gather Hindus to counter Christian missionaries and conversions. “According to plans, these congregations would be different from the regular Kumbh Melas held at Prayag, Hardwar, Ujjain and Nashik and focus on reform and social engineering within Hinduism to consolidate its followers as a single block.”
 

The Shabari Kumbh Mela held in Dangs, Gujarat in February 2006, will doubtless be the prototype for the Maa Narmada Samajik Kumbh slated for Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, February 2011. As with the February 2006 kumbh in Dangs, the Mandla social kumbh will likewise be built on a foundation of lies and incitement. Sectarianism and violence against Christians is destined to escalate. According to a 20 May 2010 report by Compass Direct News (CDN) entitled: “Hindu Nationalists Plan ‘Religious Cleansing’ in Madhya Pradesh District”, this is indeed the stated intent of the Sangh Parivar.
 

Mandla kumbh — Feb 2011

On 22 April 2010, Hindu nationalists held a ceremony at the proposed site of the Mandla kumbh to break ground for the event. Compass Direct News (CDN) reports: “More than 100 Hindu devotees from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra attended the ground-breaking ceremony in Mandla, reported Patrika newspaper. A source present disclosed that leaders announced a list of objectives to be achieved before the festival, with one prominent agenda item being to drive away Christian pastors, evangelists and foreign aid workers from the district. “The newspaper quoted four Hindu leaders who have spoken out against foreign Christians and renewed their oath to obtain ‘reconversions’ from supposed Hindus who had become Christians. The leaders pledged to ‘cleanse Mandla of Christians’ and cleanse the Narmada River by means of the kumbh.”
 

On Sunday 2 May 2010, only 10 days after the ground breaking ceremony, local pastor Bhag Chand Rujhiya (36), his family and his fellowship were attacked by a mob of around 40 armed, abusive and belligerent Hindu militants. Eventually Pastor Rujhiya was taken away by police to be interrogated, intimidated and harassed. He was released from detention after being forced to sign papers promising that he would cease evangelisation in the area, and stop leading worship and prayers. Forced into hiding for a time, Pastor Rujhiya returned to his village on 7 May, though he said he was still fearful as threats from Hindu nationalists continued. “My wife and children say that we are ready to face whatever comes our way”, he told CDN. “We will not renounce our faith.”

 
Hindutva: the politics of perpetuating caste privilege

Because Hindutva forces target their activity to the religious sphere, their activity slips under the radar of most political analysts. But while the Hindutva forces target the religious sphere, it is all for political gain. Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) is all about politics — about securing Hindu power in a Hindu State for the sole purpose of perpetuating caste privilege. The social kumbhs merely provide Hindu elites with a religious platform upon which they can lie and deceive, whipping up fear and hatred for the sole purpose of dragnetting the tribal masses for exploitation as vote cattle. What the tribals do not seem to realise, is that by believing the lies and being drawn into religious-political conversion, they are voting to perpetuate their own enslavement.
 

Blasphemy Law: How Much Religion? How Much Politics?
 

Assassination of Salman Taseer, Governor of Punjab, Pakistan, has unleashed debate both among conservatives and liberals about justification or otherwise of the blasphemy law in Pakistan. It is totally surprising that the conservatives in Pakistan are demonstrating in favour of the assassin and not only that they are openly saying that those who condemn assassination can also be assassinated.
 

These conservatives should know that even if law is justified, it is not for any one to assassinate the breaker of the law. Law ceases to be a law if it is administered by any individual at his/her sweet will without following due process of law or proper legal trial. It clearly shows that law and order situation in Pakistan has almost collapsed and detailing of Malik Mumtaz Husain Qadri, the alleged assassin of Salman Taseer for security of a liberal governor also raises question. Why such a man of conservative views was detailed for his personal security.
 

It is equally shocking that 500 supposedly moderate clerics publicly threatened those who mourn Salman Taseer’s assassination will also meet the same fate and less shocking that when the alleged assassin was taken to the court many lawyers showered flower petals on him. And neither this threat by clerics nor celebration of assassination by, of all the people, a section of legal community, attracts any action from the state. Also, many Islamic scholars were appearing on TV and endorsing the action of the assassin and warning opponents not to condemn assassination. This clearly shows state is completely withdrawn and allowed fanatics to take over.
 

There is no mention whatsoever of such a law in Qur’an which is most fundamental source of Islamic laws. Qur’an only says to believers to invoke Allah’s Mercy and Grace for the Prophet and that is why Muslims always write Peace Be upon Him (PBUH) in English and Sallal lahu alayhi wa sallam (i.e. May Allah’s Mercy and Grace be on him). Also, the Qur’an describes the Prophet as rahmah lil ‘alamin i.e. mercy of all the worlds. If the Prophet is mercy for all the worlds how can one kill in his name? Is Qur’an more fundamental or weak human sentiments?
 

Also, just because one thinks that someone has insulted the Prophet (PBUH) how can one straight away kill him without any due process of law, without establishing his/her guilt? If the Christian woman Asia Bibi who was given death sentence by the lower court for allegedly insulting the Prophet and some one felt that justice was not done in awarding death sentence, does he also become guilty of insulting the Prophet (PBUH)?
 

Those who support such a law argue that it is based on the sunnah of the Prophet and cite the story of a Jewish woman who used to write provocative poetry against the Prophet and Islam and according to this story Prophet (PBUH) asked his colleagues as to who will get rid of this woman and one of the colleague killed this woman and reported to the Prophet and the Prophet praised him.
 

First the question arises about how authentic this story is. Secondly, even if it is authentic this relates more to sedition than insult to the Prophet. All Jews in Madina had signed a covenant with the Prophet that their rights to follow their religion will be guaranteed and their properties and lives will be secure and in turn the Jews will defend Madina, if attacked by outsiders. This Jewish woman by writing such provocative poetry which enemies of Islam were spreading throughout the Arab world, had committed sedition and everywhere in the world, even in civilized world today is death.
 

But when another Jewish woman insulted the Prophet by throwing garbage on him whenever he passed from below her house, Prophet (PBUH) never punished her. Not only that one day when she did not throw garbage he inquired why has she not thrown garbage today and when informed that she is sick he immediately went to inquire about her health. She felt ashamed for throwing garbage at such a person and immediately embraced Islam. Thus for personal insult Prophet really showed that he is mercy of the worlds and not only pardoned her but went to inquire after her health.
 

This is what is needed for a truly religious person. To avenge an insult is not sign of religiosity but of worst human instinct. The Prophet was so spiritual that he would never indulge in seeking revenge for personal insult. He was sent by Allah as a model human being to be followed by others. And he really behaved as a model for others. Qur’an repeatedly advises Muslims to suppress sentiments of revenge and anger and in view of this Qur’anic teaching how the Prophet through whom Qur’an was revealed could himself indulge in avenging personal insult?