Memorandum for Dalit Rights in the Interim Constitution of Nepal

By Joseph D'souza

We support this demand for Dalit Rights in Nepal’s new Constitution. It is thorough and is a just demand to set right centuries of discrimination. Many of Nepal’s Dalits have been driven to violence in order to fight for their rights. The new Nepal must unite all the peoples of Nepal and treat them as created equal before God. The document acknowledges that the Dalit identity remains regardless of religious affiliation and therefore requires the new State to address the rights of all Dalits.

This is pleasantly contrary to the injustice continuing against India’s non-Hindu Dalits who are deprived of any ‘affirmative action’. Despite even that blatant discrimination, Ambedkar made his historic decision to move to Buddhism. Only after years of campaigning and agitation, have Dalit-Buddhists and Dalit-Sikhs had their rights restored.

The poverty-stricken Dalit-Christians continue to suffer this further discrimination under successive Indian governments, even though they have proven that the caste stigma is perpetuated in the Christian community and that their social needs do not vanish when they embrace another faith. The vast majority of India’s Christians are Dalits. The Supreme Court is now hearing public interest litigation on the blatant religiously-based discrimination against Dalit-Christians.

The Government-appointed Mishra Commission is trying its best to scuttle the issue and has been constantly delaying its report. Instead considering the direct plight of Dalit-Christians, they are now asking some eminent panel of a private company to discuss the issue. The blatant diversionary and discriminatory tactics of the Commission is on full public display. So much for the Government spin on justice for India’s Dalits.

~Joseph D’souza

Memorandum for Dalit Rights in the Interim Constitution of Nepal

The Dalits in Nepal have been discriminated and excluded by the State directly and indirectly for ages now. Untouchability practices have been quite prevalent in the country and the state has till date taken no effective measures to curb such practices. The Nepal government, despite its ratifications to various international conventions has failed drastically in emancipating the lives of 4.5 million Dalits. For instance the Concluding Observations of the CERD on Nepal dated 12th March 2004 (CERD/C/64/CO/5) made various recommendations for elimination of all forms of caste based discrimination of the Untouchable Dalits of Nepal. It recommended to the Nepal Government to implement special measures to advance and protect the persons subjected to discrimination, to undo under-representation of the disadvantaged groups in governmental bodies, legislative bodies and the judiciary. However, the reality remains that, the Dalits not only experience incessant discrimination and subjugation but also less adequate representation in the legislative, executive, judiciary, local bodies and services under the Nepali Government.

In this context, after the collapse of the Nepal's monarchy, the coalition of seven political parties' government and the Communist party of Nepal (Maoist) have agreed to frame a new interim constitution within one month. On this account, a six member drafting committee comprising of legal luminaries was nominated by those political parties to draft the interim constitution. The mandate of the drafting committee was to submit a draft of interim constitution by 15 days. While the people in Nepal demand for inclusive democracy where the interests of all sections of the society especially the Dalits, women and minorities are met, it's very unfortunate to note that the present Nepal government has outlined an exclusive methodology wherein the interests groups were deprived of from any representation whatsoever in the drafting committee. Such a divisive role played by the government causes heavy dents on the fabric of the nation that is crawling towards democracy and rule of law.

Therefore, in this context, we fervently appeal and submit in this memorandum that while making the new constitution we incorporate in it all human rights, fundamental rights and freedoms protecting the Dalits in tune with the International Conventions as fundamental rights in the interim constitution so that each succeeding executive government would be bound by the constitution and in the governance would take effective measures to ensure enjoyment of their fundamental rights, freedoms and non-discrimination. Understandably, the memorandum voices the concerns and interests of the Dalits and we as well are aware of other concerns from other sections such as women, minorities and ethnic communities with whom we are in solidarity with.

Memorandum for Dalit Rights in the Interim Constitution of Nepal

Group rights

Identification of Dalit communities• The state shall identify castes who have suffered from the social practice of untouchability and work and descent-based discrimination within a period of (six months) from the commencement of the interim constitution.• The list of caste identified by the criteria above shall be known as Dalits and this list shall be specified by law. (Special right to form association and political organization)• Notwithstanding any thing else in this constitution, the Dalits shall enjoy the special right to form associations and political organizations to protect and promote their language, identity, culture, religion, region and their other interests.

Fundamental Rights

Right to dignity• All persons shall enjoy the right to live with dignity free from any action by the state or by any person which compromise this dignity.• The state shall not discriminate against any person who claims to be a citizen so long as his/her father or mother is a citizen of Nepal at the birth of the child.• The state shall take all measures to create a suitable environment where all persons may achieve this right.

Rights against untouchability• "Untouchability" is abolished and its practice in any form and in any public or private place is forbidden. Enforcement of any disability arising out of "untouchability" shall be treated as heinous offence punishable in accordance with law.• The state shall enact a comprehensive and stringent law to eradicate the practice of untouchability by creating an independent court system and a special prosecution machinery to accord the highest priority to such offences.

Anti discrimination• Everyone is equal before the law and has the equal right and benefit before the law.• The state shall not unfairly discriminate against any citizen only on the grounds of caste, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, culture, region, descent, language, marital status, ethnic or social origin and disability.

Positive discrimination• The state shall take all measures to ensure that citizens fully enjoy their rights and freedoms.• To promote the achievement of equality the state shall take legislative and other measures to protect or advance persons, groups of persons by unfair discrimination.• The state shall ensure that Dalits are (proportionally and equitably) represented in all public institutions including the executive, legislature and judiciary at all levels, and public education.• The state shall take all necessary measures, by reserving seats or posts at all levels and all stages of recruitment, appointment and promotion till Dalits are adequately represented. The state shall take special measures to ensure that the Dalits are (proportionally and equitably) represented in all sectors of the economy and society including privately owned enterprises and institutions.• The state shall enact suitable laws to implement the provisions set out above in a period of (one year).

Rights against exploitation• No one may be subjected to slavery, servitude or forced labour including (begar, haliya, khali, balighare, badi).• No one may be subjected to forced prostitution, trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation.• No children under the age of 16years shall be employed in hazardous or dangerous occupations.• The state shall enact a law that prohibits all such practices and makes them punishable.

Right to Education• The state shall ensure that every citizen gets free, equal and compulsory education which enables them to participate fully in the economy and the political life of the country.• The state shall take all measure to ensure that Dalits are adequately (proportionally and equitably) represented at all levels of the education system by providing facilities, opportunities and monetary support to achieve the realization of these rights.

Right to family• Every citizen shall enjoy the right to choose a spouse irrespective of religion, caste, region, language.

Right to property• Every person shall have the right to acquire, own, possess and enjoy the benefits of land anywhere in the territory of Nepal without discrimination.• The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures to foster conditions which enable its citizens to gain access land on an equitable basis.• The state shall take all reasonable legislative and other necessary measures to ensure that Dalits own and occupy adequate land to ensure a dignified livelihood.

Right to work• The state shall guarantee Dalits employment on terms and conditions which allows them to lead a decent and dignified life.• The state shall ensure that there is no discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of caste, gender, religion, language.

Right to adequate housing• Everyone has the right to have access to adequate housing.• The state shall ensure that there is no discrimination against Dalits with respect to access to housing in any part of the territory of Nepal.

Right to freedom of religion• Everyone shall have the right to practice, profess and propagate any religion of their choice.• No person shall cease to be a Dalit because of conversion to another religion.

Directive principles of state policy

Access to justice• The state shall ensure that every citizen shall have the opportunity to have any dispute resolved by the application of law before an independent and impartial tribunal using a fair procedure.• The state shall ensure that Dalits have access to free and competent legal services to represent their interests.

Distribution of resources• The state shall ensure that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are distributed equitably to serve the common good.• The state shall ensure that Dalits shall have (proportional and equitable) control and ownership over the material resources without any discrimination.• The state shall in its annual budgetary exercise allocate funds, in proportion to the population, towards special program and schemes to advance the social, economic and political interests of Dalits.

Recognition and representation

Representation in the constituent assembly• Dalits shall be represented in the constituent assembly equitably and proportionally.• (All decisions by the constituent assembly which relate to fundamental rights, directive principles and the political institutions of the nation shall be adopted unanimously)

Representation interim government• Dalits shall be represented in all the institutions which make up the interim government equitably and proportionally.

Representation in all political bodies• Dalits shall be represented equitably and proportionally at all levels, and among all candidates fielded by, the political party.

Independent constitutional institutions

National Dalit Commission• There shall be a National Dalit Commission comprised of 5 members appointed by a constitutional council which includes the Prime Minister, leader of the opposition, speaker of the House of Representatives, president of national assembly, and the chief justice of the Supreme Court.• The National Dalit Commission shall monitor the implementation of the constitutional and statutory provisions, as well as ratified International Conventions, which protect and promote Dalit rights and interests.• The Commission shall submit an annual report to the Parliament certifying compliance with all the relevant constitutional provisions and actions taken to remedy any failures to comply.• The National Dalit Commission shall have the power to entertain complaints from any concerned/affected individuals and summon any person and direct them to provide to any information necessary to make suitable orders to resolve the complaint.

Key Points Which Emerged out of the three day Consultation

Major provisions outlined by three day consultation amongst Dalit activists, constitutional and legal experts, human rights defenders, jurists, and other prominent personalities.

• We urge the drafting committee of interim constitution to ensure equitable, proportionate and compulsory representation of Dalits in the constituent assembly, interim government and all other state machineries.• We urge the drafting committee of interim constitution and all political parties, to Identify Dalits, who suffer from the social practices of untouchability and work and descent based discrimination, so as to list them through the interim constitution.• We urge the drafting committee of the interim constitution to ensure right to dignity, right against untouchability by enacting a comprehensive and stringent law to eradicate the practices of untouchability.• We urge the drafting committee of the interim constitution to ensure equitable and proportional representation of Dalits in all public institutions i.e. the executive, the legislative and the judiciary.• We urge the drafting committee of the interim constitution to ensure that the Dalits are equitably and proportionally represented in all privately owned enterprises and institutions.

The Monarchy has come to an end and an interim political set up is in place now. The exercise for drafting a new Constitution for Nepal has also started in right earnest.

Dalit Christians Reservation: Then and Now

By: M. Madhu Chandra

Introduction

This short write up is the reaction to the Supreme Court of India’s hearing of Dalit (Scheduled Castes) Christian Reservation scheduled on July 12, 2006 postponed to the month of October this year on the ground that Justice Misra Commission is yet to complete its report in the month of August or latest by September.

India’s 75% Christians belong to Scheduled Caste communities, whose statutory and benefits available in Constitutional Scheduled Caste Order 1950, are denied to those Scheduled Castes converted to Christianity as per the fundamental rights to choose their desire faith and religion according to Article 15 and 25 of Indian Constitution.

The debate on Dalit Christian reservation has been ongoing for many decades in spite of repeated assurance given to Dalit Christian communities to be included in Constitution Scheduled Caste Order 1950.

The fundamental, birth and constitutional rights of Christians from Scheduled Caste origins have been denied for last 56 years. Looking at then and now background of Dalit Christians’ demand for Scheduled Caste status, we will able to conclude to say that Justice Misra Commission setup by present United Progressive Alliance government is unnecessary commission because enough commissions before him, have done the necessary research and submitted with recommendation to provide Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians.

Background of Dalit Christian Reservation Movement

For first time Indian’s lowest caste known as “Untouchables” or “Depressed Classes” have been identified as Scheduled Castes introduced by Colonial Government of India in 1935.

In the following year Colonial Government of India (Scheduled Castes) Order 1935 specified that “No Indian Christian shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.” Since then any Scheduled Caste origins converted to Christianity lost its Scheduled Caste status, although they remain economically, educationally, socially and politically backward as much as before their conversion.

After India got Independent from Colonial power, while framing Indian Constitution the Presidential Order of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Order 1950, the Scheduled Caste Origins converted to any other faiths or religions different from Hinduism has been left out in Para 3 of Article 341.

Dalit Sikhs protested to be included in Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950 and got after six years’ denial of their birth, fundamental and constitutional rights of being Scheduled Caste origin converted to Sikhism. They were listed in Presidential SC/ST Order 1950 by amending Para 3 of Article 341 in 1956.

Dalit Buddhists remained their birth, fundamental, constitutional rights of scheduled caste status denied for 40 years until the Para 3 of Article 341 was amended in 1990 to include Scheduled Caste origins converted to Buddhism.

Every time Dalit Sikhs and Dalit Buddhist demanded to be included in Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950, assurances were also given repeated to Scheduled Caste origins converted to Christianity. The birth rights of Dalit Christians have been kept suppressed for 56 years that too without any assurance either from legislate nor political heads.
Legislate and Legalistic Chronological on Dalit Christian Reservation

The clause of Para 3 of Article 341 in Indian Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950 clearly indicates that “No person who professes a religion different from Hinduism shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.”

In 1950 upon the representation of Christian leaders for not including Scheduled Caste Christians in Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950, the assurance from then the Prime Minister and President via letter dated 7 November 1950 and 17 December 1950 respectively were given.

In 1953 Indian Central Government appointed “First Backward Classes Commission” under Article 340 of Indian Constitution to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes within Indian Territory. The Commission submitted its report on March 3, 1955 stating that within the Christian society and church, those converts from Scheduled Caste origins are discriminated such as like not allowed to sit together inside the church, no inter caste marriages and separate cemetery etc. This commission’s report proves that although Christianity do not preach caste but practice. If the Scheduled Caste Order 1950 is given on the basis that Hinduism has caste, then Christian converts from Scheduled Caste origin will also deserve to be listed in the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950.

In 1979, the President of India by an Order, under Article 340 appointed the second backward commission which is known as “Mandal Commission” to investigate the conditions of Socially and educationally backward classes within Indian Territory. The commission submitted its report on December 31, 1980 that “conversion from the faith to another did not change the socio-economic status of a person. It was, therefore, desirable that converts from Scheduled Castes to Buddhism, Christianity and etc. should be treated as Scheduled Castes, but until this change was brought about by legislation, all such converts should be listed as OBCs” The Mandal Commission also stated that “though caste system is peculiar to Hindu society yet, in actual practice, it also pervades the non-Hindu communities in India in varying degrees.”

In 1980, The Minority Commission in its 3rd Annual Report 1980 in page No. 31 said that “The Commission has prima facie felt that since the Christians, Muslims and Buddhists of Scheduled Caste origin continue to suffer from social and economic disabilities even after their conversion, there should be no objection to their availing of the concessions admissible to them before their conversion.”

In 1984, The Supreme Court of India in the case of S. Anbalagan Vs. Devarajan AIR 1984 SC 411, said that “the practice of caste however irrational it may appear to our reason and however are repugnant it may appear to our moral and social sense, it so deep rooted in the India people that its mark does not seem to disappear on conversion to a different religion.”

In 1993, The Union Government of India included Scheduled Caste converts to Christianity and Islam in the “Other Backward Classes” in a resolution passed on September 10, 1993 by Ministry of Social Welfare for the purposes of the reservation on 27% vacancies in civil posts and service under the Government of India.

In 1995, A memorandum signed by Members of Parliament dated May 1, 1995 submitted to Shri. P. V. Narsimha Rao, the then Prime Minister of India, for immediate inclusion of statutory benefits to the Scheduled Caste converts to Christianity and also requested to introduce the required Bill during the current session of the Parliament.

In 1996, year a memorandum dated February 20, 1996 and signed by 103 Bishops of India was submitted to Shri P. V. Narsimha Rao to include statutory benefits to Scheduled Caste Converts to Christianity in Presidential SC/ST Order 1950 by promulgating an ordinance immediately.

In the same year, in a note for Cabinet dated March 3, 1996 Welfare Ministry had proposed to include Scheduled Caste converts to Christianity as Scheduled Castes in the Presidential SC Order 1950 to make them eligible for all statutory safeguards and benefits available to the members of Scheduled Caste.

The Cabinet approved this proposal at its meeting held on March 7, 1996 to introduce the Bill to amend the earlier Constitution Scheduled Caste order. Although the Bill was listed for introduction on March 12, 1996, it could not be introduced as some procedural lapse and new government was expected to assume.

In 2003, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India in its Annual Report of 2002-2003 in Chapter 3, the Scheduled Caste origins converted to Christianity did not avail all the schemes implemented for various developmental program for Scheduled Castes.

In 2004, Centre for Public Interest Litigation through its General Secretary and T. Franklin Caesar of Tamil Nadu filed a Write Petition dated March 22, 2004 under Article 32 of the Constitution of India challenging the Para 3 of Article 341 of Constitution (Scheduled Caste Order) 1950. More than dozen of individual and advocates have filed the writ petition challenging the same Para of same Article.

This case has been going on in Supreme Court of India ever since. The last scheduled to hear was due on July 12, 2006 but postpone to the month of October 2006 without fixing the date. The reason given for adjourning the hearing was that the Justice Misra Commission has not completed its report. Hopefully report might be ready by August or latest by September 2006.

The Chronology of Supreme Court Judgment on Dalit Christian Reservation

There 5 hearings so far on Dalit Christian Reservation after writ petition filed in Supreme Court of India apart from many dates of adjourning.

1st SC Hearing: April 26, 2004, the first hearing was called where advocates of petitioner presented and it was postponed on May 3, 2004. The May 3, hearing seems adjourned.

2nd SC Hearing: April 11, 2005 hearing was called and gave the order that “Mr. B K Prasad, Advocate, present in Court, takes notice for the respondent. Formal notice need not issue. List for final hearing in the month of August, 2005. All the parties seeking intervention/impleadment may remain present on the date the hearing is taken up. The parties who wish to file synopsis of submissions may do so within four weeks.

