Today marks the anniversary of the Graham Staines’ murder that shook the entire country in 1999 and wounded our collective conscience. Its 23 years since the diabolical murder of Graham Staines & his 2 kids by a bloodthirsty mob. The mob justified it, blaming it on conversion, forgetting 3 decades of his contribution, especially his work among the lepers.

Wikipedia says “Graham Stuart Staines (18 January 1941 – 23 January 1999) was an Australian Christian missionary, who along with his two sons, Philip (aged 10) and Timothy (aged 6), was burnt to death in India by members of a Hindu fundamentalist group named Bajrang Dal.Staines had been working in Odisha since 1965 as part of an evangelical missionary organisation named “Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home” caring for people who had leprosy and looking after the tribal people in the area who lived in abject poverty.However, some Hindu groups alleged that during this time he had lured or forcibly coerced many Hindus into believing in the Christian faith. The Wadhwa Commission found that although some tribals had been baptised at the camps, there was no evidence of forced conversions.”

Articles 25-28 provides freedom of religion in India. Article 25(1) of the Indian constitution grants every person freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion. This is not absolute but subject to public order, morality & health. The right grants the freedom to every religious organisation to establish institutions for religious and charitable purposes. It also gives freedom to attend religious worship/instructions in educational institutions run fully or partly with state funds.

Efforts are now made to curtail the rights provided under Article 25. States like MP, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarkhand and recently Karnataka have passed the anti-conversion laws. It prevents attempts to convert by the use of force, inducement or fradulent means. Christian ‘conversion’ is understood as baptism. Adding to this restrictions through law, we also see places were Hindutva aligned organizations unleash violent methods to threaten Christians organizations involving in mission. The website persecution relief reports of such activities unleashed against Christians.

The recent controversy in my home state Tamilnadu over the death a 17 year old girl, studying in a Century old Christian mission School is along the similar lines. Justice for the girl should be delivered. The circumstances that led to her suicide has to be probed and established. But at the same time, alleging of attempt to forced Conversion and using it as a tool to disrupt the communal harmony of the state is unaccepted. The Police says, the confessions of the girl & her family to the police as well as the magistrate doesn’t mention conversion. A video shot by an unidentified person, who’s asking questions in a extractive mode, giving suggestions with names cannot be used to paint an entire community in red.

Some materials to read/watch on this subject

The twitter handle of the BJP TN President had a video tweet alleging forced conversion. I am not directly providing the link to the video, as many have pointed out that the identity of the girl shouldn’t be revealed.

Savvuku shankar who is an reporter and activist, speaks (https://youtu.be/R6O0Nic2dEU) about the intentions of BJP to create communal disharmony in TN. He also adds information on the social circumstances of the deceased girl.

****** Updated on 3rd Oct 2024 *******

After more 2.5 Years, the CBI Chargesheet says nothing about Conversion. Now if we go back to 2022 and see the tensions created by RSS/BJP; it raises many doubts on their intentions. It appears they acted to create a communal tension in the state of Tamilnadu. Sad state of affairs

News Minute report – https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/the-vhp-and-bjp-exploited-a-dying-tamil-nadu-teenager-to-push-hindutva-agenda

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India has seen riots against minorities, Violence against Christians in Dangs district of Gujarat in 1999, anti-muslim riots in 2002, the anti-Chrisitian riots in kandamal, Orissa in 2008. Incident after Incident, it has been observed that rioters go unpunished. Article 355 of our constitution states, “It is the duty of the Union government to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance…” and Article 356 empowers the govt to proclaim emergency, when the constitutional machinery has broken down. In none of the riots, these powers were used by the Union government.

During the 2002 riots, noted lawyer Fali S Nariman asked the Union govt in the parliament that “vital stats tell us that more than 100,000 people are in refuge camps….Are these figures not sufficient to take action using Article 355 & 356”. We have seen the misuse of Article 356 for political gains, the DMK government was dismissed twice by Congress; but we have never seen Article 356 invoked to save the people of this country.

In addition we have a communal violence bill as well. Though we have it, it’s not effective. A recent amendment was made which isn’t enough. It just mentions few areas as “communally disturbed areas” and gives more powers to state governments. Also the bill is applicable only in case of mass violence. But the attacks on minorities are mostly individual and are frequent.

Its pretty clear that there is a consistent, systemic effort to curtail minority rights legally as well as by false allegations & misplaced criticism. It’s been associated with Christianity right from it’s dawn. The arrest, trial and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a mockery of all human rights. Ironically, it happened in the Roman empire where the Judicial system was meant to protect it’s people. The Laws of Moses which Judaism was based on also failed as the political & social agenda, false allegations, false witnesses & Corruption hastened the crucifixion of Jesus.

The indian context is no-different. We should bear in mind, in this new context, nothing is prohibited for us. We have to assert our rights. When Apostle Paul was about to be flogged, he asserted his Roman citizenship rights before the Centurion (Acts 22:22-29). Later when Paul stood on trial before the Governor who wanted to hand Paul back to the Chief Priest in Jerusalem; We see Apostle Paul again asserting his rights and appealing to Caesar (Act 25:9-12).

As citizens of India, we have our rights. Hospital evangelism, Public Preaching, TV Shows, Educational Mission, Children ministry, Orphanages, Homes for destitute can be done. Our constitution has given us the right to do it. What is needed is cultural & social sensitivity. We should be aware of the pluralistic nature of our society. “Conversion” is not our job, its God who touches a Person at moment he desires. Our job is mission, mission what Christ has ordained us to do.

Christian mission can never succeed by force, inducement or fraudulent means. Chrisitan mission succeeds through Christians showing Christ-like love. Love that is not conditional, not selfish…Love that’s Pure, Love that’s caring, Love that’s sharing, Love that’s sacrificial. This love that is unselfish, unconditional, sacrificial, redemptive love has the Power to change the World. There isn’t any force or law that could stop this love.

On this day, 23 years ago we witnessed the gruesome murder of Staines and his two minor sons, we saw their sacrificial love. It has been embodied in the hearts & minds of every Indian Christian. Later his wife, Glady’s Staines issued a statement that she has forgiven the killers of her Husband. She added “Because of forgiveness I hold no bitterness towards the persons who killed my family. Forgiveness brought healing which is needed everywhere from hatred and violence. But forgiveness does not change the consequences for wrong. Forgiveness and the consequences of our wrongdoing should not be mixed up“.

This family remains the epitome of Christian Mission, in India’s recent History. (A case in point, my mother had the family photo of the Staines in her Bible). Christian Mission is not easy. We have challenging times ahead, Christ-likeness is the only way ahead.