Outpost of the ‘Empire’

Er. Rajesh Pathak

‘“ Trade follows the flag”, it was said, and often enough the flag followed the Bible. The Christian missionary, going in the name of truth and love, was often the outpost of empire, and if any harm befell him, his country made this an excuse to seize territory and extort concessions.’—writes Jawaharlal Nehru, explaining  how during 19^th century the evangelists played their part in promoting the imperialistic and commercial interests  of their respective western powers, only in return  to gain their favor  to bring more and more backward and poor people of Asian and African countries into the trap of Christianity.[Glimpses of World History, p- 463]

Almost 150 years have passed since then, and time has changed a lot. But as far as  Christian missionaries active inside the country  are concerned  they have shown  time and again that still today the time could make no effect on them. And they have yet again proved themselves by opposing the Adani’s port being built in Triuantpuram, Kerela . Country did  not forget the infamous incidents of Tuticurin based (now a closed) Vedanta Sterlite Copper Plant and Kudankulam Nuclear Plant, when stood in forefront  how the nexus of Naxalites and Missionaries led the agitation against them. Regarding the Vedanta Sterlite Copper Plant even superstar Rajnikant had to say that the agitation had been patronized by  anti-social elements. The name of one padre gained much limelight in the agitation. He then  claimed that besides activities on the open streets, the prayers are being observed inside the Churches also to make it a success. In the enquiry it was exposed that the padre got the crores of rupees in return for this work. Because of growth in industrial activities and employment generation in the entire region due to plant, Unions of traders were against the agitation since very beginning. But due to the  pressure of 34 Christian trading Unions they too succumbed to have  fallen  in the line later . Ultimately the plant got to have  shut down, and whatever economic loss forces abroad and  their agents inside the country  intended to incur upon India  they succeeded to have brought about that. The production of copper fell by 46.1%.   In 2017-18  where we were among the top five world exporters, by 2020 we turned  to be the importer of copper.
         The issue of  Kudankulam  Nuclear Plant is no different either. Every tactic from demonstration, public-protest to agitation was adopted so that the project could anyhow not come into execution. The then minister of Manmohan Singh led UPA government, Narayan Samy, alleged that the two NGOs running  under the protection of  Roman-Catholic Bishop were given 54 crores rupees to make the things more violent . Fortunately missionaries could not gain success that time, and and Nuclear plant could come into  existence. It seems that Noble Laureate, Kailash Sayarthi, rightly said that- ‘Some  people made social welfare and social transformation a business. NGO is being used also for the religious conversion. For a section of people NGO has become a source of making career, not social transformation.’ It was because of this  that  Home ministry had to respond to suspend  the licenses  of 4 big Christian missionaries’ organizations  under the provision of  FCRA[ Foreign Contribution Regulation Act] two years back  . These missionaries have  their footholds particularly in those parts of  South India, Jharkhand and Manipur which were mainly inhabited  by  Adivasis people.   So also the permissions  of two other organizations named Rajnandgaon Leprosy Hospital and Clinic and Don Vasco Tribal Development Society had also been terminated.  And recently channel of foreign funds to ‘World Vision’ has been similarly closed by  invoking  FCRA. World vision  has been notorious for being an extended form of US state department  In  the book ‘The Armies of God: A study in Militant Christianity’  its author, Iain Buchanan, views that World Vision and other major evangelical NGOs are the arms of implementing US  foreign policy objectives. (The Hindu Post)