3rd SC Hearing: August 23, 2005 hearing was called and gave the order that “The learned Attorney General and the learned Addl. Solicitor General make a statement on behalf of the Union of India that the issue arising for decision in these petitions is receiving the attention of the Government along with other issues in a wider perspective and pray for hearing being adjourned. Hearing is adjourned. Both the parties pray for a fixed date being given. List on 18th October, 2005.”

4th SC Hearing: October 25, 2005 was adjourned with next hearing in the last week of November 2005.

5th SC Hearing: November 28, 2005 was called for hearing and gave the following order that the challenge in these matters is to the constitutional validity of Paragraph (3) of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Control Order, 1950. Therefore investigation from National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities had been sought in the context of the ceiling of fifty per cent on reservation in terms of the decision of this Court in Indra Sawhney vs. Union of India & Ors. (1992 Suppl. (3) S.C.C.217). Supreme Court gave no opinion on the issues involved and gave order to wait till Supreme Court hear the matter in detail after the information is supplied. Court was adjourned with next hearing in third week of February 2006.

The hearings were scheduled on February 12, 2006 and postponed to April 5, 2006 then to July 12, 2006

The Recommendations from Commissions on Dalit Christians Reservation

The present Dalit Christian reservation case in Supreme Court has been referred to Union Government to give its opinion on giving Scheduled Caste statutory and beneficiaries to the Scheduled Castes origins converted to Christianity in November 2005 hearing.

The United Progressive Alliance Government has setup National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities under the chairmanship of Justice Raganath Misra known as Misra Commission to investigate the economical, educational, sociological conditions of Scheduled Caste origins converted to Christianity.

Enough Commissions before Misra Commission have been setup and finding have been submitted with recommendations that Scheduled Caste origins converted to Christianity still suffer caste stigma, socially oppressed and economically, educationally and socially backward. Why then another Misra Commission? What have the commissions before Misra Commission said; will that be note valid reasons for Scheduled Caste origins converted to Christianity to include in Constitution Scheduled Caste Order 1950?

Elayaperumal Commission (1969): Report of the Elayaperumal Commission in Para 32 says "The Committee found during tours that all Scheduled Castes who got themselves converted to religions other than Hinduism should be given all concessions which are available to Scheduled Castes. This is because the Committee found during tours that they suffer from the same disabilities which the Scheduled Castes suffer."

Mandal Commission (1980): As stated above the Mandal Commission in 1980 supported that Scheduled Castes converted to Christianity be treated as Scheduled Caste as their conversion did not change the conditions of socially, economically and educationally.

Misra Commission (2005): Now the ball to give scheduled caste converted to Christianity is in the court of Misra Commission. Misra Commission will not find anything new but only charges from Sangh Parivar and affiliated organizations against Dalit Christian Reservation.

Misra Commission’s finding should not violate the findings of the commissions before him. It is amazement to Christian communities of India, when the responsibility to investigate socio-economic conditions of the Scheduled Caste origins converted to Christianity but why has the Misra Commission had to seek public opinions on Dalit Christian reservation? Sangh Parivar and its units have echoed their voices against Dalit Christian reservation.

The Sangh Parivar’s opposition is not only Dalit Christians but to all reservation system for Indian Dalit communities. The Commissions before Misra Commission have given enough evidence that Scheduled Caste origins converted to any religions remains the same social, economic, education status even after their conversion.

To mention precisely that Misra Commission is another un-necessary commission, Supreme Court of India as well as Union Government have enough facts and figures of Scheduled Caste origins converted to Christianity remains the same as before their conversion to Christianity.

What does the Dalit Christians Really Want?

What the scheduled caste origins converted to Christianity really demands from Indian government is the restoration of Scheduled Caste statutory and beneficiaries which they had before converting to Christianity because socio-economic, educational condition of them did not change by their conversion. They are known by same ethnic names and suffer caste stigma among Indian society.

The Mandal Commission’s proposal for Scheduled Castes to be included in Other Backward Classes until legislate and legalistically restores Scheduled Caste status and Union HRD Minister – Mr. Arjun Singh’s suggestion for Dalit Christians to be included in OBC is not what Dalit Christians are demanding.

Being a Scheduled Caste by birth, socially known by same ethnical names, suffer same caste stigma and remain same socio-economical and educationally backward, how can they be accepted as OBC? This will be another form of committing crimes against Scheduled Caste communities.

What is due by birth, fundamentally and constitutionally for Scheduled Caste communities in respect of all faiths and religions should be given.

Conclusion

After 6 years of struggle, Dalit Sikhs got their birth, fundamental and constitutional rights to enjoy statutory and beneficiaries of Scheduled Caste when Para 3 of Article 341 was amended in 1950. by including Scheduled Caste origins converted to Sikhism.

Dalit Buddhists got their rights to enjoy Scheduled Caste statutory after 40 years of struggle when Para 3 of Article 341 was amended in 1990 and Scheduled Caste origins converted to Buddhism listed in Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950.

Dalit Christians are kept denied their birth, fundamental and constitutional rights for last 56 years by abstracting their names from Constitution Scheduled Caste Order 1950. The constitutional denial of Scheduled Caste origins converted to Christianity is triple oppression.

The allegation not to give Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians on the ground that Christianity does not have caste, they why Scheduled Caste status given to those Scheduled Caste origins to Sikhism and Buddhism as both the religions does not have caste.

On the other hand, if reservation for only those religions that practice caste then Dalit Christians also deserve it because they suffer caste stigma among Indian society.

Dalit Christians suffer caste oppressed before their conversion. Dalit Christian suffers Religious persecution from religious fanatics and constitutional denial of their statutory from Presidential SC/ST order 1950 is the third oppression of being Dalits.

Dalit Christians seeking to be included in Scheduled Caste status is the constitution, birth and fundamental rights.

Who Benefits SC/SC Status Facilities on Whose Struggle?

By Madhu Chandra

Introduction

Any Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe when they get the SC/ST status reservation facilities should ask this question, “Who benefits SC/ST status facilities on whose struggle?” Many of the young SC/ST generations, when they enjoy the presidential reservation facilities for underprivileged section of Indian societies, do not realize how and whose struggles, these privileges are provided. It will be very true to our north east India community from SC/ST background.

The struggle between High caste and oppressed communities of India has reached its crucial juncture. The presidential reservation facilities preserved in Indian Constitution is most precious gift given to Indian oppressed class community. This most precious gift to protect and preserve the underprivileged communities of India has been under attack again and again by high caste minority ruler of the country.

This short write up is attempted to bring awareness among the SC/ST communities, particularly to those who have benefited SC/ST status facility yet failed to realize the importance of joint effort to safe guard of the constitutional right of the provision for Dalit communities.

Who Are Dalits And Dalit-Bahujans?

Three reasons why reintroduction of Dalit is needed at this hour: First, there is strong feeling that the North East Indian Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) are different from the rest of SC/ST of the country. Secondly, there is no difference between SC/ST of North Eastern India with the rest of SC/ST communities in their definition. Thirdly, the north eastern SC/ST communities rarely know the plights of being SC/ST communities in rest of the countries.

Dalit movement has been widely known today all over India. American and European countries started to hear the plights of Dalit atrocities in India. For the first time United Nations heard the issues of Indian Dalits in 2002.

To understand clearly what the Dalit movement is all about, it will be essential to know what the word “Dalit” actually means. After knowing the definition of Dalit, we may fully understand what is happening among the SC/ST communities in Indian villages, towns, cities and forests. This will also help the SC/ST communities in north east India to understand what means to be SC/ST in India society.

Dalit is the very term that Indian SC/ST communities named themselves sometimes in 1960s when SC/ST of Maharashtra protested to leave Hinduism to get liberated from Hindus Caste system. It is derived from Sanskrit word “Dal” meaning for “Oppressed,” “Crushed,” or “Defiled.” Dalits are not included in Hindu’s four Castes - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras developed by Brahmin forces ever since Aryans invented in Indian soils in 1500 BC.

All SC/ST communities in India including the SC/ST communities in north east India are known as Dalit Communities by definition in the way how SC/ST communities are oppressed by Indian’s upper caste communities. To define it in larger term by including Others Backward Classes (OBC), whole low caste and back class communities are politically termed as Dalit-Bahujans (Bahujan means majority) which represent 85% of Indian population.

Brahmins dominated whole Indian society by placing them on top of all castes that also enjoy and control all Temple power and temple economic. The education is designed only for Brahmin societies. Kshatriyas placed in second row of Hindu caste system designated to enjoy and control over authorities and enjoy tax economic collected from whole society under the influences of Brahmins. Vaishyas placed in third caste row designated to control and enjoy trade economic and power under the influences of their superior Brahmins and Kshatriyas. Shudras placed in fourth caste row designated to serve their three superior Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Shudras. They performed lowest works such as removing the human night waste from upper caste homes. The first three castes are known as UPPER HINDU CASTE and the fourth as low caste.

Where the Dalit communities do falls within Hindu caste structure? Dalits actually does not fall within any of Hindu’s four caste system! Dalits are casteless people because they are not counted as fellow human beings. They are defiled communities. Their shadow on upper caste is considered even defiled. To eras their footsteps they were forced to tight a broom on their backs. Dalits are not to learn Sanskrit, if they happen to hear a Sanskrit phrase, theirs ears are to be poured melted tines. If they happen to remember a Sanskrit phrase, their tongues are supposed to be cut off.

People hearing the plights of being Dalits will not accept it in twenty first century but it is still happening in far and near corners of Indian societies. In 2002 five Dalits were skinned alive for skinning a death cow. It proved that a death cow is more worth than five Dalits. In 2005, fifty Dalits homes were burnt down in the presence of police forces and district authorities in Gohana 70 km away from Indian capital city – Delhi. In 2006 March, a Dalit man’s both the hands and leg amputated in Punjab by upper caste when he fought back the gang rapists of his minor daughter. The story like this never cease in daily print and electronic media. Many went unreported injustice.

What Are The SC/SC Status Benefits?

SC/ST known today as Dalit communities in India was known as “Depressed Class” and “Untouchable” by British before independent. In 1937, for first time, the British termed “Depressed Class” or “Untouchable” as Scheduled Caste and Tribe. Special consideration for their social, economical and educational uplift was considered even before the independent of India.

After Independent, in framing of Indian constitution through initiatives of Dr. Bim Rao Ambedkar gave special provision for SC/ST communities and the Presidential Order of SC/ST was listed in 1950.

Majority of SC/ST communities of North East India see SC/ST status facilities in the terms of employment and educational reservation privileges. The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Acts 1989 amended in 1995 seem to be not fully understood by SC/ST communities of north east Indian which is much beyond educational and employment provisions. Special Acts under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Acts 1995 has been provided to prevent atrocities against SC/ST communities anywhere of the country. The provision given to any SC/ST communities includes some of the followings:

Special provision of employment in Central and state sectors, educational provisions by seat reservation and monetary helps, SC/ST land protections, Atrocity prevention Acts and remedies to the victimized SC/ST communities such as legal punishments, compensations etc. (SC/ST Prevention of Atrocity Acts 1995 is available in concern offices)

Who Struggles For SC/ST And Who Benefits It?

Many SC/ST communities take the SC/ST Status beneficiaries for granted that it naturally came itself to be included in Indian Constitution. It is included in Indian Constitution not without somebody struggling for that. Dr. Bim Rao Ambedkar was one of many who struggle for SC/ST communities in India and many others after him. For the service Ambedkar has done for Indian SC/ST society, he could have been equally given the father of Nation as it is given to Mahatma Gandhi.

Therefore in this short write up, a question is being asked “Who benefits SC/ST status facilities provided in Indian Constitution on who have struggled?” Those who get the SC/ST status benefits must realize the need of helping those who are involved in the struggle to ensure SC/ST cause.

Differences between Being SC and ST!

Scheduled Caste communities are at the receiving end of Hindu caste system. They are considered to be part of Hindu Caste system but upper caste did not allow them to worship their gods in the same temples, they are considered defiled. They are socially, economically, educationally, politically oppressed. The freedom to choose their faith and religions is denied. The movement they convert to any other faiths and religions different from Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism, they are denied all the Presidential Order of SC status facilities.

But Scheduled Tribes are little bit different in the nature they are oppressed. They are mostly oppressed in the form of Education and Economic dental to them for being geographically far away in forests. ST communities are not oppressed like SC when they change their faiths and religions. They are given the SC/ST status benefits even if they convert to other religions different from Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.

Scheduled Caste origins converted to other faith and religions different from Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism are fighting for their birth, fundamental and constitutional rights to enjoy SC status even after conversion. ST communities will need to realize that their same brothers and sisters of SC communities, who are oppressed under the same stigma of Hindu caste system, need the constitutional rights to be included in presidential order list of SC/ST 1950 even after their conversion to any of their choice.

What is the SC/ST Situation in India?

There is huge lye against SC/ST from general and upper caste communities that reservation provided to SC/ST communities has not done any good to them. It is open fact that without SC/ST status provision provided in Indian Constitution and reservation facilities, SC/ST communities could never have come up to what they are today. If the reservation facility provided to SC/ST today are denied then they will pushed back to what it was before.

The debate by Sangh Parivar (basically upper caste) on reframing of Indian constitution is the greatest challenge to all SC/ST, OBC and minorities. The content of Indian constitution has been charged an anti Hindu thus they want to change it by removing all the facilities and provision given to SC/ST and non-Hindus. The constitution of India is biggest gift to every SC/ST, OBC, Minorities and every citizen of India. It should be preserved and protected from all communal forces.

Mushrooming of Private sectors is another great challenge for SC/ST because once all the governmental sectors converted into Private Sectors, they will not be any post left for SC/ST communities because, the Private Sectors do not have the reservation system in employment. Mushrooming of Private sectors may not be able to stop from it’s ever growth. However there can be one possible hope for SC/ST that legally and politically challenges the private sectors to provide reservation for SC/ST communities, which is deadly protested by Private Sector owners.

Conclusion

Although SC/ST communities do not realize who struggled for very benefits of SC/ST, there is a group of people like Dr. Bim Rao Ambedkar and his followers who still struggle to ensure SC/ST status benefits. Educated and empowered SC/ST often forgets their SC/ST brothers and sisters who are still in the need of help for their total liberation from caste oppression.

SC/ST status beneficiaries must be guarded even after mushrooming of private sector. It is high call from SC communities to ST communities to stand united especially constitutional denial of SC status facilities when they are converted to other faiths and religions different from Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.

Who made India Illiterate and Poor?

(A Critique at Medicos’ Anti-Reservation Protest Juncture)

By M. Madhu Chandra

Thought of questioning “who made India illiterate and poor?” came some times ago when I started looking into Indian sociological aspect but ample of desire to write it down became heavier when anti quota protest by medicos, IIT, and IIM students at Delhi and else where in India mounted up.

When somebody alleges someone who made him/her illiterate and poor, the world will mock at them but question on who made India illiterate and poor will have different answer.

Union Human Resource Development minister – Mr. Arjun Singh’s proposal to hike up 27% reservation for Others Backward Classes (OBC) in professional central educational institutions remained silent for first one week. The resistance from Medicos, IIT and IIM students generated by medico students of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi sparked when Indian Medias who holds the Brahmin IDs, went from college to colleges provoked the senses of upper caste medical students. The present coverage of anti quota movement in print and electronic Medias are clear visible of one sidedness.

The intensity of anti quota movement led by medicos spread to every corners has some thing connected to the question “who made India illiterate and poor!”

Indian Caste System holds the responsibility for making India illiterate.

“One cannot understand India without understanding the complete nature and scope of the caste system in Indian life. Caste considerations dominate people’s lives from birth to death. This understanding of the caste system and how it controls and regulates social, economic, political and religious life is absolutely essential to interpreting the Indian reality.” Dr. Joseph D’souza says.

India is literate country but made illiterate by upper caste literates. Indus civilization is known of its high intellectual among the world community but they are made illiterate after Aryan invention. Ramayana is famous known episode but written by Balmiki Ratnakar Dalit Hindu devote. But today majority of Balmiki communities are illiterate and do lowest activities like cleaning of human night waste from upper caste homes. "How the very pen once used to be in the hands of Balmiki became brooms?" will only remain amaze. Was it some thing done by upper caste on caste card?

Ever since Aryan invention to Indian soil around 1500 BC, Indian societies have been divided into four castes (color) – Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Apart from the four castes, there is a fifth caste, known generally untouchables or Dalits; different names are given like Harijan (children of temple prostitutes), Balmiki, Chamar, Megs, and Lois Mashuhars etc.

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas constitute upper caste while Shudras and untouchables categorized as low caste and untouchables. Upper caste represents only 15% of Indian population while Shudras and Dalits represent 85% of Indian population.

Well articulated jobs descriptions are assigned accordingly to each caste. The educational beneficiaries are assigned only to Brahmins. Brahmins alone were to be educated and acquired all knowledge banks through all available educational systems. Educations are religiously, socially, politically denied to lower caste section of Indian societies.

Kshatriyas are assigned the post of authoritarian rulers of the nation under influence and instructive of Brahmins. Vaishyas are assigned to take hold of the market shares under the instructive of ruling caste of Kshatriyas with influences of Brahmin who generate knowledge from education. Shudras and untouchable Dalits are assigned to serve the upper caste in most degraded inhuman manners.

The denial of education to Dalits Bahujan (Dalit Majority) may not be true in 21st century but the manipulation of education crystal clear particularly scheduled tribes (Dalits). Denial of education to Dalits-Bahujans in past has affected the educational and economical condition of Dalit-Bahujan today. One days’ lost in education effect a week’s education, a weeks’ lost effects a month, a month’s lost effect a year, a year’s lost effect a carrier of a life, a carrier’s lost effect one generation. The same has happened to Dalit-Bahujan today.

