We have already seen that Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the so-called World Hindu Council, an ally of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), threatened to disrupt the proceedings when 10,000 Dalits (untouchables) converted to Buddhism. Conversion to Christianity or Islam is considered to be much worse, but despite opposition, Christians and Muslims have had success in evangelising the Dalits and lower castes. Hindu youths from VHP and another activist group Bajrang Dal have consequently taken to beating those of other faiths.<\/p>\n
Both groups were involved in the destruction of a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya (of the ‘Ramayana’) in 1992, which led to the worst religious riots in five decades. 20,000 Hindu priests blessed the campaign to remove the mosque and build a temple there instead. An attack on a passenger train in Gujarat in 2002 led to a massacre of more than 1,000 Muslims. The head of the VHP, Ashok Singhal, said afterwards: “What happened in Gujarat will happen in the whole of the country … We were successful in our experiment of raising Hindu consciousness, which will be repeated all over the country now.” (Amnesty International)<\/p>\n
CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED<\/p>\n
Persecution against Christians is more widespread because in general Christians – unlike Muslims and Sikhs – do not retaliate. In 1997 a Christian preacher narrowly avoided becoming a human sacrifice, whilst there are constant accounts of beatings of missionaries and pastors by Bajrang Dal. But the VHP is also involved. “Conversion is social, religious and cultural violence,” said Pravin Bhai Toagadia, a leader of VHP, in defence of Hindu attacks.<\/p>\n
Yogi Adityanath, a BJP member of parliament as well as a leader of the VHP, said in 1999 that VHP planned a ‘protest campaign’ to drive missionaries out of tribal areas of northern India. On their UK website (www.vhp-uk.com) VHP specifically claim not to persecute Christians in India. Despite that claim, there can be little doubt that the Hindu elite have a vested interest in trying to intimidate Christians and stop conversions.<\/p>\n
Nothing much has changed since the days of the early church, when the leader of the craftsmen who made silver shrines in Ephesus complained about the preaching of the Apostle Paul: “not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.” And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” (Acts 19:26-28)<\/em><\/p>\n It was the same Apostle Paul who bluntly told the church at Corinth:<\/p>\n 1 Cor. 10:20 : The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21: Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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