Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah 

A recent book, "Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes, seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians, which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

The book seeks to dispute "allegations propagated by Hindutva ideologues against the patriotism of Christians", according to which Christians cannot be genuine nationalists "as their Holy Land is not in the Indian subcontinent, but in West Asia". It regrets that conversion is "criminalised as an anti-national act to such an extent that it is equated with terror waging war against the State."

This, the book says, has led to the enactment of anti-conversion laws, ironically known as "freedom of religion" laws, in 12 states, with "very stringent bail provisions with steep fines and penalties". In these laws, conversion to Christianity and inter-religious marriages require sanction from State authorities.

While the authors approvingly quote Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- who, while hosting Christian leaders on December 25, 2023, said, "India proudly acknowledges the contributions of the Christian community, from its role in India's freedom struggle to its active participation in social service" -- they wonder why he adopts "duality" by remaining "silent on the continuous attacks" on Christians "across the country."

"Under the given circumstances", they underline, there is a "pressing need" to "highlight and celebrate" Christian "contributions to mainstream Indian society." Hence, the effort of the book is to bring to light "considerable literature on the Christian community's contribution to India", something that has remained "confined" to only Christian circles.

The book agrees that there have been cases of forced conversion in Goa in the 16th century, but insists that "most people from diverse lower castes, ethnicities, and religious affiliations who have adopted Christianity have done so voluntarily, often due to a profound spiritual experience or after being inspired by the heroic lives of Christian missionaries and …pioneers."

The book also admits that there have been two parallel streams within the Christian community for addressing the caste hurdle. One section of Jesuits supporting caste discrimination dates back to the 16th century. Jesuit Robert de Nobili (1577-1656) "adopted forms of Brahminical lifestyle to the extent of separating himself physically and ritually from lower castes, as well as from Jesuits working with these castes."

In fact, de Nobili "obtained permission from the Jesuit Provincial, Alberto Laerzio (1557-1630), to restrict his diet, hire a Brahmin cook, avoid contact with low-caste Paravas, adopt the dress of a sanyasi, and introduce the Malabar Rites, which were adapted from the lifecycle rites of Brahmins." The authors call this approach an 'aristocratic perspective', "based on Hindu religion perpetuating the caste system and the oppression of the lower castes."

This legacy continued for centuries. The authors say, "The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) had an ambiguous approach towards Dalits. On the one hand, there were Jesuits like Fr. Joseph Bertran (1801-1894) and Fr. Louis Garnier (1805-1843) who dissociated themselves from the Dalits due to the fear of embracing Dalits openly..."

The former particularly "de-emphasised the discrimination faced by the Dalits and asserted that what was at issue was merely a social distinction similar to that between nobles and peasants in Europe."

But there was another stream as well. "Jesuits like Fr. Jobs Baptist Trincal (1815-1892) supported the Pariahs and Pallas (agricultural labourers) in their legal battles against the rich zamindars, a corrupt judicial system, and Brahminical networks."

Others like Fr. Peter Caironi (1904-1966) dedicated their life "to the empowerment of the so-called lower castes, Pulayas in Chirakkal Missions, by guarding their life against the rapacious zamindars and moneylenders by imparting education and employment opportunities and introducing relief programmes during catastrophic flood and epidemic situations."

An expert, D. Kamathon, writing on Jesuit Caironi's lifestyle, is quoted as saying that "Caironi made his own the life of the Pulayas, poorest of the poor, the scum of the society. He ate like them; he slept like them; he walked like them, and comparatively, dressed like them, and even spoke like them, albeit foul-mouthed."

Then there was Fr. Joseph Maria Vergottini (1908-1989), "who motivated people with low incomes by establishing orphanages, industrial schools, and disaster relief programmes and encouraging sports activities for the marginalised, especially in the Malabar region."

Another Jesuit, Fr. Yesumarian, "worked for the empowerment of Dalits in Northern Tamil Nadu, and established the People's Movement called the International Dr Ambedkar Centenary Movement (IACM)." By the turn of the 1990s, Fr. Yesumarian "had active associations in the struggles for the panchami lands, ensuring the allocation of rights between Dalit Christians and non-Dalit Christians."

Offering the example of "notable individuals" like William Carey, Ramabai Saraswati, Ida Sophia Scudder, Mother Teresa, and others who have influenced social transformation, the authors say, "Christian missionaries have made significant contributions to social development. They have championed the promotion of education, healthcare services, and other social services."

One of the most prominent among them was St. Francis Xavier, who "laid the foundation of the modern primary education system", with the Jesuit motto, "Transforming the World Together," in order to bring about social change by promoting education. At the same time, the authors point towards a major weakness in Christian social work.

At the same time, the authors do not fail to mention that "the Christian charitable work and social services have been critiqued within the Christian community", with opinions suggesting that Christianity has used most of its "human and financial resources to provide for the basic needs of the suffering people of the world, encouraging charity rather than questioning injustices, exploitations, racial discrimination, and political dominations."