Majority of Indian societies represent by Dalit-Bahujans remain illiterate is intentionally done to keep Indian majority illiterate by upper caste community. Deadness of medicos’ anti quota movement is another attempt to keep Indian Dalit-Bahujan illiterate forever and ever.

Enough charges have been given to Mr. Arjun Singh from left and right as attempt to divide Indian youth. There is no question of re-dividing the divided Indian society which Brahmins have setup. Quota proposed by Mr. Arjun will level the divided nations by providing special provision of reservation for weaker section of India society.

Indian Caste System holds the responsibility for making India poor.

Education denied by Brahmincal caste system to Dalit-Bahujan has affected today’s economical condition of Dalit-Bahujans. Education and Economic are two sides of the same coin. Economic generates education but it starts with education.

India is rich nation but made poor by rich upper caste desperately poor by accessing exceedingly assets. India in Brahmincal order has produced world’s recorded upper caste richest sons and daughters.

Caste system description to Vaishyas to hold of trade activities has denied Dalit-Bahujan’s economical development. Brahmincal caste system did not allow Dalit-Bahujan to hold trade as the trade was assigned only to Vaishyas. The earnings of Vaishyas benefited by Kshatriyas as tax returned back to them and Brahmin as they hold the temple treasuries. But Dalit-Bahujan remained only to be victims of caste discrimination at the hands of three upper castes.

Deadness of anti quota to OBC forces by upper caste medicos, IIT and IIM students is attempted once more to cease the possibility for Dalit-Bahujan to boost their intellectual and economical status.

Illiterate and Poor Indian Majority have only unused Power to meet their demand

While education and economic development of Dalit-Bahujan communities seems to be only means to ensure their future. But the education and economic are at monopoly hands of upper caste.

When, education and economic have been snatched away, only one possible mean to ensure the future of Dalit-Bahujans comes to every Indian Dalit-Bahujans during suffrage every fifth years.

Endnote:

Centuries old caste discrimination stories existed in India, which has directly or indirectly made Indian illiterate and poor has been kept hidden by Indian elites. Global communities have started asking why it has taken so long to hear India’s most discriminated inhuman episode. Globalizing Indian Dalit problem, although heavily accused by upper caste elites, will gain global sympathy.

Medicos, IIT and IIM students’ agitation against quota on the basis of equality and merit are clearly seen caste identity. Merit can/should not be only at the hands of upper caste, if should be shared with backward communities so that equality among upper and lower caste community will contribute toward making India shining.

What is the Dalit-Bahujan Emancipation Movement all About?

By Dr. Joseph D’souza

President, All India Christian Council
International president, Dalit Freedom Network

Major Debates Over Caste Discrimination Continue in Indian Society

Another major debate has erupted in Indian political and civil society circles after the October 6, 2005, United States Congressional Sub-Committee hearings in Washington, DC, on the issue of caste discrimination in India. Some questions raised as a result of this hearing are: “Why has it taken so long for the world to hear about the persistent problem of caste discrimination in India? We thought the caste system was abolished in India? Why is it that we have not been told about the connection between caste discrimination and the 25 million bonded child laborers, the girl trafficking, the prostitution trade, the illiteracy and poverty, the constant rape and abuse of women, and the plight of the landless laborers?”

Following the hearings in the USA, there was also an extensive debate on the Dalit issue in the British Parliament on November 22, 2005.

For the Christian community around the world the issue is, “Why is it that we have not heard about the serious nature and scope of caste discrimination within the Church in India – no matter the denominational affiliation, whether Catholic, mainline Protestant or Evangelical?”

The blunt answer to the above questions is that until now the Indian reality has been interpreted and articulated within India and around the world through the worldview of the dominant castes in larger society and also in the Church. For all practical purposes, the dominant castes rule, control and articulate the Indian reality.

Without a “Caste Analysis” India Can Not be Understood

The dominant upper castes have been quite content with a “class analysis” of India (focusing attention on the rich, the new middle-class and the poor), knowing very well that it is only a “caste analysis” of India that can uncover the true but hidden reality at the heart of India – the India of the majority masses. One cannot understand India without understanding the complete nature and scope of the caste system in Indian life. Caste considerations dominate people’s lives from birth to death. This understanding of the caste system and how it controls and regulates social, economic, political and religious life is absolutely essential to interpreting the Indian reality. Add to this the “corruption factor” in Indian society and the Dalits and other oppressed people who are poor are left in a completely hopeless situation. India is not a homogenous society where there is a level playing field on which everyone can prosper.

Caste continues to dominate Indian society despite the fact that the draftsman of the Constitution, the redoubtable Dalit thinker and lawyer Dr. Bhim Rao Babasaheb Ambedkar, wrote his prophetic work “Annihilation of Caste” to reveal to the world the brutal stranglehold of the caste system. The Indian Constitution, taking the best out of American and British statutes, outlawed untouchability, one of the manifestations of caste discrimination, but stopped well short of abolishing caste.

Dalit-Bahujan leaders across India refer to caste discrimination as “ India’s silent apartheid” of 3,000 years against its majority peoples – a full 70% of the population. It is a religiously sanctioned racism that has maimed, dehumanized and destroyed hundreds of millions of people through the ages. The horrendous fact is that we continue to destroy millions of people through this system even today in the 21 st century.

The Inhuman Discrimination Against Dalits Continues Unabated

Here is what the former President of India, Dr. K.R. Narayanan, recently stated regarding caste:

“ An empowered India bereft of the respect for women, values of civilized existence and morality will collapse in the face of the disaffection and discontent of those who have suffered for centuries. Day in and day out we take pride in claiming that India has a 5,000-year-old civilization. But the way the Dalits and those suppressed are being treated by the people who wield power and authority speaks volumes for the degradation of our moral structure and civilized standards.

“Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Constitution, had said political equality devoid of economic and social equality would bring about contradictions in our democratic set-up which if not rectified will lead to its doom. In the dark cloud of inequality and social injustice the silver lining represented by the assertion of the hitherto suppressed and exploited sections for their rights inspire confidence for their future empowerment. Their struggle for empowerment represents empowerment of India.

“As the struggle gains momentum and gets accentuated, there is bound to be reluctance and resistance on the part of the high and mighty to accept their upward rise. The killing of Dalits, their exploitation and the brutality they face is a negation of the empowered India.”

Who are the Dalit-Bahujans?

The Dalit-Bahujans make up what are known in India as the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Backward Castes. Together these groups are classically known as the Sudras or the slave / “vassal” castes. (“Scheduled” means they are listed in a special “index” appended to the Constitution. “Backward Castes” are those whose rank and occupational status are above that of Dalits, but who still remain socially and economically depressed.) The Scheduled Castes were until recently also known as the “Untouchables” because they were deemed literally untouchable by the upper castes. The Scheduled Tribes were defined as “Criminal Tribes” because they occasionally challenged, with arms, the dominance of the local landlords.

The word “dalit” means “broken” or “crushed” and the word “bahujan” indicates membership in the majority people or the larger population.

Combined, these groups make up 67% of the population of India.

Among this suffering humanity of Dalit-Bahujans, it is the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes who continue to bear the brunt of caste discrimination and oppression. Plainly stated, caste is modern religiously sanctioned slavery – a slavery that has been overlooked by the world for hundreds of years.

Caste discrimination has an immediate impact on 250 million Dalits. It also affects hundreds of millions more from the Backward Caste communities.

Nature of the Revolt Against the Caste System: Caste Upheaval Influences Indian Politics

Caste turmoil and upheaval fully exploded on the national scene when the recommendations of the Mandal Commission were implemented in the mid-1990s. The Mandal Commission indicated that the Backward Castes were no better socio-economically because of the consequences of the caste system. The Supreme Court supported the view of the Commission and granted affirmative action benefits to the Backward Castes. Upper caste mobs resisted the judgment and anarchy prevailed in major cities for many weeks. Indian politics changed dramatically after the Mandal issue hit the national consciousness. Caste politics became a dominant factor in Indian society, and caste loyalties began to determine elections across the nation. The north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar saw dramatic movements of the political empowerment of the Sudras, or Backward Castes. Dalit politics, too, was established with the emergence of the Bahujan Samaj Party as a major player in Uttar Pradesh and the surrounding north Indian States in the so-called “Cow Belt”. Consistent with the larger caste assertion by the Backward Castes, the Dalits also began to increasingly assert themselves.

The Religious Revolt

Caste had the sanction of religion, and as the extremist and fascist Hindu Right made a bid for political power in Federal India, open calls were given to Dalits to exit the caste-based Hindu society to more egalitarian faiths and communities.

Dalit and Backward Caste ideologues launched a full-fledged attack against the caste system and Brahminism maintaining and pushing forward the movement first launched by Mahatma Phule, fine-tuned by Periyar in the South, and finally polished by Ambedkar.

These anti-Brahminical movements kept the Hindutva brigade from expanding in the northern bases of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar even at a time when the arch-Hindu Ayodhya Temple movement was at its zenith.

History Vindicates Ambedkar’s Stand Versus Gandhi

Increasingly, the Dalit-Bahujan emancipation movement began to gather more strength across the nation. Ambedkar’s true contribution to the nation, his work for the depressed castes, was progressively more greatly understood and appreciated. Even the upper caste movements and political leaders began to co-opt Ambedkar’s legacy and brand name as their own.

Ambedkar’s bitter disagreement with Mahatma Gandhi was no longer locked in archival documents. Suddenly, Ambedkar’s opposing sentiment became common knowledge. Ambedkar wanted the abolishment of caste itself, which then would result in abolishing untouchability and the inhuman discrimination against the Dalits. Gandhi’s proposal to simply deal with the symptom of untouchability and not touch the issue of the caste system was a major mistake and has marred his otherwise great legacy. Perhaps he was influenced by the orthodox upper caste people who surrounded him, telling him that Hinduism as they knew it would not survive the demise of caste, its foundation, steel frame and bonding force.

Fifty years after Independence, caste prejudice and discrimination continue as a persistent disease. Ambedkar was correct in his thinking that caste must be “annihilated” if untouchability is to be genuinely eliminated.

Ambedkar also concluded that conversion was the ultimate solution if Hinduism was not able to reform itself and annihilate caste. He did not see much hope that this cataclysmic reformation would take place.

Again, fifty years later, nothing of the needed reformation has taken place. If anything, with the emergence of the extremist right-wing Hindu movement, caste discrimination and oppression have increased.

The modern-day increase of caste-based oppression is the reason why the Vice President of the world Hindu federation known as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) can say on national television that the life of a cow is more valuable than the lives of five Dalits after five Dalit young people in north India were lynched near New Delhi, when they were found skinning the carcass of a dead cow.

This is why a Shankaracharya (major community leader) said that Dalits should learn to live in the position in which they were born. This leader was more brutal in his statement than was Gandhi who simply said people must be happy and perform to the best of their ability in their given occupation – scavenging, tanning, sweeping, etc.

The movement for emancipation of the depressed classes kept pace with the freedom movement Ghandi led. While Kabir and Phule’s folk teachings influenced the masses, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar made a frontal assault on caste, using the brilliance of his legal training and his access to the political negotiating tables in London and New Delhi in the days preceding the transfer of power from Imperial Britain to Independent India.

Ambedkar was an intellectual giant and India’s great reformer. Born a Dalit in Maharashtra, he had experienced caste’s depravity first-hand. He bitterly disagreed with Mahatma Gandhi’s cosmetic solution to the problem of untouchability.

History has proven Ambedkar right. The Indian Constitution should have banned the caste system along with the problem of untouchability. Trying to remove untouchability without removing the caste system was like dealing with mere symptoms rather than combating the root disease.

Ambedkar Champions Freedom of Conscience for the Oppressed Castes

Ambedkar championed religious freedom for the Dalits, thereby leading hundreds of thousands of Dalits into Buddhism in 1956 at a public ceremony in Nagpur. Still today, Dalit and Backward Castes have seen an exit to egalitarian faiths as a way out of caste-based bondage. Religious freedom and spiritual rights remain a fundamental component of the Dalit struggle for emancipation.

In a counter-move, the upper caste political leaders have devised and passed several anti-conversion laws during the past few decades in the dubious name of “freedom of religion”. These laws have been a deliberate move to keep the Dalit-Bahujans locked in the dehumanizing caste system.

With the rise and the destructive specter of right-wing Hindu fundamentalism and fascism (which advocates a return to a so-called “Hindu India” where the caste structure dominates and rules), Ambedkar’s struggle and thoughts become hugely relevant, not only for the oppressed sections of India, but also for Indian nationalism itself.

During the recent rule of the right-wing Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the extremist right-wing groups distributed huge quantities of the book the “Manusmriti” which codified and imposed the caste system on the Indian masses. This book was written by the law-giver, Manu, whose statue is installed in the premises of the High Court of Rajasthan. This is the same book which states that if a low caste person hears the word of God, he should have molten lead poured into his ears. Articulating the name of the Lord invites having his tongue cut off. Other infringements of caste laws carry the death penalty. Is it any wonder that the powerful upper castes perpetuate violence against Dalit women, Dalit men, and Dalit children with such impunity?

1. Building a Worldwide Alliance for Dalit Emancipation

It is the process of building a broad-based, pan-Indian alliance of individuals and groups to bring an end to caste discrimination and exploitation. It is a national and global struggle for the human rights of the Dalits and other oppressed sections of our society. The movement seeks to build both a national and global union against the caste system and the ensuing inhuman oppression and discrimination.

The movement works with everyone who is committed to ending the dehumanizing caste system. Caste, creed, nationality and economic standing are no bar in building this alliance for ending India’s silent apartheid of 3,000 years. We believe in a better future for all Indians.

2. Ending Caste Discrimination Around the World

It is the process of building a global alliance to end caste discrimination around the world. Caste discrimination is not limited to India alone. It is rampant in South Asia and extends to wherever the people of the sub-continent live. It is present among Indians living in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada and other places.

The right wing Hindutva movement has now spread across the world with offices in all of the major Western nations including North America, the Caribbean, the UK, and the nations of the European Union. These organizations in the West have financed the violent, caste-based, right-wing Hindu fundamentalist groups in India.

Caste discrimination should be a legitimate item on the UN agenda and on the agenda of global human rights movements and organizations.

Without the active collaboration and support of all global entities that believe in the intrinsic dignity of all humans, caste discrimination will not end. Taking the line of abolitionists like William Wilberforce and Dr. Ambedkar, this movement seeks to end the modern religiously sanctioned slavery produced by caste once and for all.

3. Eliminating and Prosecuting Caste-Based Violence

It is a movement seeking to end caste-based violence against people of depressed castes. The constant rape of Dalit women, the burning of Dalit homes and the blatant physical attacks on Dalits is not acceptable. Year after year physical attacks against Dalits are reported and documented, but fewer than 2% ever reach conviction in a court of law. According to one conservative estimate there are over 50,000 major atrocities committed against Dalits every year. We work towards applying the rule of law to those who perpetrate these crimes.

4. Eradicating Bonded Child Labor

It is a movement designed to deliver the vast majority of Dalit children who make up the bonded child labor market in India. Bonded child labor is a crime against humanity. Estimates report that at least 15 million bonded Dalit children work in inhuman conditions for a paltry sum. Most bonded laborers in India are from Dalit and other backward communities.

5. Rejecting Gender-Based Oppression and the Trafficking of Girls

It is a movement seeking to end girl prostitution, trafficking of women in the sex trade, and other violence against women. There is a huge inter-state trafficking of girls in the sex trade. Dalit and other Backward Caste girls from Nepal are bought and sold into the sex trade in the major cities of India.

Sex trade in the sub-continent draws its victims from the Dalits, Tribals and oppressed castes. The targeting of Dalit and Tribal women for these trades is a symptom of the caste system and its view of Dalit/Tribal women in particular and women in general.

The movement is deeply conscious that caste discrimination extends to all women in India and that Dalit women are twice oppressed. We reject this oppression. We are deeply concerned for the hundreds of thousands of minor/teenage Tribal girls who work in affluent homes in the cities and urban areas of India. We are concerned about the abuse they face – sexual and physical.

Caste ideology also places a low value on women. This prejudice and worldview has resulted in the female feticide of tens of millions causing an alarming decline in the female population in many states of India. Unless addressed immediately, Indian society is hurtling towards a major social disaster and increased abuse of women.

6. Standing Against the Deceit of Cultural / Extremist Nationalism

It is a movement that rejects the “cultural nationalism” (a direct acquisition from Nazi nationalism) of the extremist Hindu right. The right-wing groups and their silent subscribers have used the idea of “external” enemies like “minorities” to try and cover up caste discrimination and unite the oppressed castes in violence against Muslims and Christians in the name of “nationalism”. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists are not the enemies of India, nor are they enemies of the Dalits and other oppressed peoples.

In fact, most Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Sikhs were Dalits and Backward Caste people who turned to these religions to escape the tyranny of the caste system. True nationalism is not separating India along false divisions in society, but instead, it should be uniting and integrating the peoples of India. True nationalism must see the larger Dalit-Bahujan population delivered from caste oppression and discrimination. Their children, their girls, their women and their men must be delivered from modern day slavery.

7. Deploring Religious Exploitation and Encouraging Authentic Spirituality

It is a movement that deplores the religious exploitation of Dalits and other oppressed groups by any religious entity. It is a movement that categorically rejects Pseudo-Spirituality even as it champions religious freedom for the oppressed masses. On the one hand, Dalits have been enslaved by one religious system that denies them any spiritual rights and privileges – such as rights of spiritual equality, access to the temple priesthood, and access to all temples and all religious rites. On the other hand, other religious systems have offered them a place in a “heaven” of the future while continuing to practice caste discrimination within their religious communities.

