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October     Last updated: October 28: 7:00 p.m.

Roman or Indian?
A Christian Question

Brahma Naik

EVER since RSS Sarsanghchalak K.S. Sudarshan's statement on Christianity that India should have a national church on the lines of Yacobite church in Kerala or the Chinese church for that matter—there has been a flurry of articles in the press condemning the ‘Fascist’ nature of the organisation he represents. An impression was sought to be created that RSS is all out to de-Christianise India. But those who jump to conclusions and criticize Shri Sudarshan, should have turned the pages of some church publications before indulging in mudslinging. For the benefit of those who haven't gone through them, here are a few specimens. “There is a search of an Indian theology, one Indian rite, one Indian Church, but also there is a felt need for indigenous theologies and churches of dalits, tribals and other grassroots groups, all this is a challenge for the church in India. The challenge stems from the reality of India's heritage of diversity and even disparity.

The bewildering diversity of peoples, languages, cultures and religions alongside the scandalous disparity in caste, class and gender call for an innovative and revolutionary transformation of the ‘made-in-foreign’ image of the church in India”, writes Sr Evelyn Monteiro, a theologian of the Roman Catholic Church in Vidya Jyoti, June, 2000. Another Christian theologian, Dr Samuel Rayan in an exclusive interview to a church publication, Indian Currents said : “A rite means the experience of the common faith expressed in a local culture of a believing people. Latin rite is relevant only in a place where there is Latin culture. If that rite is exported to another place, it becomes inauthentic. The common faith of all of us should be expressed in local cultures. Only then can we have authentic, genuine rites. So there cannot be a Latin rite in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh or in Uttar Pradesh.

There should be one Indian rite or many Indian rites. Rome imposed Latin rite wherever it went because Rome was interested in uniformity—an imposition devoid of all pastoral concerns..... (on appointment of bishops by Vatican, he says).... An outside power is imposing something on another community without consultation. It smacks of colonial, padroado methods.” “Can catholicism that adorns the Roman-European attire be the universal symbol of unity? Am I a Roman Christian or an Indian Christian? Why should my Indian coat be removed and be forced to put on an uncomfortable Roman guise? I would prefer my Indian coat, however simple and ordinary it might look”, states Julian S. Das in Indian Currents (Issue dt. September 24, 2000). Even more candid was Fr. Bento Rodrigues, the Roman Catholic priest, who said : “Yes, Christianity is a global movement, to spread the message of love and propagate what Jesus has preached”. This does not mean that Christians in India should act to the whims and fancies of the foreign powers. By no means Indian culture and traditions are inferior to any other culture for that matter. If Korean church can follow their own customs and traditions what is wrong in Indians following them.” When asked does India need foreign missionaries Fr. Bento Rodrigues said : “Why should we need foreign missionaries?

When we are sending Indian missionaries to other countries. We don't have to depend on them.” Although there is not much difference between what Shri Sudarshan and others have said, an unsavoury controversy was sought to be created over his statement. In fact one need not go very far to fetch an answer for this. They are the people, who with the help of foreign agencies and their clout in media, tried to create a mountain out of a mole hill, blowing out of proportions certain isolated incidents of crime and paint India and Hinduism in darkest colours, both inside and outside the country. They know that only by creating an impression outside the country that the Christians are persecuted community in India, they can extract money from foreign sources to fill their coffers. These were the people who sabotaged the prospects of a healthy debate between religious leaders of Hinduism and Christianity.

Fortunately, indications are that the community itself has identified the wolves in sheep's clothing and is trying to isolate them. These vested interests even implicitly talked about launching terrorist activities on the lines of subversive activities in the north-east. According to John Joseph, member of National Minorities Commission, “The stories about the Christian attacks spread among the Christians colourfully could excite them and drive them to terrorist activities. This could be the motive behind all these. It is a clandestine move to begin terrorist activities in the States of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and North-eastern States.” All said and done, the RSS Sarsanghchalak has not said anything new or objectionable to Indian Christians. All his statement meant was that there is a distinction between the politics of the Vatican and the religion. That the Vatican has a political agenda before it, is a well-known fact. Even many Christian theologians have resented against the “colonial” attitude of the western clergy. Therefore, in the greater interests of the nation as well as its self-respect, the Indian Christians should break away from the bondage and remote control of the Vatican.