The authors underline, "The practice of Christianity cannot be content with piecemeal solutions, patchwork or partial solutions but requires a deeper engagement of all spheres of life that encourages charity as well as securing justice, achieving the social ideal of a just and equitable society through education as well as some political action to address injustices and structural violence against marginalised communities."

In this context the book cites the instance of Fr Stan Swamy, a Jharkhand-based civil rights leader, who was persecuted for actively advocating for tribal rights, especially the Pathalgadi movement, in which tribals "installed stone tablets in the village, inscribing the rights of tribals over their land and natural resources."

This didn't go down well with the government, which "responded with a wave of repression... About 3,000 tribal youth were arrested on various charges to curb the opposition of the tribals against the government's plans of handing over tribal land to corporations."

This led Stan Swamy to join hands with social activist Sudha Bharadwaj to form the Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC), making a study of over a hundred cases, and based on the findings of the study, he filed a case against the Jharkhand State in the Ranchi High Court in 2017 demanding speedy disposal of the undertrial cases filed against thousands of tribal youths.

"The Jharkhand government even went to the extent of filing a case of sedition against Fr. Stan Swamy, along with other social activists", the authors recall. He had to "pay the price with his life. At the age of 83, he was accused in the infamous Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case, where he was jailed under the draconian anti-terror law..."

Despite his deteriorating health, he was denied necessary medical assistance. On July 5, 2021, he died of cardiac arrest in judicial custody while the hearing of his bail application was in progress in the Bombay High Court. Civil society groups in India and abroad "condemned his death as 'institutional murder'."

Most of the book, however, documents what the authors consider as "luminous footprints" of Christian priests, activists, and scholars, as also those working in different professional fields.

The documentation was necessary, they add, in order to bring to light that the "Christian legacy" was "an integral part of the nation-building process, whether before or after achieving independence."

The authors believe that the history of Christianity in India is not merely an eastward extension of Western ecclesiastical history, with an emphasis on the "foreign mission" dimension. It is a part of the enchanting mosaic called the "History of India".

Christianity existed in India from the early beginnings of the Christian era, centuries before it arrived in Europe,** the authors state: "St. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, is believed to have come to India in 52 AD." From Malabar, where he came to India with Jewish traders, he proceeded to Mylapore, where he died as a martyr for the faith near Chennai. The shrine that houses his tomb is known as St. Thomas' Church in Chennai.

The authors insist, "While Christians have their holy places outside India, the community has adapted their religion to the culture of the Indian subcontinent." Thus, "Christian depiction of Christ has been influenced by Indian culture and traditions... There is a depiction of Mary, the mother of Jesus, clad in a sari, and a depiction of Christ, with variations in lighter or darker skin complexions."

Regarding the national movement, the authors say, "two false assumptions were put forward regarding the Christian communities: firstly, they did not participate in the national movement directly, and secondly, they are not nationalist in character."

Regretting that "a dominant number of scholars have never acknowledged the fact that Christians have also played a significant role in breaking the internal and external shackles of the nation", the authors assert, "Christian missionaries fully supported the nationalist movement because of the embarrassment and anger created by the British colonial government."

According to them, "The Christian missionaries championed the cause of nationalism driven by an altruistic philosophy to serve the poor and the needy." In fact, several Christians came together "against the colonial mission of exploitation, looting, and plundering of the resources of the colonised states."

Pointing out that Charles Freer Andrews (1871-1940), a British Anglican Priest of the Church of England, was the first to oppose British rule, and Brahmabandhav Upadhyay (1861-1907) was the first of the national leaders to oppose British rule, the authors cite names of prominent Christian leaders who participated in the national movement.

These included H.C. Mookerjee, who served as Vice President of the Constituent Assembly post-independence, and placed faith in a secular, unified republic; Joseph Baptista (1864-1930), a close associate of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, credited with the famous declaration: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"; and Akkamma Cherian (1909-1982), who formed the Female Volunteer Corps (Desasevika Sangh) across India, and whom Gandhiji praised as "Jhansi Rani of Travancore".

Pointing towards how, post-independence, Christian religious leaders and community people were involved in India's progress, the authors say, in the early 1960s, Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian Space Programme, identified Thumba, a small fishing village near Thiruvananthapuram, as an ideal location for a rocket launch station due to its proximity to the Earth's magnetic equator.

The proposed site included the St. Mary Magdalene Church. Dr Sarabhai, along with A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, approached the then Bishop Peter Bernard Pereira of Thiruvananthapuram to request the use of the church and its surrounding land for the space programme.

The bishop and the local community, including fishermen, generously agreed to India's founding space scientists' request after understanding the significance of the scientific endeavour. Thus, the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS), now known as the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, was set up.

The church building itself was repurposed for the space programme. The prayer room became Dr Kalam's first laboratory, and the bishop's room was used as a design and drawing office. The first rocket, Nike-Apache, was launched from this first Space Station in India on November 21, 1963. Today, the church building has been converted into a space museum, preserving this unique chapter in India's space history.