The Church in India is also guilty in this regard. Large sections of the Church in India have betrayed the legacy of Jesus, the legacy of Wilberforce, and the legacy of William Carey when it comes to dealing with the issue of the caste system and the ensuing inhuman discrimination within society and the Church. At the same time, Dalit leaders acknowledge their debt to those Christian missionaries who reached out to them in love and accepted them as fellow human beings. The present movement seeks an end to this exploitation and Pseudo-Spirituality. It encourages Dalits and other oppressed peoples to seek true and authentic spirituality – spirituality that truly addresses their spiritual, social, emotional and physical needs.

Dalit-Bahujan ideologues speak of this struggle as one of spiritual democracy versus the spiritual fascism of the caste system.

8. Promoting Full-Life Transformation and Empowerment for the Dalit-Bahujans

The movement is about the economic and social empowerment of the Dalit-Bahujan people through effective economic and educational programs. It aims to build effective micro-enterprise projects along with macro-enterprises.

It also calls for the review of various foreign governmental aid programs which do not reach Dalits. We ask for a proportionate disbursement of all aid money and projects. It also calls for a review of funding coming through NGOs into India and the disbursement of the same among the Dalits and other oppressed sections of society.

We acknowledge the heart wrenching poverty that is prevalent among the Dalit majority coupled with the huge problem of overall illiteracy. We believe economic dignity is a critical part of human dignity and that the oppressed must be freed and empowered to take care of their personal economic needs and prosperity.

It aims to provide Dalit-Bahujan children – the future – access to quality English-medium education to allow them to play their leadership role in an increasingly globalized India.

Thus far, Dalit children (and large sections of the Backward Castes) have had no access to such quality education. English-medium education is the preserve of the moneyed upper caste and middle class elite. This movement rejects the hypocrisy of the elitist castes whose children are educated in English, while the children of the oppressed castes are encouraged to study in the “vernacular” in the name of culture and extremist nationalism.

In addition, we are deeply concerned for the lack of medical care and health problems connected with the Dalit-Bahujan people.

We are disturbed that in the battle against AIDS the Dalit and oppressed caste victims of this disease are once again marginalized in the various programs launched to fight this epidemic. The pattern remains the same whether it is the Dalit victims of the Asian Tsunami of 2004 or the Dalit victims of the Gujarat Earthquake of 2001. Dalits are marginalized even in the midst of catastrophe.

9. Recognizing the Global Security Threat Caused by Caste Discrimination

It is a movement that recognizes the huge security threat that ongoing caste discrimination against the Dalit people and other oppressed sections poses to India and the rest of the world. Disenchanted, bitter and angry young men and women drive the extremist violent Maoist and Naxalite left-wing movements from Nepal to South India. As India increasingly becomes two nations in one – one for whom India is shining, and the other for whom India is in darkness – these violent movements will only increase and will attack not only local governments but also international institutions they deem as collaborators with the elitist castes who oppress the masses.

The movement also recognizes the threat of the oppressed castes exiting into other faiths, legitimizing violence and attacking the ruling castes and their institutions. All in all, these facts produce a depressing outlook for the great nation of India if we do not see the abolishment of caste in this generation and the achievement of authentic Dalit Freedom.

10. Demolishing the Tyranny of Caste Hierarchy

It is a movement that seeks to end the oppression within Dalit and Backward Caste groups due to the notion of a superior/inferior caste hierarchy. It acknowledges that in some places, sections of the liberated Backward Castes oppress and discriminate the Dalits out of a mistaken sense of their “better” identity, or patently at the behest of the upper castes. It also acknowledges that the Dalit groups themselves need to unite to end the tyranny of the caste system and that the small number of liberated and well-to-do Dalits must not forget the plight of their brethren who continue to suffer. Restorative reconciliation between castes is an integral part of the emancipation agenda.

Conclusion

We believe in the truths of human equality, freedom of conscience and equal opportunity for all. We reject all forms of racism, caste discrimination, color prejudice and gender discrimination.

We invite all concerned people everywhere to become part of this struggle for the emancipation of Dalit-Bahujans. Action points have been developed for the above goals of the movement. Remember: our work immediately impacts the 250 million Dalits, as well as the hundreds of millions of other oppressed sections of Indian society.

For further inquiries, please write to: info@dalitnetwork.org or info@aiccindia.org

Bant Singh’s Two Toes are Left to Prove the Attacked by High Caste Jat of His Village

An AICC and DFN Fact Finding Report on Bant Singh – a Dalit Activist

By Madhu Chandra

Fact Finding Team: M. Madhu Chandra, Pastor Mansing, Mandali along with two Dalit Leaders from Punjab. (Jose M.D. could not join as he had oversea visitors.) Fact finding team left Delhi on 5th April evening and reached Mansa noon next day. Team met Bant Singh and his half paralyzed wife attending him at Mansa Civil Hospital. Latter team went to Bant Singh village where seven of his minor children are struggling without enough food and care.

Two toes on right leg were left to prove to the government of Punjab that Bant Singh – a Mazhabi Sikh Dalit activist and singer from Burj Jhabbar village under Joga Police station in Mansa district of Punjab was attacked by high cast Jat when Bant Singh fought for justice to his daughter who was gang raped by his villagers in June 2002. Bant Singh is left to live depending his whole life on his half paralyzed with and minor children. He will not able to walk alone, eat, go toilet, dress up etc without someone’s help. (Picture: Action Committee getting documental impression from remaining two toes.)

Bant Singh told to the fact finding team that attack on his life from Jat community was to prove that no Dalits should dare to rise voice when crime is committed against Dalits by high caste Jat. “They could break my three limbs but could touch my soul and spirit” Bant Singh says.

Background History:

Bant Singh about 45 years old man hails from a village called Burj Jhabbar (800 population), 22 km away from Mansa town (Mansa is 450 km from Delhi) and he is a Dalit Activist. He is married to a lady who is half paralyzed. They have four sons and four daughters.

Night mire story of Bant Singh starts with the gang rape of his eldest 17 years old daughter by two of his villagers – Mandhir Singh and Tarsem Singh with the trick of a lady – Gurmel Kaur in June 2002. Initially the First Information Report (FIR) was refused to register in local police station, which is usual to most of the Dalits cases. However Bant Singh being the bold Dalit activist never stops seeking justice for her daughter. Later on, after constant fight for justice, three of the culprits were arrested and the sentence of life imprisonment to three of the culprits was announced on 19 July 2004 by Additional Session Judge of Mansa after two years of trial.

Sukhdarshan Nat – another Dalit activist report to fact finding team that Jaswant Singh – the present Sarpanch (Village Head) and his brother Niranjan Singh (former Sarpanch) could not take the verdict of Judge sentencing life imprisonment to three of the culprits for the crime committed to a low caste Dalit minor girl. Ever since the high caste Jat community under the connived of Jaswant Singh and Niranjan Singh wanted to give revenge to Bant Singh and Dalit community so that no Dalits will dare to rise voice when atrocities takes place on Dalits. That is exactly happen to Bant Singh and his family.

Preplan Attack on Bant Singh’s life

Sukhdarshan Nat reported further that the attack on Bant Singh by seven Jat villagers (High caste) was well plan with local police and administration. On 5 January 2006 evening when Bant Singh was alone in the field, eight Jat persons – Navdeep Singh s/o Amrik Singh, Sandeep Singh s/o Amrik Singh, Harpinder Singh s/o Inderjit Singh, Japinder Singh (Aka Bubbly) s/o Jaswant Singh, Gurdit Singh s/c Balbit Singh, Yadavinder Singh s/o Santokh Singh and Deedar Singh s/o Bikkar Singh attack Bant Singh. He was chased for about miles in the field before his arm and legs were smashed by iron rods until be become unconscious and fail flat. They did not attempt to kill him but to make him life living worthless by breaking hands and legs. He was thrown out in the field and latter Niranjan who is accused to be man behind whole episode reported to Bant Singh’s family members to take him to hospital if Bant Singh life is to be saved.

Attack was so well plan that no blood was found in his body so that police while registering the case will have very little impact on those who attacked him. Bant Singh was taken to Mansa Civil Hospital within one and half hours after attack, where Dr. Prasatham Goel was in-charge of Civil Hospital, Mansa. Dr. Prasatham Goel asked Rs. 1000 from Bant Singh as bride if proper treatment was required to be attended. Sukhdarshan Nat reported to fact finding team that Dr. Prasantham Goel after knowing the fact that attack was carried out by high caste on Dalits, he twisted the report. Police on the basis of twisted medical report, did not frame the charges of attack and allow culprits to go free. No medical attention was given to Bant Singh for firth thirty six hours even after Dr. Prasantham Goel personally knew the seriousness Bant Singh. Delaying 36 hours in giving medical attendance led amputation of his both hands and left leg. The right leg with just two toes with rips broken still under the medication. Sukhdarshan Nat reports that Dr. Prasatham Goel took bribe of Rs. 25,000 from culprits to twist the report.

Latter on he was shifted to Patiala Civil Hosptial, 100 km away from Mansa on 8th January 2006, latter he was again shifted to PGI, Chandigarh on 12th January 2006 where amputation of his both hands and left leg was done.

Police have recorded the statement of Bant Singh on 6th January 2006 and a case against those seven culprits and Sarpach Jaswant Singh and Niranjan Singh alleged to be men behind the attack on Bant Singh under SC and ST Atrocity Prevention Act 1989. Seven of the culprits are arrested by police and one among them has been bailed out. The alleged men behind the attack – Jaswant Singh and Niranjan Singh still remain out of police hand.

The present Situation of Bant Singh

The movement fact finding team enters the medical ward where Bant Singh is hospitalized in Civil Hospital, Mansa, Shukhdarshan Nat and his team was getting toes impression on documentation paper. Two toes were left only to prove that he was attacked by Jat community for being a Dalit and protest of his daughter who was gang raped by two youths from Jat community.

Bant Singh knows for sure that his life left will have to depend on his half paralyzed wife and minor children yet no shadow of sadness and sorry reflected on his face. So much bold for the cause he has been fighting. “They (Jats) wanted to make me a living icon in the eyes of Dalits world, not to raise the face against Jats even when atrocities like rape take place on their daughters and women. But I want to live a living icon so that Jats will remember what will happen when Jats (High Caste) touch on the life of Dalits” Bat Singh says.

Under the leadership of Sukhdarshan Nat has constituted Bant Singh Jabra Kranti Birodhi Action Committee with 14 different organizations. The action committee has take all possible measure to fight the legal rights as per as SC and ST Atrocity Prevention Act. Red Cross Mansa has promised to bear all the medical expenses. However, Bant Singh has medical bill due of Rs. 20,000. He still will need more financial assistance for medical expenses.

Although most of the legal and medical helps are assisted by different well wishers, the daily living expenses for Bant Singh’s family and children remain sad story without any financial assistance. Young Children are at village, 22 km away from the Hospital where both parents are away from them. Bant Singh does not own any cultivation field. He has two buffalos and one cow, his family depends on their milking.

Dr. Prasatham Goel after the intervention of state administration and mounting of pressure from Human Right organizations has been suspended from his job.

Legal Provisions

1. Bant Singh eldest daughter who was gang raped has been married. Sentence is given to culprits but there are legal provisions eight in the form of employment or grant from government are not still fought for. The fact finding team has informed the Action Committee to seek the legal provision for Bant Singh’s daughter.

2. Mansa Magistrate has written to Punjab Government to grant legal provisions as per as the SC and ST Prevention Act. A grant of Rs. 10 lakhs for Bant Singh and his family has been forward to Punjab Government from the office of Magistrate, Mansa. Magistrate has sought immediate release of Rs. 2 lakhs from Punjab Government.

3. The sympathy from district administration seems to come out as Bant Singh’s case has been reported far and wide through Human Right Commissions and many other Human Right Organizations.

Some Proposal to get Involve from AICC and DFN

1. AICC and DFN should mount up the pressure to arrest Jaswant Singh and Niranjan Singh who are alleged to be men behind in engineering the attack on Bant Singh.

2. Accused culprits should be pressurized the court to take its course in rending justice to Bant Singh.

3. AICC and DFN should get involved in ensuring the legal provision for Bant Singh daughter’s rape case and himself.

4. Helping Bant Singh in a visible way will be good testimony of Christians in India. The medical bills seem to be covered from Red Cross, if so we may not need considering helping for medical.

5. The immediate need of family like food, clothing, and education should be considered helping them.

6. Most important part of our help will about making a future for Bant Singh and his children. If the government grant, Mansa Magistrate is seeking from Punjab Government, then it will be a great future. Otherwise, to help their future could be through buying a plot for him or some income generating sources.

Report prepared by Madhu Chandra and submitted to All India Christian Council and Dalit Freedom Network. Dated April 8, 2006

An aicc Fact Finding Report on Kota Christian attack submitted to Prime Minister of India

To,
Dr Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India

Dear Primer Minister

Greetings from the Christian Community!

May I thank you for the compassion and alacrity with which you took my complaint to you about the painful events in Kota against the Emmanuel Mission. Union Home Minister, Mr. Shivraj Patil was kind enough to write to me immediately expressing your concern and promising on his own behalf that he would have the facts as ascertained. Later, the newly appointed chairman of the National Minorities Commission, Ambassador Hamid Ansari also wrote to me saying that he had sought the facts from the State government of Rajasthan. I am sure your communication with the State government of Rajasthan will have its full impact. It has already brought about a sense of relief and hope in the community in general, and in the victims of persecution in particular.

In my own identify as an NIC member and head of two major Church organizations, the Catholic Union and the Christian Council, I also visited Kota, Jaipur and surrounding areas from 18th to 20th March 2006 with a an investigative group for a first hand experience and assessment of the situation, as also our prognosis about the persecution of our people and the pressure on our institutions in the state.

My colleagues on the team were distinguished persons, including Sr. Mary Scaria, an advocate of the Supreme court and secretary of the Justice and Peace commission of the Catholic Delhi Archdiocese, the Rev Madhu Chandra, Delhi region secretary of the All India Christian Council and two independent journalists, Mr. Anil Chamaria who is internationally known for his incisive reportage in Hindi on Minority and Dalit issues and Mr. Vishal Arora.

We visited Kota extensively and also had a feel of the communal situation in the townships en route, including Bundi and the state capital of Jaipur. We also went through the entire coverage in Hindi and English in all the newspapers in the state relating to the recent as well as earlier anti Christian incidents. We met the District collector, the two ADMs and the SSP of Kota as also the two concerned Station house officers of Police Stations in the city police district of Kota. In addition, we met with several Christian leaders, priests, heads of Orphanages and hospitals, patients and ordinary people. Among them were both Hindus and Muslims.

Dear Prime Minister, the main reason to write to you at this stage is to bring to your notice the very volatile communal situation in the state, and not just against Christians. It is obvious that the Rajasthan State government machinery including the Justice system, and the Civil and law and order administration, are overwhelmed by political pressure from the BJP whose members roam free offering large sums of money for the murder of Archbishop M A Thomas others while the state machinery merrily strangulates his orphanages and schools by summarily rescinding their registrations without even giving enough time to respond to a show cause notice. All threads speak of a conspiracy aggressively executed.

I fear violence can flare up at any time and anywhere, beginning with Kota. The community feels threatened. Already several incidents have taken place against the Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical communities which constitute the entirety of the Church in the State to prove that while the Emmanuel Mission may be the immediate symbol and victim, the conspiracy is against the Christian faith and the followers in the state of Rajasthan, and their social work with the people and marginalized groups. Ten years ago, the Sangh Parivar had threatened to make the district of Banswara ‘Free of Christians by 2000 AD’. They failed to do so at that time. They are trying very hard to carryout their promise now. We seek your intervention in this backdrop and emergency. This is with the concurrence with the members of the Investigative Team under the aegis of the All India Christian Council which accompanied me and of which I was the part.

For the sake of brevity, I break down my report and complaint to you into five components, and for each pleading your attention and concern.

1. The communal situation in Kota and the state of Rajasthan, with specific respect to the Christian Community.

2. The conspiracy against the Emmanuel Mission which began in 2002 when the BJP came to power in the state leading to the rescinding of the remigration of seven organizations and the freezing of their bank accounts and the consequences for the inmates of orphanages and hospitals.

3. The precipitate action against the Thomas family leading to non bailable warrants against Archbishop M.A Thomas and his son Rev Samuel Thomas, Samuel’s arrest from Noida in Uttar Pradesh and the daily orchestrated public protests against them.

4. The lack of action against fanatical Sangh Parivar activists, directly liked with the top leaders of the State government and ruling party, who are offering Rs Eleven Lakh for the murder of Archbishop Thomas and Others.

5. Events related to the controversial book called Haqeekat in which there are passages allegedly injuring the religious sentiments of devout Hindus.

In Details

1. As Dr Joseph D Souza, President of the All India Christian Council and I had told you and other Central government leaders in our earlier letter, defeated and frustrated religious fundamentalist and hyper-nationalist groups of the Sangh Parivar have Christians in several sensitive states. Rajasthan, Gujarat and Orissa have been at the top of our areas of maximum concern, with Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Karnataka close behind. The provincial administrations and particularly the education and police in all these states are under the control of the BJP.

