Source: The Associated Press
By HEMA SHUKLA
LUMBINI, Nepal (AP) - India's religious communities are
looking for ways to unite to preserve their identities in
the face of aggressive Christian proselytizing, Hindu
religious leaders said today.
Pope John Paul II's recent call for missionaries to spread
Catholicism in Asia has sparked a sense of crisis among the
Hindu religious leaders gathered in Lumbini, for the fourth
International Conference of Great Religions in Asia. Many
religious leaders referred to Christian missionary activity
during their speeches on "Karuna or Compassion in Hinduism
and Buddhism," the official theme of the conference.
"We have to unite to face the assault" of Christianity, said
Acharya Dharmendra, a policymaker for the World Hindu
Council.
During the conference, this small town close to the
Nepal-India border has been overwhelmed with saffron- or
ochre-robed Buddhist and Hindu ascetics, many of them in
dreadlocks or with tonsured heads. Huge kitchens under
colorful tents have been set up to cook vegetarian meals for
the more than 1,000 delegates from across Asia.
Relations between Christians and Hindus in India had been
cordial for centuries. But over the last year, Christian
groups have recorded more than a hundred attacks against
them, and they have blamed radical Hindu groups for the
assaults.
The Indian government says the figures are exaggerated. It
attributes most of the attacks to land disputes or local
issues. Hindu organizations say attacks that took place were
triggered by aggressive proselytizing by Christian
missionaries who offer inducements to gain converts.
Hindu leaders said tension between the two communities was
heightened by the pope, who visited New Delhi earlier this
month and urged his bishops to spread the Christian faith in
Asia. The World Hindu Council estimates there are 4,500
foreign Christian missionaries in India - not to mention
120,000 Indian missionaries and 65,000 nuns.
"That's larger than the army of Pakistan," Dharmendra said.
Delegates privately said they were taking steps to deal with
what they called a challenge to their religions.
Already, the Hindu council has 1,600 single-teacher schools
in rural and tribal areas across India and is planning
another 2,000 schools within a year. In addition, 10,000
Hindu preachers are being trained to spread out across the
country and strengthen the Hindu faith among the people,
leaders said.
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Date: 11/20/99
Unity Urged Against Christianity
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