” Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”
Never has a Bible saying come true in more completeness and intensity as it has now. All in all it started with the heinous crimes against Christians in Kandhamal,Orissa. But being a Mangalorean, I know more about the recent events in this small part of the world-insignificant really-which drew attention to itself for all the wrong reasons.
The first of the infamous incidents occured when the Bajrangees trekked up a small hillock at Bondel, Mangalore where Christians generally gather to pray. After planting their flags there they walked away gloating triumphantly. They dared the troubled parishoners to complain and when they did they supplied smoothly-”It’s government land. So get down your crosses and get lost.” And added silently-”Or else… there’s more to follow.”
The argument was ‘amicably’ settled. And everyone went home happy(disgruntled) and gay(simmering). We thought that this was the end when out of the blue the Milagres church was attacked and the Adoration house there plundered. Their argument this tme around being-”Conversions! Destroy them!” It gave me the fleeting impression of the Jews screaming for the execution of Jesus-”Crucify him! Crucify him!.”
Mangalorean Roman Catholics are a peace loving and amicable people. I am not saying that because I am one of them. But because it is true that they are the last to pick up a fight and the first to settle it. And not even in their wildest dreams would they go about converting people unless they came up to them wanting to be converted. And the Bajrangees probably expected us to shut up and bear all the atrocities. ‘Coz that is what we generally do isn’t it? Get slapped on one cheek only to show the other. But this time was different. I have never seen such rage among the people. It again proves that you shoudn’t stretch people’s patience to such an extent that it breaks. Then you may have to unexpectedly bear the brunt of their anger.
Now let me get this straight. I believe that in this country everyone has the right to voice out their opinions freely. But when the members of the Bajrang Dal went about destroying the churches, it didn’t make them look smart. Or even close. In fact they looked like disoriented, bumbling sheep, only, a thousand times more aggressive. They didn’t even bother to check if they were after the right people. In fact the right culprits belonged to a totally different sect of Christianity altogether. And they went about dissecting the firtst church they found. Burning Holy Books and desecrating the Sacrament. How pathetic. ATLEAST GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT MAN.
Now comes the funny part. I have heard of religious fanatics. But whoever heard of fanatics-in-law? That’s right. Enter- our very capable police force-who do a lot of very commendable jobs, but are still the last to arrive, well-versed with the lathi language and from whose mouths spring words of eternal abuse-were the center of some more hair-raising action. In the friction between the police and the youth, during which some Christian youth threw stones on the police (very wrong of them, I don’t deny) the ‘gaurdians of law ‘ ended up lathi charging the rest of the peacefully protesting crowd. Unmercifully, inhumanly, and without any qualms. Men and women alike.
And if there is one thing that exasperates and shocks me more than the police brutality, it is the indifference of the government to the plight of the victimised. When the chief minister was told about the whole issue, instead of taking immediate measures to arrest the miscreants he issues orders for the authenticity of churches to be verified. Wow! Crisis management.
Why isn’t the main leader of Bajrang Dal (who proudly announces how the association under his leadership was responsible for the attacks) arrested? Is this how the government assures security to the minority?
It is really amazing how bravely the Christians have put up with the atrocities meted out to them all over India. Unlike certain ‘lionheart leaders’ of the VHP who burrowed underground at the first news of an arrest coming their way. Talk about cowardice.
One thing is clear now. People will think twice before torturing the Christians again. And the credit goes to all the Roman Catholics who came forward hand in hand to prove to the world that we will take no more of this nonsense.
KUDOS TO YOU BROTHERS AND SISTERS! KUDOS TO YOU CHRISTIANS!
i know this issue would be written the best by u..the sensitivity of the issue is such tat the blame game continues n follows whereever u go..conversions i believe is a right constitution has given each citizen of india,and hence reactions on such acts is totally unhuman sply when u talkin abt the christians..i believe no single community has ever streched the education system so far as them(hello whre is bajrang here..no where close)i believe in multicultural society like india there should be thin line between dominance and co-existence of religions..who better than young india can think of this…