All these states have sizable populations of Dalits and indigenous or Tribal people who have historically shown an abiding interest in the life and message of Jesus. It needs to be recalled that the Sangh Parivar had as early as the mid 1990s publicly declared that it would make the Banswara district of Rajasthan ‘Christian-free’ by the end of the century. Despite a reign of terror, Christians remain in Banswara. Kota, with its history of tension between Muslims and Hindus to which the Collector and Police officers attest, seems the likely tinder box for future tension and possible violence. The fact that the Emmanuel Mission is active in this city makes them the logical target. However, Catholic schools have been attacked in Kota and even a Leprosy hospital being run by Catholic nuns has been targeted. Is a leprosy mission a threat to security, or to any religion? Is a leprosy clinic a forum for Conversion? Other attacks have been in Jhalawar, Beawar and in Jaipur

2. The Conspiracy against the Emmanuel Mission: Archbishop M A Thomas has been active in Kota for more than thirty years. His is an independent mission whose charism is caring for Orphans and running schools and hospitals for them. Although he is not part of the mainline Catholic and Protestant Churches and works independently of them, he is popular with the people and his record of service has led to the government awarding him the Padma Shree three years ago but despite this, his work, and the success of his institutions continue to invite hostile attention. As soon as the BJP came to power in 2002, clandestine enquiries were launched against all his institutions which were subjected to a harsh probe and financial audit by the department dealing with Registration of societies and charitable organizations. It is three years, but so far they never confronted him with any wrongdoing. Now suddenly without notice and with no time for him to respond, the organizations have been derecognized. Following this, their bank accounts stand frozen. That leads to a shortage of fuel and food for the orphanages. For three days, the Orphans told our delegation, the food had to be cooked on a wood fire as they ran out of cooking gas. Now the collector has assured us that he has ordered the gas agency to ensure there is constant supply of the gas. In the hospital, patients have been cared off by the staff because of the presence of the police and threats that if any one is treated, the staff would be arrested and the hospital closed down. Inmates include orphans suffering from tuberculosis’s and at least one child in a coma. The timing of these actions is the most suspicious.

3. The Thomas family itself is terrorized. Non-bailable warrants were issued against MA Thomas and Sam Thomas and their senior staff arrested on charges of a controversial book being found on their premises. Without going into the merits of the case, it is obvious that the justice delivery machinery was under great political pressure to see that the Thomas family is incapacitated and is no longer in charge of the institutions. Samuel Thomas was arrested from Noida under controversial circumstances, and it was only some adroit action by the Police superintendent that he was saved from lynched. He is now safe in police custody, but there is much to be said in which anticipatory bail has been refused him in recent days. A notice is pasted at his door declaring his father to be an absconder. Samuel Thomas’s wife, now in the US, has told us by email that all charges are politically motivated charges.

4 The lack of action against fanatical Sangh Parivar activists, directly liked with the top leaders of the State government and ruling party, who are offering Rs 11 Lakh each for the murder of Archbishop Thomas and others, speaks the most clearly of the conspiracy and its political roots and continuing patronage. I am attaching herewith a copy of a press cutting highlighting this murder order. It smaks of what Al Qaeeda does. And the law looks on silently, even weakly.

5. The controversy of the book Haqeekat:. The book has been banned, so we have not seen a copy. However, I have read excerpts in the RSS weekly Panchjanya. They are not in good taste. The law must take its course against the author and translator, but is the Mission and its founder in any way connected even if the book was found on their premises. Even otherwise, by identical yardsticks, former minister Arun Shourie, the late BJP writer Sita Ram Goel, and many a Sangh professor ought to be prosecuted for hurting the feelings of Christians, apart from senior BJP leaders who hurt the sentiments of Muslims on a daily basis. Is the charge for which Archbishop Thomas faces non bailable warrants of arrest as an absconder?

Dear Prime Minister, even our preliminary enquiry shows grave miscarriage of justice, malice aforethought by those in power and connivance between the state machinery, the activists of the Sangh Parivar and the State government.

The immediate victims are not the Emanuel mission or even the Thomas family, much as they have suffered. The victims are the 2,200 orphans, scores of patients, leprosy victims and others. The mission, the Archbishop and the community remain victims of injustice.

May I appeal to you once again to order a high level probe into the entire matter and see that justice is done. Meanwhile, the state government must be told in no uncertain terms that its actions are making India a target of derision in the comity of nations. The warrants against archbishop MA Thomas must be withdrawn, Samuel Thomas must be released, the Emmanuel mission organizations must have their registration restored and their bank accounts made operative, and the Christian community at large assured pf safety in their own homeland.

Dear Prime minister, we look to you for justice. Let the law take its due course without political pressure from the state and the ruling party of that state, and without malice amongst the leaders and officials.

Thank you

John Dayal
(For and on behalf of the All India Christian Council team which investigated the Kota incidents)

Dr John Dayal
Member, National Integration Council, Government of India
National President, Al India catholic Union
Secretary General, All India Christian Council

New Delhi, 20 March 2006

RELIGIO-POLITICAL MOVEMENTS OF INDIA

By M. Madhu Chandra

1.0. INTRODUCTION

For every citizen of India, it is worth and necessary to study the religio-political movement of the country. The religion and politic in India is adulterated and thus to achieve the religious aims and objective of the religion has adopted political power motivation to gain their desired results. Similarly the political agents has also adulterated with religion to get the vote bank of major religion.

2.0. RASHTRIYA SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH

2.1. Historical Background

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh known in short as RSS is one of the well organized voluntarily organization motivated with saffron ideologies. C. V. Mathew describes that RSS is, “… is one of the most discipline volunteer forces in India and a major political force as well.”[1] The official web site of RSS describes the meaning of its name:

The full name of the 'Sangh' is Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh… Bharat is our nation. Self-inspired people who have volunteered to serve Her cause selflessly are called ‘Swayamsevaks’. The coming together in an organized manner of such inspired men is the ‘Sangh’.[2]

RSS was founded by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar at Nagapur on September 27, 1925, the sacred day of Vijayadasami which traditionally symbolized the victory of good over evil.[3] Keshav had humble beginning as he was brought up by his brother after his lost his father and mother on a single day due to the plaque. Keshav from his very childhood had the instinctive national fervor, nationalism and community consciousness which led him to fight for nation and Hindu society. Following Keshav who is known as Doctorji among the sevaks, M. S. Golwalkar who is also known as Guruji took up the responsibility of the movement. It is under his able leadership the Sangh has grown as C. V. Mathew comments, “M. S. Golwalker, better known as Guruji, became the leader and under his able and dynamic leadership the Sangh took rapid strides towards growth.”[4]

2.2. Ideology

The ideologies of both Doctorji and Guruji were to establish a Hindu nation by organizing a well disciple and loyal cadre of Hindu young men. We can study the ideologies of Sangh which Dr. C. V. Mathew has brought out in his work on Saffron Mission. One of the five reasons for the founding RSS is found in its constitutional preamble is, “… to eradicate the fissiparous tendencies arising from diversities of sect, faith, caste and creed and from political, economic, linguistic and provincial differences amongst Hindus.”[5]

Aleyamma Zachariah in her book Modern Religion and Secular Movements in India rightly states the ideology of RSS, “… the RSS stands for is a return to the ancient Brahmanical social structure which is hierarchical and casteist.”[6]

The article 3 of the RSS constitution states the aims and objects of the Sangh, “… are to weld together the diverse groups within the Hindu Samaj and to revitalize and rejuvenate the same on the basis of its Dharma and Sanskriti, that it may achieve all sided development of the Bharatvarsha.”[7]

Originally Sangh did not consider to be integral part of Indian politics as claim to be a cultural voluntarily organization. This has been criticized heavily with the political and ideological support to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “The Sangh wants the BJP to be fully Hinduised and to stand for a Hindu rashtra.”[8] The Sangh and BJP leadership now share a common platform and they unitedly work for a Hindu rashtra. The main aims and objectives of Sangh are as follow:

2.2.1. Enlightening Hindus for Aryanization

Sangh leaders claim of themselves and Hindu community that Hindus are the best people on earth. The origin of Hindus can not be known therefore it is eternal and beginning of human race. The necessity of naming as Hindu came as the human being of foreign lands attracted by different faith. C. V. Mathew quotes from Golwalkar, “When different faiths arose in foreign lands in course of time and those alien faiths came into contact with us, then the necessity for naming was felt.”[9]

Since humanity has come out of Hindus, it has been a vision and dream of Sangh to establish a Hindu rashtra in India then the Hinduizing of whole can only be possible.

2.2.2. Offending and Defending of Hindu Religion

“Offending is the best way of defending”[10] is the high concept of Sangh activities. Sangh’s aim and objective is to equally defend the Hinduism as well as offending. Sangh wanted to defend Hinduism from invasion of Christianity and Islam. The unity and welfare of the world is only possible by the means of Hindu Vedanta, a distinct contribute of Hinduism to the world. Therefore C. V. Mathew quotes the missionary ideology of Sangh from the world of Golwakar, “The mission of Hindu consolidation that the RSS has taken up is inspired by this vision of unlocking the door of supreme happiness for entire mankind.”[11]

2.2.3. Establishing Hindu Samaj, Culture, and Rashtra

According to Golwakar, the average men of India were at one time incomparably superior to the average man of the other land. But when they do not care to live according to their pattern laid by Hinduism, they degraded. Reviving to reach the former state of Hindu society from which the Hindu samaj has degraded is the ideology of Sangh. “… required now is loyalty and devotion to the Hindu community so that once again all Hindus may become incomparably superior to others.”[12]

Sangh believes in their ideology of establishing Hindu samaj can only be possible through establishing Hindu culture and rashtra in India then to the world. “It redounds to the foresight of Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (1889 - 1940) that he anticipated the need for strengthening the foundations of the Hindu society and for preparing it for challenges on social, economic, cultural, religious, philosophical and political planes.”[13]

2.3. Activities

2.3.1. Reform the Past of Hinduism

One of the main activities of Sangh is reform the past of Hindu society. This is carried through the work of publication, speeches and lectures delivered by the leaders, daily shakha meetings, camps, and seminars. C. V. Mathew states, “The Sangh wants Hindus to believe that Hinduism is the most ancient and advanced form of spirituality; that it stands as the highest form of all religions and ideologies.”[14]

2.3.2. Promoting Hindu Nationalism

Sangh has successfully welded India with Hinduism by spiritualizing the patriotism. They have succeeded to make motherland as mother goddess, a worthy to worship. Indian nation is Hindu and Hindu is India, therefore C. V. Mathew writes, “Only Hindus are true nationals and the nationals are necessarily Hindus. Only Hindu culture is the symbol of the nationhood of Bharat.”[15] Therefore the Sangh leader work toward establishing a Hindu rashtra, “… the Sangh stands for a powerful Hindu rashtra… we have to organize and make our Hindu Society so powerful that no power on earth will dare cast an evil eye upon it.”[16]

2.3.3. Reconvert

Sangh actively involve in bring back former Hindus who have been converted to Christianity and Islam by the means of force and deception. Bring the back was taken a means of securing the thread from dividing Hindu Society. C. V. Mathew quotes, “It is our duty to call these forlorn brothers… suffering under religious slavery for centuries, back to their ancestral home.”[17]

2.4. Current Status

Today the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is the largest volunteer force in the country. During the Dr. Hedgewar Centenary celebration in Thane, Bhaskar Gadre a London based activist of the Sangh reported that the Sangh, under various name, such as Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharitya Swayamsevak Sangh, has developed contacts in 52 countries of the world and is active in at least a dozen countries with nearly 300 centers.[18]

Official website of RSS tells how the Sangh has grown:

Saints and sadhus are playing an evermore significant role in bringing about a sense of brotherhood and mutual respect among all Hindus. At the global conference organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad at the Kumbha mela, heads of various religious sects - Vedic Acharyas like Shankaracharyas, Ramanujacharyas and Madhwacharyas along with the Acharyas of Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists - have all underlined the need for unity among all Hindus.[19]

C. V. Mathew summarizes the present status of RSS, “Today the Sangh is the strongest religio-political factor in India. It is reported that over 25,000 shakhas or branches… spread to 18,880 cities and villages account for about 18,00,000 swayamsevaks.[20]

The defeat of Bharatiya Janata Party in Indian Election 2004 is the symptom of Sangh’s decline, as an internet mailing descries, “What a great victory for the anti-nationals, the terrorists and Pakistan. The latest elections in Bharat (India) are indeed a low blow to the Hindus from which we may never recover.”[21]

2.5. Christian Response

The Christians have been fighting the ill motivated ideology of Sangh for many decades but the fight have become so serious for last four to fives years under the banner of All Indian Christian Council (AICC), under the able leadership of Dr. Joseph D’souza, President of AICC and Dr. John Dayal, General Secretary of AICC.

The Council has brought the evil scheme of Sangh to Aryanize the India by the means of racism, caste and oppression of minority to the light of the world. The world has come to know that the Caste is worst than racism.

The Council has been fighting the Sangh and its Parivar through the medium of writing. The recent writing from Assist News- an internet Christian News agency has covered up what the AICC has been fighting the Sangh through media. It says:

Dr Joseph D'Souza, President of the All India Christian Council, described how having the Hindu nationalist BJP in control was a "grim situation".

He explained how they had taken control of the education system in India, rewriting textbooks and history books and getting control of universities, CSW said.
CSW reported that D'Souza added that the BJP was a large funder of the schools run by the Hindu militant group the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to promote the Hindu religion.[22]

3.0. VISHVA HINDU PARISHAD

Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) was born on 29th August 21964 at Bombay on the eve of Shri Krishna Janmashtami day. Official website of VHP gives the detail:

MORE THAN sixty delegates representing the different sects, faiths and denominations of Hindu Society, had gathered together and were awaiting the birth of the "VISHVA HINDU PARISHAD". What more opportune time than the occasion of the Bhagwan Shri Krishna's Divine Descent Janmashtami Vikram Samyat 2001 (29th August 1964) into this sacred land of Bharat, and what better place than the holy Ashram named after the Guru of Shri Krishna - Rishi Sandeepani, could anyone hope for, to dedicate himself to the noble task of bringing together the various members of the vast Hindu family, for the purpose of reinforcing the common bonds of unity and the spirit of brotherhood and understanding![23]

3.1. Historical Background

There raised the need of uniting and establishing a network among the Hindu brotherhood for the purpose of reinforcing the common bonds of unity and the spirit of brotherly hood, Hindu thinkers needed a dynamic leader who could take the awareness of Hindus cause through the breath and length of the country. Shri S. S. Apte volunteered to travel throughout the country to bring the Hindu cause to the Hindu thinkers and sympathizers and under his leadership the VHP was born to unite and mobilize all the Hindus to promote the Hindu religion, culture and to strengthen the Hindus live outside the country.[24]

3.2. Ideology

Like RSS, VHP’s ideology is to rouse Hindu consciousness and occasionally unite Hindus of the entire various sects. The goal Parishad is same of Sangh. The uniqueness of Parishad is that whiles all other Sangh parivar establishment emphasis within Indian Territory, the Parishad emphasis world wide by promoting and brings awareness of Hinduism to the Hindu community around globe. C. V. Mathew has correctly said, “A central organization to unite and inspire Hindus all over the world is the most urgent need of the hour.”[25]

3.3. Activities

The main activities of VHP are seen below in conversion, propagating the Hindu faith, religion, culture and Aryanization. Apart from these, VHP also has the activities of social work such as Medical, education, help to poor etc.

3.3.1. Conversion

Like Sangh, the Parishad has emphasized reconversion. C. V. Mathew gives details of reconversion program taken under the Parishad,
A special report in Sunday magazine in 1982 says that 59,000 Christians and over 4,000 Muslims in India have had Gangajal poured over them… In 1989 the Parishad claims that it “it has successfully stemmed mass conversion of Hindus and has brought about 25,00 converts of other faiths back into Hindu society during last 25 years.[26]

3.3.2. Convention

Another important achievement of the Parishad is in the area of holding large scale conventions in all over the world. These conventions have brought immense effect on Hinduism as C. V. Mathew writes, “These conventions have had a tremendous effect upon the Hindu psyche. They have served to boost Hindu moral.”[27]

3.3.3. World Wide Activities

Parishad activists tries to impress Hindus that the Hinduism has taken root in foreign soils and world has empress the Hinduism. Thus appeal to Hindus in India to alert for the dangers that can be cause by the Christianity and Islamic missionary work.[28]

3.4. Current Status

C. V. Mathew in his volume tells the current status of VHP. “Over the last three decades the Vishva Hindu Parishad has grown into the apex Hindu organization within Indian and abroad. I am active in about eighty countries in the world. Its branches are spread all over India.”[29]

VHP as an international organization for purpose of organizing VHP work abroad, all the foreign countries, except Nepal, Sri Lanka and neighboring countries, are divided in four Zones namely as follows: America Zone for America & surrounding countries, Europe Zone for U.K. & Europe, Africa and Madhya Asia Zone for Africa & West Asian Countries, and South East Asia Zone for Countries of S-E Asia Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands.[30]

The Hindu world is not confined merely to this one country, which indeed is a pre- dominantly Hindu land. Beyond the borders of this our great Republic there are over 20 million Hindus scattered over about forty countries and kingdoms including Nepal and Pakistan.[31]

VHP’s official website tells that Hindu community in foreign lands is facing challenges of their faith and religion:

These millions of our brethren who have migrated and settled in near and far countries, are losing their place, position and political rights on the one hand, in which matter none else except our Government can help them. They are losing also their links and moorings with the religious, cultural and spiritual heritage for which they have extreme love and loyalty and which they heartily want to reinforce. It is the duty of social organisations to supply their needs and satisfy their thirst with the spirit and content of our noble values of life.[32]

3.5. Christian Response

The Christian community in India has been responding to the Vishva Hindu Parishad in polically, legally and in the form of human right. All Indian Christian Council in particular has been confronting. Samson Christian condemns the chairman of National Commission of minority. “Recalling Mr. Singh's recent statement defending the VHP's "trishul diksha" programme, the Council joint secretary, Samson Christian, alleged that instead of protecting the cause of the minorities, the chairman was "playing a role of an agent of the BJP-led Government, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal."[33]

Meanwhile All India Christian Councils confronts the activities of VHP both nationally and internationally, other Christian bodies like National Council of Churches of India tried to dialogue with VHP and other Hindu organizations. Such meeting was held on July 11, 2000. “Describing the first meeting with the VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders as ``extremely successful'', the NCM chairperson, Mr. Justice Mohammed Shamim, told newspersons that the Commission would facilitate dialogue even at the State level between the representatives of the two communities to iron out misgivings.”[34]

4.0. BAJRANG DAL

4.1. Historical Background

The historical background of Bajrang Dal is very closely connected to Vishva Hindu Parishad and other saffron organizations. Bajrang Dal’s main root caused of its establishment also connected to the Ram-Janaki Rathyatra initiated by Vishva Hindu Parishad, as office website of Bajrang Dal read like this, “The Vishva Hindu Parishad decided to start the “Ram-Janaki Rathyatra" with the aim of awakening Society on October 1, 1984.”[35]

VHP allegedly claim that the propose Ram Janaki Rathyatra was not opposed by any other groups except some anti-Hindu group, therefore requested Uttar Pradesh government to provide the protect and government fail to protect them and thus had to appeal to Hindu community all over the country to volunteer to protect the Ram Janaki Rathyatra. Bajrang Dal’s official website supports it.

