by Ruby, India team
Today, 22nd Jan 2024, marks two important occasions in India – the consecration of the Ram Mandir, and the 25th Anniversary of the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines & his two young sons.
Outside a Village Church
On the night of 22nd January 1999, exactly 25 years ago as I write, I was with my husband and small son, visiting friends in a remote village of West Bengal. Meanwhile barely 100km away in the state of Odisha, fellow-Australian Graham Staines and his two young sons were burned alive in their station wagon, outside a village church. Graham and his sons were murdered by a mob of Hindu fundamentalists shouting “Jay Shri Ram” (victory to lord Ram*) outside the vehicle as it burned. They accused him of converting people to Christianity by force.
The following morning we were told something terrible had happened, and sent back to Kolkata and safety on the next express bus. Meanwhile Gladys Staines publicly forgave the perpetrators, and soon took on responsibility for Graham’s leadership role in serving leprosy patients in those remote parts.
A Temple and a Mosque
Today on 22nd January 2024, the slogan “Jay Shri Ram” is again echoing around the country.
The Ram Mandir (temple) was inaugurated today, by consecrating its Ramlalu idol, a ritual to imbue the statue with the spirit of the deity Ram. The new Mandir is being constructed in the small north Indian city of Ayodhya, on the land which was previously the site of the Babri Masjid (mosque) for some 500 years. Hindus claim that the land is the birthplace of Ram, and the original temple there was destroyed by Muslim conquerors to build the mosque. In 1992 Hindu mobs attacked and destroyed the mosque. At least 2000 people died in the ensuing riots, mostly Muslims. The disputed land has remained a flash-point for Hindu-Muslim tensions for the decades since, and was finally legally allocated to Hindu authorities by the Supreme Court in 2019, while Muslims were granted alternative land to build a new mosque.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared today a national public holiday, in honour of the new (as yet incomplete) temple being ritually inaugurated. He also officiated at the ceremonies, after eleven days of spiritual preparation. Is this the action of a deeply religious Prime Minister, or political tactics of a man due to stand for re-election in April? While the supreme court judgement of 2019 was accepted quite peacefully by all sides, the inauguration of the Ram Mandir is stirring fresh controversy and concerns.
A Secular Democracy
India was established as a “sovereign secular socialist democratic republic” by its constitution, soon after it won independence from British rule in 1947. While the vast majority of Indians claim allegiance to some religion or other, at least culturally and often quite devotedly, the country is officially a secular democracy. India comprises an amazing kaleidoscope of regional languages, diverse cultures and ethnicities, and followers of every major religion. Yet every Indian stands equal before the law, with equal right to vote, and equal claim to being Indian – in theory at least.
In recent decades there has been a steady rise in Hindu sentiment and politics envisioning India as a Hindu nation, in which Christianity and Islam in particular are viewed as foreign religions brought by invaders.
Whose Reign?
The new Ram Mandir is also associated with the ancient idea of Ram Rajya (kingdom or reign of Ram), popularised by Gandhi. This is a vision of the ideal state, characterised by justice, truth and equality – in Gandhi’s words, the kingdom of God. Will the new Ram Mandir champion ideals of of greater equality, justice and truth in society? This is a social vision that Christians and people of all religions can embrace. This is a vision of society where Christians and other religious minorities can belong and contribute. However, there are significant concerns that the new Ram Mandir is a step towards a narrower vision of Hindu India, not the ancient vision of truth, justice and equality.
Time to Fast, Pray and Walk
In light of the brewing controversy and past violence, I set aside today for prayer and fasting – asking the Prince of Peace to let this temple inauguration pass by without offense and violence against any religion. I also pray for my Muslim friends and neighbours who feel increasingly unwelcome and discriminated against in their own country. May they somehow find jobs, feed and educate their children, and live as citizens with a sense of security and belonging.
Now I also pray with deep gratitude.
On a two hour walk to observe the celebrations in progress as I prayed for peace, I saw no evidence of offense, aggression or provocation. Yes, there were exuberant crowds shouting “Jay Shri Ram” and passionately waving their bright orange flags. But I saw no ill-intent towards others. The most concerning things were the Jay Shri Ram flags festooning our local police post, and the live broadcast of the consecration on a big screen at the gate of a government office. Such shows of Hindu sentiment belie the notion that government institutions are secular and impartial, and reduce trust that they actually treat people of all religions equally.
Prayer for Peace
Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy; Lord grant us peace.
May India’s hundred-million-plus Muslims find ways to live faithfully, without resort to violence, even when they become victims of discrimination and injustice.
May we as the Servants team, and the millions of Indian Christians being progressively marginalised by the strengthening vision of India as a Hindu nation, find ways to stand our ground and declare “Jay Masih Ki” (victory to Messiah) in humility, wisdom and truth.
May I not awake tomorrow morning to news reports of fresh inter-religious violence.
Amen.
* The Hindi equivalent of exclaiming “long live X” or “hail Y” is “Jay Z” literally meaning “victory to Z”, or “Z rules”. “Jay Masih ki” is a common Christian greeting in India, similar to “Praise the Lord” in the West. Among Hindus, “Jay Shri Ram” is a popular slogan or greeting, asserting the supremacy of Ram.
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