Bangalore Archbishop expresses concern of survey of churches, missionaries

Bangalore Archbishop Peter Machado has expressed concern over the decision to survey churches and Christian Missionaries in Karnataka. He said that the ‘conversion bogey’ will only whip up anti-religious feelings.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly Committee on Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare, which is dominated by legislators belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has ordered a survey of churches and functioning of Christian missionaries in the state.

The survey is being carried out in the light of repeated charges by the BJP and other Hindu organisations that Christian organisations are converting Hindus to Christianity.

The Legislative Committee meeting was chaired by BJP legislator Goolihatti Shekhar in the absence of the chairperson Dinkar Keshav Shetty, also of the BJP. Shekhar, who is a strong advocate of anti-conversion law, sought the conduction of the survey, even as opposition party legislators spoke against it.

Shekhar then directed all district authorities to find out how many of the 1,700-plus churches and Christian prayer halls are legal.

During the September session of the Legislative Assembly, Shekhar had charged that a large number of Hindus, including his mother Ratnamma, were forcibly converted to Christianity.  He had later organised a ritual at a temple to bring his mother and eight others back to Hinduism.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Machado, said in a statement that the government should take the count of the educational institutions and health centres run by the Christian missionaries which will give a fair idea of the service that is rendered by the Christian community to nation-building.

“We consider this exercise as futile and unnecessary. There is no good that will come out of it, in fact, in the background of the conversion bogey and anti-religious feelings that are being whipped up, it is dangerous to make such surveys. With this our community places of worship as also pastors and sisters will be identified and may be unfairly targeted. We are already hearing of such sporadic incidents in the north and in Karnataka already.

“Why is the government interested in making survey of the religious personnel and places of worship only of the Christian Community? We are sad that the honourable Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, whom we regard highly as a broad-minded and enlightened person succumbs to the pressures from fundamentalist groups, who wish to indulge in disturbing the peace, harmony and peaceful co-existence in the society. Let the government take the count of the educational institutions and health centres run by the Christian missionaries. That will give a fair idea of the service that is rendered by the Christian Community to the nation building. How many people are converted in these places and institutions? If as alleged by some, Christians are converting indiscriminately why the percentage of Christian population is reducing regularly when compared to the others?

“We are always against forceful, fraudulent and incentivised conversions and we repeat that we are lawfully abiding by the prescriptions of the Constitution of India, which for us is supreme and sacred. Does not the Constitution in Article 25 (also 26, 29 & 30) ensure the freedom of every citizen to profess, practice and propagate his/her religion without fear or force? Why do we need any anti-conversion laws when there are enough safeguards enshrined in the Constitution and the legal system of the country to punish the guilty? Further laws will only be tools in the hands of a few to hound and persecute the innocent. Just a few days back the Madras Court declared that merely going to church and displaying Christian symbols does not mean that a person has converted. The Christian Community is patriotic, law abiding and would like to be foremost in the service of the poor and downtrodden in the country. We need support and encouragement from the government,” he stated in the press release.