The Holy saints made a call for the Youth to protect the Rath. Hundreds of Youth gathered in Ayodhya and performed their duty very well. Thus the Bajrang Dal was formed - initially with a temporary and localized objective to awake the youth of U.P. and to further their involvement in the Ram Janma Bhoomi Movement.[36]

Under the leadership of Vishva Hindu Parishad after the successful event of Ram Janaki Rathyatra in Ayodhya on October 1, 1984, the young wing of VHP, the Bajrang Dal was official formed in 1986 and expanded to other states of India, “In 1986 the VHP decided to form the Bajrang Dal in other states as its youth wing.”[37]

4.2. Ideology

The initial ideology of Bajrang Dal was to awaken the Hindu youth of Uttar Pradesh, “… initially with a temporary and localized objective to awake the youth of U.P. and to further their involvement in the Ram Janma Bhoomi Movement.”[38] Bajrang Dal’s ideologies are, “Their motto is "Seva, Suraksha, Sanskar" (Service, Security, and Embellishment).”[39]

5.2.1. Seva

One of the main ideologies of Bajrang Dal as claimed to be serving the Hindu society and all religion. However they particularly serve the Hindu religion, “Now, more than 5 Lakh active workers of Bajrang Dal, in units in all states of Mother India, are devoted to her service and the service of Hindu Dharma.”[40]

The official website of Bajrang Dal claims to be serving the downtrodden community of the country, “The Bajrang Dal has mobilized thousands of youth across the country for social service activities for the benefit of our Scheduled Tribe and Schedule Caste brethren.”[41] They also run numbers of character building centers and free coaching centers. However their main aim of service is the well being of Hindu Dharma. “This is evident from the tremendous success of various programs, i.e., Shila Poojan, Ram Jyoti Yatra, Kar Seva of 1990 and Kar Seva of 1992.”[42]

The claim of Bajrang Dal to serve the humanity and recognizing the equality of all religion as uploaded in its official website has to be questioned.

The Bajrang Dal is not against any religion. It acknowledges respecting the faith of other people, but expects and asserts for a similar respect of the Hindu Sentiments. Being Hindu, the Bajrang Dal believes in validity of All Religions and Respect for all human beings, irrespective of caste, color, and religion.[43]

The involvement of Bajrang Dal in hate campaign against Muslims in Gujarat and other part of the country and against the Christian in Orissa and other parts of India does not go in harmony of their claim of all religion equality.

5.2.2. Suraksha

The second area of their ideologies is the security of Hindu religion. The security wing of Bajrang Dal is seen in three areas.

4.2.2.1. Protection of Hindu Religion

In the past the Hindu religion has been insulted and attacked by other forces and thus the Bajrang Dal the youth wing of Vishva Hindu Parishad was formed for the protection of their religion. “The Bajrang Dal has been proven as a security ring of Hindu Society. Whenever there is an attack on Hindu Society, Faith and Religion, the workers of Bajrang Dal come forward to its rescue.”[44]

4.2.2.2. Protection of Cow

Another area of Suraksha ideology of Bajrang Dal is to protect cow as majority of the Hindu believe that the cow is the mother god. Bajrang Dal activities feel the hurting of Hindu sentimental when the cow, the mother god of Hindu is slaughtered. They claim the numbers of cows protected from the hand of butchers, “The Bajrang Dal has saved more than 1,50,000 cows in the years 1996-97 alone.”[45]

Numbers of Indian states have law against the cow slaughter and Supreme Court has also ban the cow slaughter in the country. Bajrang Dal claims that the law of the land has not been honored and slaughtering of cow continues. Now the Bajrang Dal tries to help the states and the nation in protecting the cows and honoring the law against slaughter, “The Bajrangis are, in fact, trying to help respective State Governments in the implementation of their Cow Protection Laws, as awakened citizens of a democratic Bharat. The Bajrang Dal strongly opposes those who violate the laws of land by slaughtering the cow.”[46]

4.2.2.3. Protection of Amarnath Yatra

Third area of suraksha of Bajrang Dal is to protect the Amarnath pilgrimage. The attacks on the Amaranth pilgrimages from Islamic terrorists cause the drop down of annual pilgrimage. Bajrang Dal exists to protect the pilgrimages from the attack of terrorist. “In light of this situation, the Bajrang Dal made a call for 21,000 workers to be sent to the Yatra, but more than 50,000 workers reached Jammu for this purpose!”[47]

5.2.3. Attacking Non-Hindu Religion

Bajrang Dal has been attacking Christians and Muslims nationwide. One of many incidents, All India Christian Council’s website reports one such attack in Punjab. “It was a heartbreaking scene when we reached the convention site at 6 p.m. on 26th. The chairs were broken, the stage was destroyed and the two brothers who were present were threatened by a group of people claiming themselves to be Bajrang Dal and BJP Yuva Morcha activists.”[48]

4.3. Current Status

The Bajrang Dal is currently involved in arm training in Lucknow in 2001 to fight against the Islamic terrorists, “We are preparing these able-bodied persons to fight any eventuality. With the ISI spreading its tentacles, these people are being trained to challenge the anti-Hindu forces, said Ved Prakash Sachchan, joint convener of the state unit of the Bajrang Dal.”[49]

Narendra Modi after winning state assembly election has empowered the Sangh Parivar and Bajrang Dal. Dionne Bunsha reports, “In several parts of Gujarat's southeastern tribal belt, the Bajrang Dal has been holding `re-conversion ceremonies' at which it distributes trishuls (tridents) and pictures of Hanuman to every family.”[50]

The current status of Bajrang Dal has been still strong and organized to fight for the cause of Hindu religion under umbrella of RSS and VHP leadership. The physical training apart from rifle includes martial arts, “Besides firearms training, Bajrang Dal activists are taught martial arts, including judo and karate.”[51]

The former Madhya Pradesh Government wanted to ban Bajrang Dal for its unconstitutional activities in the state, “The Madhya Pradesh Government would consider banning the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, the Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh said here today.”[52]

The Bajrangist boys and girls are taught to fight and for self defend how to use knifes and trisuals, “They are also taught how to use a knife to defend oneself from being knifed, said the convener.”[53]

4.4. Christian Response

Christians have been responding in different level ever since the attack on Christian by Sangh Parivar particularly from the well organized Bajrangists. Catholic Bishop Conference of India has responded in talk with RSS leaders although there was no outcome result of the talk. “The agreement was reached at a meeting between an RSS delegation led by its chief K.S. Sudarshan and a team of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) headed by Archbishop Oswald Gracias at the CBCI headquarters…”[54]

All India Christian Council has also fighting against the forces of Sangh parivar and Bajrang Dal through raising voice to world, “The All India Christian Council states that they are particularly concerned about the activities of VHP leaders who are inciting violence against the Dalits and Christians by arming Hindu extremists with a weapon called the trishul. We have been agitating against the issue of this, although it has been stated by the VHP that it is a symbol of their religion.”[55]

Samson Christian, Gujarat state secretary of All India Christian Council raise voice against the Gujarat police bribing pastor when complain was lodged for attack on him. “Samson Christian said that a leader of the local RSS party demanded a bribe of 50,000 rupees (US $1,086), but this was declined by Thackaray. This resulted in the police registering the complaint and arresting the minister.”[56]

Christian Church in India not only raise the voice in international level but went ahead in the protest in secular and democratic movement and politically. “The All India Christian Council, along with local Christian leaders of the village has entered a Special Civil Application no. 1772/2002. In this case, Shri Kundansingh, Honorable Judge of the Honorable High Court, so ordered to let Christians bury dead bodies of their Christian relatives, pray, repair broken graves, makes new graves, and makes use of this graveyard until another hearing could be scheduled.”[57]

When a Catholic run institution was attacked by Bajrang Dal activities, All India Christian Council has responding by lodging FIR against them according to the provision of law, “Seven Bajrang Dal and RSS activists were apprehended, and as per FIR, have been charged U/S 143, 147, 148,452,324,323, 109 IPC. They were subsequently released on bail.”[58]

The Christian churches in India has been united because of the persecution took place against the Christians in India and thus All Indian Christian Council has called the churches to united and fight. “The AICC calls all Christians to unite and stand up for their legal rights in this state in a cooperative action against the hardliners.”[59]

5.0. AYODHYA MOVEMENT

While writing these findings on Ayodhya movement, like C. V. Mathew, it is not my intention not to support any side of the disputed Ayodhya issue, “Our intention her is not to take any side in the dispute between the Hindu and Muslim communities over the Babri Masjid…”[60]

5.1. Historical Background

The background of Ayodhya Movement will need to go back to 12th century AD, as there has the controversial Ram’s temple existed in the site where Babri mosque was build. R. K. Hariprasad and Sonu Nadira brings out the history of Ayodhya movement after Archeological Survey of India’s report on the controversial issue of Ram Janam Bhumi and claim that there is no controversial, “There is incontrovertible archaeological evidence which proves that there did exist at the very spot of the Ram Janma Bhoomi a magnificent temple from at least the 12th Century A.D. onwards which was destroyed to build a mosque like structure over it in the 16th Century A.D.”[61]

Hariprasad and his colleague give five different evidences that Ram temple existed before demolishing the Ram temple and built the mosque by Muslim rulers from finding of archeological survey finding by Dr. S. P. Gupta former Director of Allahabad museum.

The Babri structure had 14 pillars made of 'Kasauti' black stone with Hindu images. Also inside the Babri compound was a piece of a door jamb with images of 'Mukut-dhari Dwarpal' and 'Devakanyas'. Iconographical evaluation of these pillars and the door jamb by Dr. S. P. Gupta (former Director of Allahabad Museum) showed that these belonged to a Hindu temple of the 11th Century A.D. period when the Garhwal Kings of Kanauj ruled Ayodhya.[62]

Duet goes on to say after the archeological survey report finding after the demolition of Babri mosque, the materials found for constructing the mosque was with the materials of preexisted temple materials.

The destruction of Babri structure on Dec. 6, 1992 revealed many archaeological remains which irrefutably prove that Mir Baqi had incorporated parts of the preexisting temple in the construction of the Babri mosque. The remains include a temple bell, several intricate and detailed carvings, an image of Vishnu, and several other Hindu images.[63]

Hariprasand and Nadira claims that from the time of Babar’s empire through present time, the Hindus have sacrifices to gain the hold of Ram Janam Bhumi. “As per historians, since 1528 there have been at least 76 armed conflicts in which over 300,000 Hindus sacrificed their lives to restore the Ram Janma Bhoomi temple.”[64] After much struggle for the cause of Ram Janam Bhumi against Muslim empire and British from 1528 – 1934 AD, Hindus were allow to setup the image of Ram in Babri mosque compound during the latter part of Akbar’s reign. “… in order to avoid further conflict, during the latter part of his reign Akbar allowed Hindus to build a platform known as 'Ram Chabutra', and to install and worship images of Ram Parivar in the so called Babri compound.”[65]

Joseph Tieffenthaler, an Austrian Jesuit priest’s account of Indian history collected between 1766 and 1771 A.D. was translated and published in French is quoted by Hariprasad and Nadira, “Tieffenthaler states 'The Emperor Aurungzeb destroyed the fortress called Ramkot and built at the same place a Mohammedan temple with 3 domes.”[66] The demolition of the Ramkot was to prevent the heathen way of worship ceremonies in the Babri compound. Hindus continue to worship in those three domes which suggested to be built by Aurungazeb or Babar.

During the first war of independent of 1957, both Muslim and Hindu kingdom lost the jointly fought battle in the hand of British. Both Amir Ali, Muslim leader and Baba Ram Charan Das, Hindu leader were handed from a tree.[67] Under the leadership of British Empire put the wall between the disputed Ram Janam Bhumi and Babri Mosque. “The colonial government intervened and constructed a wall separating the two places of worship in a bid to avert communal riots.”[68]

The wall, domes and parts of the mosque was partially broken down during the nationwide Hindu-Muslim communal and fight in 1930s, which was latter repaired by government’s expense.[69] In 1949 Hindus succeeded placing an idol in the mosque and government trying to intervene the issue proclaiming as disputed area while Hindus could perform their pujas and Muslims abstain from offering prayer in mosques.

Hindus prior to December 6, 1992 have offered Muslims to hand over the disputed land to Hindus as it was the holiest place being the birth play of lord Ram. The Babri mosque was not very important to Muslim as there were such 26 mosques in around Ayodhya and half of them were not used. “Muslims should hand over the Babri structure as a goodwill gesture to Hindus. The unused Babri mosque has no religious significance to Muslims what so ever,…”[70]

5.2. Ram Janmabhoomi Liberation Movement

Ever since the existence of Vishva Hindu Parishad involved in fighting the disputed land and during 1980s Vishva Hindu Parishad involved in the nationwide campaign and does founded Ram Janmabhoomi Liberation Movement.

Since the early 1980s the dispute received nationwide and consistent attention as the VHP began a well organized campaign, under the auspices of the newly founded Ram Janmabhoomi Liberation Movement, to liberate the birth place of Ram and to ‘rebuild’ the ancient Ram temple at the very site of the mosque.[71]

The movement in the following years succeeded in mobilizing the large section of Hindu community to demolish the Babri mosque and build the Ram temple at the disputed area. In 1989 under the leadership of VHP and Hindu organizations mobilize to consecrate the Ram brinks known as shilanyas and lay the foundation of the Ram temple at 58 miters away from the mosque. This movement led the 600 lives kill in nationwide, “This shilanyas generated a lot of communal hated and enmity and evoked nationwide communal violence, resulting in the death of at least 600 people as per official computation.”[72]

Anther fuel added to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement when L. K. Advani supported by Bharitiya Janta Party launched nationwide rath yatra. Ram Chariot from Somnath temple in Gujarat to Ayodha in September, 1990.

Advani started this procession from the historical and highly emotive temple at Somnath in Gujarat… Covering 10,000 km through the length and breadth of the land and mobilizing the Hindu community and recruiting thousands of kar sevaks (holy volunteers), he was heading to Ayodhya to begin the process of constructing the Ram temple at the very site of the mosque, which naturally implied its demolition.[73]

5.3. Demolition of the Babri Masjid

C. V. Mathew goes on to mention that through the involvement of BJP govt. in Uttar Pradesh constructed the platform for Ram Temple at Ayodhya.[74] The work that already began to build the Ram temple was halt as Court issued against any construction at the disputed side.

Then finally when the Muslims did not yield to the plead of Hindus, under the leadership of VHP and Sangh Parivar the Babri mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992.

… by the end of November, 1992, thousands of kar sevaks were mobilized at Ayodhya and on December 6, 1992, a mob of 300,000 volunteers was at the very site of the mosque, under the banner of all the Hindu right-wing parties and under the control of all the prominent leaders of these various religio-political movements, and with the active support of the state Hindu government and at the much subject ‘inactivity’ of the national government, the kar sevaks specially trained for the task, stormed the mosque, pulled down the structure, removed the rubble, erected a makeshift shrine, installed an idol of Ram, and began worship all in a matter of a couple of hours.[75]

Following the Babri mosque demolition, there follows the response from Muslim in series of bomb blast in 1993 in Bombay which led the damage of properties worth of cores of rupees and lives were lost.

5.4. Ideology

The ideology behind the Ayodhya movement is not far from ideology of any other Sangh Pariva. The followings are some assumptions of the ideology of Ayodhya movement.

5.4.1. To regenerate Neo Hinduism

Very much like all the gurus of Saffron Missions, the trio religio-political power - the VHP, BJP and RSS, used the aged old disputed issue of Ayodhya by founding Ram Janmabhoomi Liberation Movement to break down the Babri mosque and construct Ram temple at the disputed area to revive Hinduism, “What happened at Ayodhya was a well-orchestrated laboratory experimentation of the missionary ideology that Neo-Hinduism has conceived and promoted for over a century.”[76]

Ram being the hero of Hinduism can not allow any other religion icon in his birth place. This is all about Hinduism who can not tolerate other religions. By these kind of action as such as demolition of Babri mosques, proves that the Hinduism is the only religion of India and no other, “No other religion place of worship can stand on this holy site. This is because Hinduism alone is the original religious and spiritual tradition of India.”[77]

5.4.2. To strengthen Saffronized Politics

BJP was political benefited through Ram Janmabhoomi Liberation Movement, which gave them to rule the country for the term of six years. C. V. Mathew comments.

…the demonstration of Hindu power at Ayodhya is, for L. K. Advani, “a triumph of Lokshakti (the power of the people) over Rajshakti (the power of the state)” and he considered it noble for militant Hindu to challenge the government and establish their rights.[78]

5.4.3. To expand Aryan Culture

The national culture of India is identified with Hindutva and is treated as indigenous and national. Other cultures are alienated and cannot become true Indian.

