Tamil Nadu bishops slam state governor for sowing discord over missionaries
At a public commemoration, the governor attacked the educational work carried out under British rule, claiming that it sought to “destroy India’s identity". In its reply, the local Bishops' Conference described the governor’s remarks as a “gross distortion of history” and a “divisive rhetoric” that undermines India’s unity.
Chennai (AsiaNews) – The Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council (TNBC) and the Tamil Latin Rite Bishops Nadu Council (TNLBC) have issued a "strong condemnation" of Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi for spreading “false propaganda” at a recent event.
The latter is the commemoration a week ago, 7 September, of the 50th anniversary of the Mylapore Education Group in Chennai, which Governor Ravi praised for contributing to the rise of a new Bharat (Indian nation) and promoting education in Sanskrit (the sacred language of Hindus).
His speech included, however, contemptuous comments about the educational work of missionaries under British rule, which, according to the TNBC, are both historically inaccurate and deeply "offensive”.
“The governor’s remarks are a gross distortion of history, suggesting that Christians were allied with the British in efforts to undermine India. This is an absolute falsehood,” the TNBC said.
For Governor Ravi, Christian missionaries stole India’s riches and artistic treasures, creating a false identity for the people of the country, wrongly manipulating history. For Tamil Nadu bishops, this “divisive rhetoric [is] aimed at the Christian community".
“Governor Ravi’s speech was not only hateful but a clear attempt to incite communal tensions,” Archbishop George Anthonysamy of Mylapore said.
The prelate stressed that Christians in India have been deeply attached to the country's traditions, values, and culture for a long time and are committed to its development.
He called on the governor to stop promoting a policy of hatred and urged him to fulfil his constitutional duties and focus on unity among the people.
Already in March of this year, Governor Ravi had lashed out at “A Comparative Grammar of Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages", a work of linguistics written by a missionary, Robert Caldwell, in 1856, sparking an angry reaction from the Church of South India, which brings together Anglican, Presbyterian, and Methodist communities.
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