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Hon. Balbir K. Punj, BJP MP
Dear Sir,
This is with reference to your recent column in Outlook India titled, "Let
Sleeping Gods Lie - The Church's 'harvest of souls' policy has led us to this
foul juncture ........."
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20081124&fname=Col+Balbir+Punj+(F)&sid=1
Christianity was introduced to India in A.D. 52. Yet, almost 2000 years later,
India's Christian population is only 2.5%. This is hardly sufficient grounds
for the kind of xenophobia and paranoia that I detect in your column.
To begin with, conversions in a free society cannot destroy the "social
superstructure" of any intelligent, civilized culture UNLESS THEY ARE CONDUCTED
UNDER DURESS AGAINST A PERSON'S WILL. If you have evidence that there are
Christians converting impoverished Hindus by force, this would be an illegal
activity and should be dealt with through the legal system, not mob violence.
How is it anyone else's business in a free society if an individual or group
decides to voluntarily convert based on convictions they may have acquired in
comparison with the religion they were born into by pure accident?
You seem to be condoning anarchy by making excuses for it, while pretending to
condemn it. The cowardly mob-violence comes from the low self-esteem of the
Hindu-extremists. Shame on the local, state and federal authorities whose
primary responsibility is the personal security of every citizen, for being
unable to protect innocent Christians from these mobs.
Why don't you reserve your umbrage for the Hindu-extremists who are giving
Hinduism and Gandhigiri a bad name by taking the law into their own hands, and,
unable to provide any meaningful alternative to those impoverished tribal
Hindus, are reduced to uncivilized behavior based on violence and anarchy.
Thank goodness most of India's 800 million Hindus are far more broadminded and
sensible than the small percentage of xenophobic and paranoid Hindu extremists
and supremacists, who want to force people to stay as Hindus against their
will. If left unchecked, they would religiously cleanse India just like their
fellow extremists have done in Pakistan.
For India to achieve its full potential as a moral force in the world requires
a committment to freedom of speech, assembly and religion, which includes the
freedom to change one's religion, as long as one is not forced into doing so.
Sincerely,
Mario Goveia
Perrysburg, Ohio
Previously Jabalpur, Pune and Mumbai