Mobilization of building Ram temple at very site of mosque indicates none other than imposing Hindu culture on other non-Hindu religions. “A Ram temple at the very site of the masjid at Ayodhya is mandatory to communicate that the national heroes are necessarily Hindus.”[79]

5.5. Current Status

The laboratory of generating vote bank of saffronized religo-political party of BJP and Sangh Parivar has tested differently from the time to time. They do not fix at one particular laboratory for all time. One such that work for them to collect vote bank to established saffron politic was through Ayodhya laboratory and it did work for one and at most in consecutive terms of general election. Religio-politic of BJP has mind power to investigate the different form of laboratory before general and state election comes.

The echoes of Ayodhya has gone down over the last three to four years and it has not given to majority of Hindu society that the whole issue of Ayodhya movement was not motivated for religion but political power.

5.6. Christian Response

It will be same for Christian community in Indian and around the globe for failing to raise voice against global community for what the Sangh Parivar has done to our democratic and secular country. Very little voice has been raise against BJP, VHP and RSS when they were campaigning.

It would have been definitely different if Ayodhya would be been in two or three years earlier. Christian community would have raised the voice and it would have limited their effort.

6.0. BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY

The dream of Swami Dayananda which followed, adopted and fought by Sangh Parivar followers was none other than to establish a Hindu political power in Indian soil if the Hindu ideology of establishing Aryanization and Aryavatization of India and world. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the long dreamt vision of Hindus, the Hindu political wing of Hindus.

6.1. Historical Background

The Congress party after Indian independent enjoyed the political power the following 20 years. Aleyamma gives account on how BJP was formed in her book, “Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, as member of the first Nehru Cabinet resigned from the ministry protesting against Nehru’s way of handling the communal riots in East and West Bengal.” While RSS was ban during those days and RSS as needed a political party and thus founded, “Mookerjee and Golwalker came together to form a party called Bharatiya Jana Sangh.”[80]

During these years Hindu political party like Jan Sangh along with Communist Party fought against Congress. After the Emergency under the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi, Janata Party with support of other political party could form the government with Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee as External minister and Shri. L. K. Advani as Information and Board casting minister in 1977 which lasted only 13 months.[81]

In 1980 due to the slip of Jana Sangh and Bharatiya Jana Sang, the BJP was born under the president ship of Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Late Shri K.R. Malkani, Former Vice President of BJP states:

While the splintered Janata Party was routed in January 1980, their suicidal "dual membership" campaign continued. The BJS component found this situation impossible, went out and reorganised itself as BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY. A bright new day had dawned in the chequered history of India.[82]

BJP took its course of change on Hindu agenda as Malkani writes:

Shri Advani's Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya effected a sea change in the political scene. While Mandal had divided the people, Ayodhya united the people. What violence there was in 1990 came only because the government arrested Shri Advani and the UP Chief Minister fired on Kar-Sevaks. Had they allowed Advani to reach Ayodhya and do symbolic Kar-Seva there would have been no Bandh, no violence, anywhere.[83]

The election 1995 result of Andhra, Karnataka, Bihar, Orissa, Goa, Gujarat, and Maharastra raise the hope of BJP which led the BJP to the victory from following Lok Sabha election and could lead the country for a full five year term till 2004.

6.2. Ideology

The ideology of BJP has spring up from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya who was the leader of Baratiya Jana Sangh. “A profound philosopher, organiser par excellence and a leader who maintained the highest standards of personal integrity, he has been the source of ideological guidance and moral inspiration for the BJP since its inception.”[84] Under his leadership Baratiya Jana Sangh was formed in Lucknow on September 21, 1951.

Panditji joint the RSS in 1937 as one of the Swayamsevaks then rose the position of RSS joint Provincial Pracharak. Later in 1952 he joint Jana Sangh and was appointed as General Secretary. From his writing and association with RSS, one can conclude that ideology of BJP which is base on Panditji’s, is not far from those of RSS. Panditji’s writing are, “Pandit Upadhyaya edited PANCHJANYA (Weekly) and SWADESH (Daily) from Lucknow. He has also written a drama CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA in Hindi, and later wrote a Hindi biography of SHANKARACHARYA. He translated Marathi biography of Dr. Hedgewar, the founder of RSS.”[85]

Some of the BJP’s ideologies are studied here after.

6.2.1. Hindutva

The terminology of Hindutva or Hindu is not just referring only to any particular religion. Arun Shourie clarifies its term while responding to court’s verdict, “The Court held that the words Hindu, Hindutvaetc. Refer to a culture, to a territorial region -- the one around and beyond the Sindhu, the Indus that is. It declared that the words are not to be taken to refer to religion in the conventional sense. The words are cultural, geographical, historical…”[86]

Aleyamma concludes the ideology of BJP is Hindutva motivated, “The RSS, under ban, needed a political party of its own to legitimize its activities and profound its ideology.”[87]

The BJP sprung up from its parental saffron body whose chief ideology has been the Hindutva, so is the BJP’s one of the main ideology is Hindutva. Official website of BJP records that the Hindutva has awaken Indian soil, “Hindutva awakened the Hindus to the new world order where nations represented the aspirations of people united in history, culture, philosophy, and heroes. Hindutva successfully took the Indian idol of Israel and made Hindus realize that their India could be just as great and could do the same for them also.”[88]

Very much like BJP’s counter member of Sangh, BJP also fight for the revival of Vedic age and the icon personnel of Vedic age to be regarded as holy and revered figures. Under the heading of BJP’s philosophy the following statement is addressed.

Freedom for Hindus and Indians would have to mean that their heros such as Ram, Krishna, Sivaji, the Cholas, Sankaracharya, and Tulsidas would be respected, that their own stories such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata would be offered to humanity as examples of the brilliance of Hindu and Indian thinking, and that their own culture which included the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, the temples, the gods and goddesses, the art, the music, and the contributions in various fields, would be respected. Freedom meant that as the shackles of imperial dominance were lifted, the newly freed people would not simply absorb foreign ideas, they would share their own as well.[89]

6.2.2. Economic System

The development of the economic system is the remedy of Indian economical problem face by the multitudes in the country. Six economic objectives of BJP as stated by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya:

1. An assurance of minimum standard of living to every individual and preparedness for the defense of the nation. 2. Further increase above this minimum standard of living whereby the individual and the nation acquires the means to contribute to the world progress on the basis of its own 'Chiti'. 3. To provide meanings employment to every able bodies citizens by which the above two objectives can be realized and to avoid waste and extravagance in utilizing natural resources. 4. To develop suitable machines for Bharatiya conditions (Bharatiya Technology) taking note of the availability and nature of the various factors of production (Seven 'M's). 5. This system must help and not disregard the human being, the individual. It must protect the cultural and other values of life. This is requirement which cannot be violated except at a risk of great peril. 6. The ownership, state, private or any other form of various industries must be decided on a pragmatic and practical basis.[90]

6.3. Current Status

The work of Sangh Parivar for last seven decades and more have established their foundation so strong nationally and internationally which has helped the rise of BJP to come up its political power for one full term and more in the centre.

The position of BJP just before Indian 2004 general election was such strongly convince of their power. Party President M. Vaenkaiah Naidu in one of his election campaign press release mention, “He hinted at the possibility of a snap Assembly poll in Uttar Pradesh. “You give the BJP two-third of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the coming elections; I promise you that soon you will have a people-friendly BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.”[91] Not only in UP assembly but BJP to get the political power, established supporters internationally and they have we so overwhelmed with the expectation of 2004 election resulted. Dinesh Agarwal BJP Oversea Immediate past president reports:

The announcement of parliamentary elections for electing the 14th parliament has created tremendous interest and anticipation not only in India but also abroad. The BJP supporters all over the world are very happy that the initial indications are pointing towards a great victory of NDA government under the leadership of Shri Vajpayee.[92]

But the verdict of people through 2004 general election has given what BJP has deserved. It was surprise for everyone how BJP lost in the election. Not only BJP that was surprise but Sangh Parivar too. They raised their voice against a Sikh Prime Minister, headed by a Muslim President in a Hindu land. It has been a shame that the Sangh Parivar has consider after the 2004 Indian general election. An internet news agent has stated the condition of BJP after 2004 election, “India’s new Congress-led government has begun the process of digging up the Hindutva foundations laid by its predecessors, the right-wing Hindu nationalist BJP.”[93]

6.4. Christian Response

The Christian community has responded ever consistently for last four to five years. Christian community in India has raised their voice against BJP nationally and internationally through human right and legal wings.

All India Christian Council has been raising voice against Sangh Parivar and its political wing BJP about the persecution of Christians in Gujarat. Samson Christian responds:

We are not criminals. We are involved in social work. Why are they sending the police to harass us? The government already has information on the Christian population from the Census," Samson said. The Christian Council has filed a case against the government in the Gujarat High Court, asking for a halt to the survey. [94]

John Dayal has also responded when Modi’s government took survey of Christians and Muslims in Gujarat. “Why are they doing surveys only for Christian and Muslim organizations? Why not other religious organizations? They also get foreign funds," says John Dayal of the All India Catholic Union.”[95]

Similarly, Christian Community in India responded the attack on Christians in other parts of India from Sangh Parivar and its political wing BJP. John Dayal responds:

The All-India Christian Council today took a swipe at the Vajpayee government for its “criminal cynicism to the continuing genocide” in Gujarat and warned against an upsurge in similar violence in tribal areas of Jharkhand and Orissa because of the Sangh Parivar’s “vigorous hate campaign.” The Secretary-General of the council, Dr John Dayal, said the Vajpayee government had not only scorned international public opinion by protecting Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his “murderous” state administration dominated by the “RSS pracharaks” (functionaries), but had also tried to derive maximum political mileage out of the Hindutva agenda.[96]

7.0. MUSLIM LEAGUE

10.1. Historical Background

Depravation of the Mongol Empire by British has led the Muslims rejection of western culture and education, while Hindu did enjoy them. British took the advantages of Muslim ill feeling attitude British and openness of Hindu society toward British to use the powerful too of divide and rule policy.

The attitudes of Muslims became change when Sir Syed Ahmad Khan rose to introduce the western education through his Muslim college at Aligarh, “Seeing that Muslims were far behind the Hindus in Western education and in securing higher offices in the government, he founded the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College of Aligarh.”[97] This institution promoted the western culture and education among Muslims and it also help to change the Muslims attitude toward British rule.

Muslim League was born to organize get the special favor from British Empire, “It met first at Dacca, at the end of 1906, and annually thereafter with the blessing of the British.”[98]

10.2. Ideology

Muslim League in its initial stage emphasis on the development of Islamic religion, latter went on in creating new India. “The Muslim League, at first emphasized the bond of religion instead of the “New nationalism.” As their number increased, they slowly imbibed the nationalistic spirit.”[99]

8.0. SIVA SENA

8.1. Historical Background

Siva Sena like any other saffron organizations has its historical background, aims and objectives, and methodologies. By its ideology did not have to become political party at the beginning.

Siva Sena almost thirty years ago came to its existence, “It was on 19th June 1966 that SHIVSENA, an organisation striving for giving justice to the youth, was born. In a passage of little more than three decades, it has built itself into a formidable force of millions of young men and women, the Shivsainiks, who gathered under the saffron flag.”[100]

In its formation although Siva Sena work for election, but did not join the political party and its main aim and objective was to work for the uplifting of downtrodden people of India with Hindu ideology like any other saffron organizations. “Shivsena wanted to work for the downtrodden who had no savior and who have been looking for somebody who shall raise their voice.”[101]

In latter year Siva Sena become a political party majored in the state of Maharastra and expanded all over the nation. “Passage of years made it clear that it is necessary for Shivsena to emerge as a Political Party to serve the people. Now Shivsena has already been recognized as a Political Party. Shivsena's 'HINDUTVA' is not related to RELIGION. It is related to NATIONALITY.”[102]

8.2. Ideology

The ideology of Siva Sena can be analysis as no different of its saffron parental body. The following are the ideologies of Siva Sena I have put in my own interpretation by studying their official website documentaries.

8.2.1. Aryavarta is the end result of Siva Sena

In the brief documentation of its official website, Siva Sena did not describes it nuts and bolts of its ideology but one can very sure of their ideology is to make the world a Aryavarta – a world of Aryan race. “It is time that everyone, irrespective of his political affiliation, religion, caste or creed, should come under Shivsena's saffron flag in Hindustan for building a strong Hindustan. If this happens, it will be a new and successful experience which shall draw the attention of the world.”[103]

Building strong Hinduism making it success in Hindustan will be sign of winning world to saffronization, Aryanization, and Aryavartization for Siva Sena inclusive all humanity from every walks of life from every nation.

8.2.2. Siva Sena is the Religo-Political Force of Sangh Parivar

For Siva Sena, to belong to any religion, caste or creed does not matter, but everyone under the fold of Siva Sena one can become national force of imposing what they think is the best and true. “It is Shivsena's belief that whatever may be our religion, whatever may be our form of worship, our culture is Hindu. We are a national force. Hence we say with pride that we are Hindus.”[104]

Siva Sena aims at eliminating any one who does not fold in the Hindu culture and so become the national force to wipe out any non-saffron cultures.

8.2.3. To fight Against the Secular Parties

For Siva Sena to become a patriot one has to become the worshiper of Motherland. Hindus to promote Hinduism has not left any stone unturned. Nationalism and Hindu religion has been mixed to promote Hinduism. For one to become nationalism, one has to become Hindu first then only he or she can become true patriot.

To achieve their mottos, Siva Sena has not left any secular parties of India. One they consider the most threatening party for them prevents from propagates Hindutva ideology is the Congress party. To defeat them, they have align with other saffron political parties such as BJP and they consider the year 1995 when Congress fail at their hand in state assembly of Maharastra.

History of Hindustan shall record the year 1995 in golden letters. It is this year when we saw the humiliating defeat of the corrupt Congress which had firmly held the soil of Maharashtra for over four decades. Shivsena - B.J.P. alliance demonstrated that Congress can be defeated even in Maharashtra, which was considered to be its strongest bastion.[105]
8.3. Activities

The activities of Siva Sena is political motivated. They have involved in numbers of attacking Muslims particularly during Bombay riots in 1993 and there after.

They also involve in attacking Christian missionaries and mission activities in all over India. Their claim of equality of religion, caste, and creed can not be accepted. They have also involve in attacking film industries under the political motivated issue such as when film “Fire” was released and the film Water was shooting in Varnasi.

Prior to 2004 Indian General election, Siva Sena, leaders appeal for ban to screen films of those contesting election, “The Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) today requested the Election Commission to ban screening of films and teleserials of all film stars who either were contesting Lok Sabha poll or campaigning for any political party or candidate.”[106]

8.4. Current Status

Their golden year 1995 does not last full term regime under the leadership of Hon'ble Shivsenapramukh Shri. BALASAHEB THACKERA, when Nationalist Congress Party and align Congress over threw.

8.5. Christian Response

Christian community in recent time has responded to Siva Sena inclusively all the saffron missions for their non-secularism and non-democratic ideology and activities.

All India Christian Council and other churches are responding to Siva Sena particularly when Christians are attacked Siva Sena activists. In recent attack on a pastor on March 8, 2004 at Hyderabad, Christian council has lodged case against those culprits.

“The pastor and the church members lodged a complaint with the Police on 9th March 2004. A case was registered vide F.I.R 20/04 u/s.143, 295A, 448, 323, 504,506 of IPC. No arrests have yet been made. Further, aicc officials have learned that the Police Department is under immense pressure from the local RSS and Siva Sena leaders to scrap the charge and cover up the case.”[107]

9.0. SARVODAYA

9.1. Historical Background

Aleyamma Zachariah’s book on Modern Religious and Secular Movements in India, in which she has a short chapter on Savodaya movement but fail to pin point to the true founder of Savodaya. Acharya Vinobha Bhave can be credited for the foundation of Sarvodaya but the foundational ideology would of Gandhi’s. For one it is not doubt that Sarvodaya is the movement of peace, equality, and non-violence and non-exploitation movement base on the ideology of Gandhi.

Aleyamma’s writing its seems the movement was started in India but the official website of Sarvodaya also suggest its 41 years of effort in Sri Lanka. “Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement with its 41-year history is dedicated to development and peace within Sri Lanka and the world regardless of race, nationality, religion and politics.”[108]

However Acharya Vinobha Bhave on the foundation Gandhi’s ideology toured the breath and length of the country to promote the Sarvodaya movement. Vinobha Bhave was born in 1895 in Maharastra and brought under the guidance of his grand parents from his childhood where he was brought up under the teaching of Bhagavad Gita. After finishing his high school education Vinobha joined Gandhi in non-violence movement in 1916. “In June 1916, Vinobha went to Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram, but due to ill-health, soon he had to return home. After a year, he rejoined Gandhi.”[109]

Gandhi gave him the responsibility of the movement, “Vinobha was a disciplined satyagrahi which made Gandhi to put in charge of some of the satyagraha programes.”[110] The Sarvodaya movement was formed under the leadership of Vinobha and Chairmanship of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, “Following the death of Gandhi in 1948, Vinobha took over the leadership. In March, 1948, the co-workers of Gandhi met under the chairmanship of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, at Sevagram. There, at the insistence of Vinobha, Sarvodaya Samaj was organized.”[111]

What is the Sarvodaya means? “Sarva means embracing everything and udaya means awakening--- Awakening of All… Shrama means energy or labor; Dana means giving away--- Sharing of labor or energy. The message is the awakening of everyone through sharing.”[112]

9.2. Ideology

Gandhi and his followers strongly believe ahima – a non-violence movement to give the welfare of all humanity. To seek the welfare of all, Gandhi believes, “Democracy only guarantees the welfare of the majority and not the welfare of all.”[113] The following ideologies are the Sarvodaya’s given by Aleyamma and the official website of Sarvodaya.

