The cat which was in the baggage that the pope, sorry, Pope, brought along from the Vatican, is out, as was expected. The three day royal Papal ride was exactly that, not only for the over 40% ‘communal’ Indians who voted for the BJP but also for the 50% or so secular ones who did not. The pontiff’s road show of secularism–I forgot the quotes, hell– was a blatant attempt to market Christianity…not the protestant brand, mind you.
So much for rumours that the Pope was a Head of State and hence a State guest and so deserved a State reception as well as State honours…even as our State, which ironically is under BJP rule, withered away at this very ‘secular’ onslaught.
There does not seem to be even the customary reciprocal invitation to the President or the Prime Minister to visit Vatican, as heads of the Indian State-mercifully, there is no mutt in Vatican for Vajpayee to make a religious visit and so he can hope to remain secular. So while the secular Pope got away with his rank communal sermons, the communal BJP is left squirming in an unfitting secular robe.
India’s charitable disposition was in stark display as the red carpet was rolled out and leader after leader unwittingly parrotted all the usual stuff about our country’s secular credentials, tolerance, pluralism and what not, as if they were all doing a penance. And what do we get in return?
The Pope listened patiently, interpreted their self-conscious outpourings as repentance, in tune with his faith and dutifully issued a clarion call for the evangelisation of Asia, which we know, means India and China–obviously the Head of Vatican could not or rather, dare not have had such un-Christian Asian countries like the Mullah’s Afghanistan, Saddam’s Iraq, Khomeini’s Iran or even Musharaff’s Pakistan, in his scheme of things.
China knew what was up the Pope’s sleeve and so cleverly denied him entry. India too knew, but naively allowed him to stalk our land. Little wonder that we have eventually ended up with sacksful of seeds for ‘a great harvest of faith’ in future. For once, one is tempted to pray for a crop failure!
There is no reason to mince words. The revered pontiff himself did not, for that matter. Though stooping in gait, he was quite straight in his words. What we heard from him was certainly not music, even to our secular ears and instead it jarred. What does he mean when he says that a culture cannot survive if it attempts to be exclusive?
Is the Vatican extremely inclusive? Why then was the protestant movement born in the first place? If anything, the Pope’s domain is the most rigid and dogmatic of all religious orders which is borne by the fact that even its home – Europe – is decisively slipping out of its vice-like grip.
Then again there is the sermon on the human’s right to religion. Had Hindu India been even one bit communal or had it displayed even one millionth of the zeal showed by the preachers of other faiths, not even a fig leaf of any other religion would have been allowed to grow here, let alone bumper harvests. India does not need certification of its credentials by religious heads from foreign lands even if they masquerade successfully as Heads of State, just to gain entry and of course, preach.
The proverbial four fingers tell a different tale which runs thus: The Pope talks of secularism only to ensure that there is no resistance to his evangelists carrying on their mission and to pave the way for unmitigated conversion with official approval. He harps on religious freedom only to manufacture sanction for his order’s proselytizing activities.
And he waxes eloquent on our plurality just to fulfill his holy obligation of achieving singularity by bringing India, nay entire Asia, under the benevolent umbrella of his faith! If the Pope is really serious about everyone’s right to religion and the freedom to practise it, why does he not then let people of other faiths alone in the pursuit of their religion and gods instead of meddling with their age old traditions?
If again, he is true in his clarion call for the evangelisation of Asia, will he clarify if the festival offer is first open to Protestants too, not to speak of those from other religions? In fact, that would be a conversion, well begun and at home, like charity.
If right to choose one’s religion is as sacred as the Pope claims, then the right to defend one’s religion is so too. If this point is conceded, as it should be, then it is only in the mode of defence that can there be a debate. Just as there are those who react and resist such attempts intellectually, there are also bound to be fringe elements who deem it an opportunity to take umbrage and resort to violence, for want of any other forceful weapon to counter the assault on their faith.
The intellectual terrorism and excesses of the preachers is as much to blame for communal violences as the inhuman zealots who torch live priests. The Pope’s dose of religious dope will dupe none and has instead quite wittingly enhanced the general apprehension that Christian missionary services come with a price tag. Some times, one is forced to read virtues even in the VHP.
e-mail the writer at
[email protected]