A Monotheist's Misrepresentation:

Reply to "Uncharitable Giving" by Priya Abraham

by Sudheer Birodkar

This is in response to Priya Abraham’s column in The Washington Times referenced at the following URL:< http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/08/uncharitable-giving >.

Priya Abraham says: “Before the terrorist attacks in Mumbai rattled the world last December, the state of Orissa in eastern India was enduring its own gruesome and drawn-out version of religious violence. Following the murder of a hard-line Hindu swami on Aug. 23, extremist Hindus went on a rampage against Orissa's minority Christians, burning homes and churches; battering people; and raping women, including a nun. The violence has left about 70 people dead and displaced 50,000 into refugee camps.” 

Those who went on rampage and those rampaged against were all tribals belonging to a closely related tribal clan who incidentally speak the same language. While the Hindus are known as Kandhs those who have converted to Christianity call themselves the Panas. Both speak the same tribal dialect called Kui.

From Kandh is the name of the district Kandhamal derived. Kandh Itself ultimately derives its name from the Kondha tribals who dominate the area, comprising approximately 51.96% of the 6.5 lakh population of the district. Kandhs are overwhelmingly Hindus and enjoy Scheduled Tribe status. Those tribals who had converted to Christianity called themselves Panas and have been engaged in converting to Christianity those who stuck fast to their tribal animism within the Hindu fold. This bred an intra-tribal animosity over the decades that burst open with the murder of Swami Laxmananada Saraswati who was the mainstay of those tribals who resisted the overtures of their converted Pana brethren for converting to Christianity. The reason for the violence was that the missionaries used the communist terror groups to murder Swami Laxmananda Saraswati who had been engaged in social work among the tribals for their upliftment. This work hindered both the Christian missionaries and the communists so they made common cause against the Swami and murdered him.

Priya Abraham further says: “In India, Hindu nationalist groups aspire to Hindutva - the concept of a "pure" Hindu nation where Hindus have an unassailable dominion over minorities such as Muslims and Christians and in which the caste system is rigidly preserved. During 2002 riots in Gujarat state, the ideology found a deadly outlet with the well-planned retaliatory killing of some 2,000 Muslims.” 

First the riots. Communal riots are deplorable anytime. But quoting Gujarat riots of 2002 out of context casts a long shadow over the columnist’s intention and intellectual integrity. One of the earliest known riots in India was between Parsis and Muslims, not between Hindus and Muslims (ref. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_riots_in_Mumbai ). The cause of that riot was depiction of Prophet Mohammed in a publication owned by a Parsi businessman. It would be worthwhile to mention for the sake of learned columnist’s education that Parsis are refugees from pre-Islamic Iran (then known as Persia) who fled Mohammedan conquest and obliteration of one of the ancient pagan civilizations. Parsis number around 150,000 in a total population of 1.1 billion that has a Muslim population of approx. 200 million.  

Are Muslims being persecuted by a miniscule minority of Parsis? The learned columnist should try explaining riots between Parsis and Muslims, before trying to quote the Gujarat riots of 2002. It is clear that she is using the riots, not to explain the human and social condition in India, but to make a partisan political point. 

The question to ponder over is that in trying to explain the situation in Orissa, she brings up an unrelated event in Gujarat back in 2002, but never explains the context to the readers. It is nothing but obvious that she is merely using Gujarat 2002 to attack her favorite enemy, viz. the Hindus. 

Last update : 08-03-2009 13:42

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