No more attacks on Mother Teresa, "beloved by India and the world".
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - It is not only sad but shocking that the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and his communal cronies, like the RSS TV spokespersons, should charge Mother Teresa of having the agenda of conversion to Christianity as the prime motive in her mission of charity and adding that her selfish aim devalued the virtues of a valid cause. It is an attempt to besmirch the esteem of one who has been held in such high reverence not only by our nation that has conferred on her the Bharat Ratna, but also hailed by the world as an angel of mercy for her selfless service to the destitute and marginalised.
This claim is preposterous and needs to be condemned in no uncertain terms because it raises the bogey of illegal conversion with vacuous statements, as they are based on a hypothesis that . That Mother Teresa has never indulged in making converts has been the undiluted testimony of all those who have personally been the recipients of her charity. Right thinking and honest people of other faiths who have collaborated with her and have experienced the transparent sincerity of her selfless service have come forward in large numbers to vouch for her integrity that she has never requested or coerced anybody of other faiths to convert. Children of other religions entrusted to her care are not made to change their faith and have continued to do so. The nation is outraged by such a baseless charge.
The right to freedom of religion is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution of India. Article 25 reads as follows: - 25 (1) Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion. This 'Saint of the Gutters', with unswerving fidelity, has professed, practised and propagated her religion. The prime tenet and essence of Christianity is Charity. It is beyond the shadow of doubt that the Saint of the slums has unflinching adhered to this paramount Christian teaching of reaching out to the unwanted and the rejected of society with unalloyed charity and no ulterior motive whatsoever.
There is a growing heap of unchallenged public statements by people of every creed and political hue substantiating this self- evident truth. In the face of this overwhelming weight of evidence and with no proof to the contrary that can stand the test of scrutiny, to impute motives to this revered soul is not only arrogant but factually incorrect and misleading. It is to say the least not only mischievous but malafide.
Yet another canard being spread around is the one from a bunch of fringe hot head elements of VHP accusing Mother Teresa of conversion, giving an impression that she was involved in an act of force and deceit to entice people to her faith. She has not transgressed the limits of legitimate propagation of her religion. She has steadfastly proclaimed the love of Christ in word and deed. She has given glowing witness to the courage of her truth to stand up for the poor and suffering at the cost of her comfort and life. She has spread the fragrance of her love to heal and bind the wounds of the sick. If the splendour of convincing truth and the grandeur of unconditional love irresistibly draw people to the faith, it is their personal choice to do so to which they are equally entitled, by their freedom of conscience which Article 25 guarantees.
It appears that it is beyond the ambit of the understanding of some people, that the Catholic Church does not recognise conversion by force or deceit of another party. Conversion has always to be made by an individual adult or parental authority of his/her own volition and has to have no element of coercion (physical or psychological manipulation). To say that Mother Teresa has administered Baptism and therefore converted others is a specious argument. Baptism is only a ritual religious ceremony of admission of those who of their own free volition have expressed the desire to embrace the Christian faith.
What is disturbing is the apparent studied and calculated silence of one segment of the Sangh Parivar, when the other spews the venom of hate and violent threats to minority religions. It is alarming that the trend continues, despite the sporadic promises and assurance by the present dispensation that it would not countenance such communal fissiparous tendencies. One cannot help asking, given the current discourse, is there a schizophrenic personality in the body politic of the ruling party? Or is a situation developing that exposes a more insidious game plan that would undermine the foundation of a civilized nation which the founding fathers from all religions had given us in the Constitution of India that they had framed?
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