Subject:- (i)- If US-Christianity doesn’t take interest then the ‘Liberal Western Democracy’ led by the USA will lose to ‘Authoritarian Chinese Democracy’ in developing world (ii)- Christian – Langars (like Sikh – Langars) at Dharna sites for agitating farmers will be crucial in ensuring voluntary conversion of about two third of India to Christianity
In Christian West (Europe and Europe origin countries USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc) during the last half millennium these have been discussed extensively namely sovereignty, Christianity, God, State, democracy, secularism, human rights, Jesus Christ, free-mind, globalization etc. Out of these debates & discourses the following has emerged:-
(i)- God is the only sovereign. In democracy sovereignty lies with the people. People can acquire sovereignty only by realizing God. The State (which is law) helps the people in moving towards sovereignty through rule-of-law. God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent hence it is the religious duty of the people while realizing sovereignty (God) to come out of a situation which debilitates them physically, emotionally, intellectually, morally and spiritually.
(ii)- Christianity is the only religion which believes in protecting the human rights of the people (Jainism, Buddhism and even Hinduism talk about ‘Ahimsa’, the no-violence but their so-called upper castes treated the people of so-called inferior castes for thousands of years as second class citizens and even perpetrated horrible atrocities on them). Hence when Christian commits unnecessary violence (other than sanctioned physical coercion by State) as they did during World Wars, holocaust etc then have done it against the preaching of Jesus Christ.
(iii)- If Christianity does not make effort to remove sufferings of mankind wherever IT CAN then (notwithstanding how many services they conduct / attend in Churches or any such religious ritual) it can’t expect any blessing or grace from Jesus Christ.
(iv)- For the proper life of a modern man / woman and for the progress of powerful modern science & technology, a free mind is necessary which is possible only when it is free from the coercion of military power and religion. This is possible through democracy and secularism (which Christian West achieved at the cost of huge loss of lives & blood especially in 16th & 17th centuries).
(v)- In a democratic country if a substantial number of people are in a socio-economic humiliating condition then the State gets weakened hence the rest can also not realize sovereignty.
Earlier it was Muslim community which was weeping & bleeding profusely from Myanmar to NAME region (including in Syria, Yemen, Palestine etc) but now the suffering (though to a much lesser extent) of large number of people (about two thirds of the population) in India has come to light. In this globalized world (before providing succor to suffering Muslims) the US-Christianity should first take-up the matter of India because it is not only easier but it also concerns a country which is practicing ‘Liberal Western Democracy’ (led by the USA) which recently has come under threat from ‘Authoritarian Chinese Democracy’ because of its attraction in developing world (as China and too an Asian country, has achieved unprecedented economic progress).
About two thirds of 1370 million India is wholly or partly engaged in agriculture. Hundreds of thousands of farmers have committed suicide due to nonremunerative prices of agriculture produce but no body paid any attention to it because people in farm sector are from oppressed (SC / ST) and backward castes. In 2020 the government of India enacted three farm laws which were considered harmful by (economically better-off) farmers of Punjab & Haryana hence they protested along with farmers of Western U.P (and some from Rajasthan etc) and have encircled India’s capital in hundreds of thousands by Dharna (sit-in) since November 2020.
Earlier also farmers agitated in lesser number across India but this time Sikhs through their Gurdwaras provided Langar (free food) and other facilities hence gave initial crucial strength to agitating farmers which made Dharna successful and has attracted attention of entire country and has developed interest in farmers of rest of India which are interested in ‘Legally Enforceable Minimum Support Price’ (the LEMSP which is another demand of the agitating farmers in addition to repeal of said controversial 3 farm laws).
Now a stalemate has been created in this farmer’s agitation. The economically better-off farmers of Punjab, Haryana, Western UP are not interested (because they were already getting the benefit of MSP through APMC in their areas) in the demands of LEMSP of economically humble farmers from rest of India. Hence they are not carrying out Dharna (sit-in) in rest of India (about 7,000 Dharna sites at Tehsil / Taluka, District, State headquarters) for LEMSP and which is the only way to get their demands fulfilled. The economically humble farmers from rest of India can’t carry-out Dharnas without the help of Sikhism (through Langars). These suffering farmers are from so-called inferior castes of Hindu order hence nobody is bothered about their sufferings. Hence their only relief is the conversion to some other egalitarian religion.
There can be broadly 6 such religions in India to which these unfortunate people may convert namely Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism (Parsees). As far as Sikhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism , these are simply not interested in such conversions (including Buddhism which did very little conversion of Hindus to it during the time of Dr Ambedkar and some very little afterwards). As far as Islam no one will convert to it due to two reasons. First in popular perception Muslims invaders and rulers inflicted horrible violence against Hindus for about thousand years from 8th to 18the century hence there is inherent anger among Hindus against Muslims (and their way of life) and second the Muslims world over do not practice secular democracy hence they are considered backward people.
As far as Indian Christianity it is afraid to convert the Hindus because of the threat of violence as happened when a Christian Priest and his son were burnt alive in the State of Odisha and other incidents of violence against Christians in the name of preventing conversions. But if US-Christianity helps the Indian Christianity then it will be an important partner in this mission. Therefore it is only the US-Christianity which can provide succor to these large numbers of Indians (who are about two thirds of India) by offering them a choice of voluntary conversion to Christianity. But for this to happen the US-Christianity will have to do the following:-
(1)- The US-Christianity will have to provide the facility of Langars at 7,000 Dharna sites (as has been provided by Sikhism to agitating farmers at Delhi borders). This will not require much money because the volunteers of Christian – Langars can collect (as donation) the food items (grains, dals, vegetables, cooking oil etc) for these Christian -Langars from the farmers and others of villages / towns / cities near Dharna sites.
(2)- The US-Christianity will have to ask the Biden-Administration to ensure religious freedom for providing succor to the majority of Indians by voluntary conversion. The US-administration can do it either through UN Laws (ICCPR etc) or through some Indo-US treaty about this matter.
(3)- The US-Christianity should not listen to the US-administration that such conversion out of economic benefits ( farmers to get as a result of their said agitation with the help of Christian-Langars) will be termed by Indian-administration as illegal. Rather the US-Christianity should ask the US-administration [in view of above mentioned (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) ] to get such immoral, illegal and illegitimate obstacles removed from Indian Statute (if any) which are coming in the path of voluntary conversion for the purpose of getting a life which can provide sovereignty to these converted people.
It is hoped that the US-Christianity will discharge its religious duty (with the help of Biden-administration) to help the above mentioned unfortunate about two third of India by way of their voluntary conversion to Christianity so that these Indians (about 3 times the population of the USA) can also realize the sovereignty (God) through the democratic secular State (which is law).
Regards
Hem Raj Jain
(Author of ‘Betrayal of Americanism’)
Shakopee, MN, USA