9.2.1. To Initiate Peace

The human life and political situation has not guarantee of peach in this world. To promote world peace through Sarvodaya is the one of the ideology and they strongly believe to bring peace is through individual peace.

When an individual lacks inner peace, domestic harmony is affected. When domestic harmony is lost peace amongst neighbours too thins out. In this manner when inner peace of an individual is lost, the family, neighbourhood, country and the world too start losing peaceful atmosphere.”[114]

They believe to bring peace is through the meditation of peace in mind.

We believe that the only way to achieve peace is to cultivate individual and collective inner peace. It is not possible to achieve peace by speeches laden with sentiments, slogan-shouting rallies, using weapons, blaming one another and arousing mob feelings.[115]

9.2.2. To establish non-violence humanity

Gandhi’s dream of independent India was to be a non-exploitation society build on spiritual aspect and so is the motive of Sarvodaya. “The goal of Sarvodaya is building a society without exploitation, based on spiritual and moral values.”[116] To establish spiritual and moral value base non-exploitation society, Gandhi and his follower consider education, economic and communal harmony are the important ideological factors.

9.2.3. Education

To get one liberated from oppression, “Gandhi says that whatever gives liberation is education. Liberation is to be achieved from slavery to various things.”[117] Gandhi develops the educational policy known as “Basic Policy” to fill the wide gape between educated and illiterate community. Primary education is suggested to given upto 7 years of age and children should be taught to earn while studying to cover up once study expenses.[118]

9.2.4. Economic

Savodaya activities believe in equality of society and thus there should be equal opportunity for all. The economical condition of Indian according to the ideology of Sarvodaya can be transformed by introducing, “Occupation has to be according to one’s talents… Economic system has to be de-dentralized… Physical labour is basic to occupations.”[119]

Gandhi believes the industrialization and capitalism are the curse to society it is base on exploitation and competition. “Today’s capitalistic society has to be transformed into one that give equality for all; owners should be able to reform themselves.”[120]

9.2.5. Communal Harmony

Communal Harmony is the main aim and objectives of Sarvodaya movement. “All persons, groups and organisations accepting and respecting the principle of non-violence can participate in the Sarvodaya Peace Meditation Programme.”[121]

To maintain the communal harmony Gandhi stood against conversion, “Proselytization spoils the relationship between communities. Gandhi believes that there is no need for conversion from one religion to another.”[122]

Sarvodaya activities believe that life today has not guarantee of safety and society is addicted to creating violence all over the world and the need of hours is at hand to change the situation world all over.

Whilst it is the responsibility of the government to resort to a course of action through accepted national and international law to change this situation, as citizens it is our duty to find out the causes that led to such a dreadful situation and make every effort to bring about remedial action. Sarvodaya decided to launch the People's Peace Initiative to fulfil this obligation.[123]

A Prominent leader of Sarvodaya Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne calls to end the war, “Violence must end. In each moment of anger, each instant of hurt, each wound and passing of every living things from existence to the beyond, violence must end.”[124]

9.3. Current Status

In last forty year and more the activities of Sarvodaya has group all over India and in the soil of other countries. In Sri Lanka, Sarvodaya effort counts over four decades of service. During this period, in 12,000 villages, based on the principles of truth, non-violence and self-denial a peace and development programme encompassing spiritual, moral, cultural, social, economic, and political spheres are conducted daily with community participation.”[125]

Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne reports the current status of Sarvodaya in Sri Lanka.

By 1967 there were 100 villages involved
By 1974 there were 1,000 villages involved
By 1983 there were 6,000 villages involved with two million persons involved.
By 1994 there were 10,000 out of total of 23,000 villages involved with nearly four million persons.[126]

10. DALIT MOVEMENT

The present issue of dalits movement in India, gives me the curiosity to do some literature research on who Dalits are, their origin, the problems they are facing, what they are demanding for, and what the churches in India can do for them. If one wants to know who the Dalits are, what are they facing, socially, spiritually, physically, and politically, he or she will require worth studying who are the indigenous people India, the Races of people migrated to India, and the Hinduism.

10.1. The beginning of Dalit Movement

To understand better the Dalit movement in India, it will be worth studying indigenous people of India.

10.1.1. Indigenous People of India

India has more than five thousand years of History it goes back to Indian civilization history. Chentharassery says, “The cultural evidence unearthen by the excavation at Harappa, Mohenjodaro etc., help us to know the real ancient history of India.”[127] Generally it is assumed that in Indian we have three kinds of races existing in India. Dradidians who are consider being the indigenous people of India. Aryans are the people who have been in power in India for last 3500 years. Another race of people is the Mongolians in North Eastern and East India. Johnson Vadakumcherry lists some of the indigenous people of India, “… the earliest written traditions in Indian perceived the original inhabitants as dasas, vanaras, rakshasas, rishadas, nagas, yakshas, sabaras and kirata.”[128]

There are two opinions of scholars on the original indigenous inhabitant of India. First, Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) believes that the Aryans are foreigners; they migrated from other foreign country.

They insisted that the Harappan were a pre-Vedic (and non-Vedic) people who were defeated by the invading Aryans and forced to migrate en masse to South India, later to be known as Dravidians speaking language that are supposedly unrelated to Sanskrit.”[129]

US-based Genome Research Journal reports. “Published in a recent edition of the US-based Genome Research Journal, a path breaking research paper concluded that higher cast Hindus are closer to Europeans, particularly East Europeans, while lower caste Hindus are more similar to Asians.”[130]

Basham states the Aryans are migrants. “They migrated to bend westwards, southwards and eastwards, conquering local populations and inter-marrying with them to from a ruling caste. They brought with them their patrilinear family system, their worship of sky gods and their horses and chariots.”[131]

T.H.P. Chentharassery writes in his book that Dasa and Dasyas were Kshatriya who helped the Aryans. “The Dasa-Dasyus tribes where stronger than the priestly clan. There were Chkkathiyars (Kshatriyas) to help the priestly clan. The kshatriyas quarrelling with the priests joined the Asura Group.”[132] He further goes to say to the extend that, “They were the original inhabitants of this country i.e., the Indigenous Indians of Dravidians.”[133]

Basham tells us that the Pre-Aryan indigenous people of Indus Civilization had a rich culture and they were well to do people. “Pre-Aryan Indian made many advantages in forming and using of cotton; credit goes to the Harappa people.”[134] Basham give the description of economic condition of people, “The Inhabitants of the Indus Valley were cultured and civilized while the people of rural areas led an agricultural life.”[135]

Second, Vedic Scholars defended that the Aryans are not foreigners and invalid those Aryan Invasion Theory Scholars, stating that they were linguists, not historians. Rajaram writes in daily – The Hindu, “What is remarkable in all this is the fact that the foundations of ancient Indian history were being laid by scholars who were not historians but linguists.”[136] Chenatharassery reaffirm on the original inhabitants of Indus Valley, “There is no evidence to prove that any foreigners have established Indus Valley Civilization. Further there is no evidence of any foreign immigration to this country which the Indus civilization flourished.”[137]

T.H.P. Chentharassery try to say that Aryan were the priest of ancient Indus people and claim they were also the indigenous inhabitants of Indus Civilization.

Thivam (Theeyu-fire) was an important factor in the life of the Rishis during the age of the Indus Valley Civilization. Theeyu (fir) was the medium of the magic spell of the priest. (During that time there were no Brahmins). Those priests who handled this Thivam (Theeyu) was called Thivan (Thevan) alias Thevan. This Theyan has another form as Ayyan. The Ayyan is derived from Ayyam + An = Ayyan i.e., priest or noble man. When ‘r’ shound is added to the word Ayyan, then Aryan is obtain as it is the nature of Sanskrit to accept ‘r’ in the case of certain Dravidian Words. E.g.: Ayyan – Aryan, Dhamma – Dharma etc.[138]

N. S. Rajaram writes in daily news paper that there is no satisfactory account that the Aryans are foreigners. In the light of all this, the situation regarding the primary sources of ancient India may be summarized as follows: no satisfactory explanation has been found to account for the separate existence of Harappan archaeology and the Vedic literature, both of which flourished in the same geographical region.[139]

10.1.2. Who are the Dalits

The word Dalit comes from the Sanskrit word dal. James
Massey gives the description. “The word dal in Sanskrit means ‘outcast’, ‘untouchable’.”[140] Kancha Ilaiah a Dalit activist gives the summary on the original of the term,

The word ‘Dalit’ means ‘suppressed and exploited people’. The concept seems to have emerged from the people’s usage in Maharashtra. The term ‘Dalit’ became really popular only after the emergence of the ‘Dalit Panthers’ movement in Maharashtra in the 1970s.[141]

Dalits being the original inhabitants of India had to suffer at the hand of upper caste Hindus who have dominated the economic and political power in India and kept Dalits oppressed for centuries. The Dalits seeking to liberate from the clutches of caste oppression is the beginning of the Dalit movement.

10.1.3. Consequences of Being a Dalit

Consequences of being a Dalit is being the narrative that can be listen without itching ears. Walter narrates the conditions of the Dalits suffered at the hands of upper caste Hindus. “Unsociability’ may be regarded both as an important feature of Dalit existence and also as mechanism whereby, as an integral part of the Indian caste system, the Dalits have been kept in line through the century.”[142]

An internal magazine of OM International publication call Relay narrates the stories of how Dalits are ex-communicated from mainline community life. Dalits…are commonly refused entry to public parks, temples, barbar shops. Use of public wells is denied them, and many hotels keep separate glasses for their us. Even finding a place to bury their dead is a problem. 70% live below the poverty line. Only 2 to 3% of Dalit women can read and write.”[143] They are ex-communicated and remained poor as their agricultural land are far from reaching from irrigation. Walter writes, “… social-economic feature of Dalit existence today is their poor share in India’s agricultural landholding and still poorer share in its irrigated landholding.”[144]

These are the lamentation of Dalits in India which cause the Dalit Movement to seek liberation from caste oppression under the upper caste Hindus.

10.2. Preliminary Movement

The Dalit movements are categorized into to segments to fight a religious problem while others consider a fight for economic problem. However the root cause of the movement is considered caused by Brahmanism’s oppression of Dalits. To understand better the movement Dalits, Jebaraj Devasahayam once again classified into two, “… movements organized for the Dalits and movements organized by the Dalits.”[145] Example for these two classification the movement by Gandhi and movement by Ambedkar.

Movement organized for Dalits by non Dalits are the Bhakti movements against the caste discrimination. However the Bhakti movement which was supposed to be for the Dalits is also seen in two perspectives. One to revive the Hinduism by introducing neo-vedantic reformation of Hinduism and other is to abolish the distinctions based on caste and as well as sex. The attempts of movement for Dalits by non-Dalits remain only on the paper with doing anything other than reforming the neo-vedantic Hinduism.

The Dalit movement established by the Dalits is one example of the movement established by Ambedkar and the brief account is studied in the following sub point.

10.3. Neo-Buddhism and Ambedkar

The organized movement against the untouchability, economic oppression and caste discrimination begun only in 19th Century but the actual movement general anti caste movements can be traced even from the days of Buddhism because the birth of Buddhism was due to the various reasons of defects in religious rituals. Jebaraj Devasahayam writes, “Many scholars consider Buddhism as an anti caste movement because Buddhism was not only against ritualistic religion and sacrifices but allowed any one without any distinction of caste in its sangha.”[146]

Jebaraj Devasahayam comments on the Dalit Movement started by Dalits, “Movements started by the Dalits themselves are considered to be the legitimate expression because it is the Dalits who know what afflicts them and what kind of action is needed to set right their lives.”[147]

The movements by Dalits are the movement to establish caste honor, movement towards other religions and movement of secular and political. Three of the motives of the Dalit Movements have the contribution of Ambedkar and his ideologies have been strongly followed today by large and wide range of Dalit community across the nation. First, it is considered a movement to regain the fallen image of Dalits, Jebaraj says, “The presuppositions in these movements is that these jatis were once Brahmins and by some ritual error they were ex-communicated by other Brahmins.”[148]

Secondly, the movement is considered a movement to other religion. Moving to other religion may be many reasons but the present movement of Dalits to other religions to get ride out of caste oppression from Hinduism. Dalits have considered themselves that only complete liberation from caste oppression is only to quite Hinduism. After quitting Hinduism the vacancy of religion is sought to be filled by the desired religions, which may be any religion other than Hinduism which does not practice castism. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism in Nagpur on 14-15 October 1956 was the last attempt to liberate Dalits.

Conversion to Christianity was considered right movement but question arose when the caste practice was found out within the Christian church and community. The promise to establish casteless church for Dalits who want to embrace Christianity is the greatest challenge for Indian Christians for Dalits who have come knocking at Christian door. The response of the Christians will determine the future fate of Dalits and even the future of Indian nation.

Thirdly, the movement of Dalit is both secular and political movement. It is the movement to regain the political power back to Dalits who were originally inhabitants and rulers of the nation hence the power has to return back to Dalits to rule and decide the fate of Dalits not by the caste Hindus. Ambedkar, the messiah of Dalit community will be remembered the unfinished task, he began. To show to the whole nation and world to quit Hinduism, he burnt the Manusmriti in public in December 1924 as a protest against caste injustice. He insisted Dalits to leave the practice of eating death animals and watan system that bounds them to village rights and duties. He founded the Depressed Classes Institute in 1924 and he formed three political parties known as Independent Labor Party in 1936, the Scheduled Caste Federation in 1942 and the Republican Party in 1956. He was chosen to represent the Depressed Classes in the Round Table Conference in 1930.

The Dalit community has been the Indian vote bank, the politician have promise to do favours in the cause of Dalits but their dreams have never been met by the political parties. More organized regional Dalit parties are mushrooming up year after years, the dawning of the Dalits in future will need to wait and watch. However, the role of the church in Indian for the cause of the Dalits will make difference in the history of India as a whole and Dalits.

10.4. Current trends in the Dalit Movement

The challenge and threat of Dalits’ future has been still alive in all walks of life at the hands of saffronised political power of India. Under the non-saffron political power ever since the independent of India, the saffronised social, political, educational and religion organization have become much stronger that the fate of Dalits still remain threat even after many fights undertaken both for the Dalits and by the Dalits.

Last option for Dalits liberation, which Dalit leaders like Ambedkar and even shown the direction through quitting Hinduism and embrace to other religions has been threaten when the anti conversion law has been imposed in saffronised political power rule states like Orissa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. The debates have been taken in political levels to introduce the same law over the nation.

Economic condition of Dalits has been always under the threat and it has become the more when the government departments have been proposed to convert into privatization. Once the privatization is introduce into Indian companies, the legitimate rights of Dalits will not prevail unless the same provision is provided and protected in the private sectors. The movements of Dalits for the reservation in Private sectors in the good movement of the time otherwise it will be a damnation for the Dalits in the future.

Education for section of the community in India has been always a factor for up liftment of the community but the education for Dalits has been also under the threat, when under the BJP government, attempted to saffronised whole nation’s educational system. The right to choose what one wants to study will be taken away from the hands of Dalits once the saffronised education is introduced.

In all of the three trends of Dalits mentioned above can be met by the tearless service of Christians taught by our Master. The longing of true God is only found in Jesus can be given only through the Churches in India. The thread to bar from embracing other religion can be protected still open by the advocacy of the Christian church through her sister communities of the world. The economical threat can also be protected by rendering Christian service of community development and advocacy in the high level of Indian society and government which can also be pressured by the international community which can be generated through the voice of Indian church which can be heard by world. The educational poverty of Dalits which was benefited only by the middle class and high caste people can be redirected toward Dalit community with honesty and commitment.

11. CONCLUSION

Hindu religion which is the oldest religion in the world, has mastered all the saffron religions of the country to achieve the dreams of their founders like Sarawsati Dayanand and others. To defend and offence their mission, Hindu religion has adopted a policies of compromising with political power by established saffronized religio-politics of Hindu. Few of them are BJP a political wing, RSS a religion wing, VHP an international wing, Bajrang Dal and Siva Sena an arm wing of Hindu religion.

Muslim league is another Islamic religio-political movement in response to develop westernized education of Muslims to tackle the Hindu counterpart. Sarvodaya although based of Hindu philosophy based on saffron ideology work for peace and harmony of the country and world humanity.

The Dalits movement is the contemporary challenge for Indian church and mission. The mistakes done by the church will have to be modified and rededicate toward the up liftment of the down trodden Dalit community of the nation.
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[1] C. V. Mathew, The Saffron Mission, Delhi, 2001, p.178.
[2] http://www.rss.org/, May 16, 2004.
[3] Mathew, op.cit., p.180-181.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid., p.182.
[6] Aleyamma Zachariah, Modern Religion and Secular Movements in India, Delhi, Theological Book Trust, 1992, p.173.
[7] Mathew, loc.cit.
[8] Ibid., p.184.
[9] Ibid., p.185.
[10] Ibid., p.197.
[11] Ibid., p.186.
[12] Ibid., p.187.
[13] http://www.rss.org/, May 16, 2004.
[14] Mathew, op.cit., p.192.
[15] Ibid., p.194.
[16] Ibid., 2001, p.196.
[17] Ibid., p.198.
[18] Ibid., p.194.
[19] http://www.rss.org/, May 16, 2004.
[20] Ibid., p.199.
[21] http://www.hinduunity.org/, May 19, 2004.
[22] assistnews@adelphia.net, May 21, 2004.
[23] http://www.vhp.org/, May 16, 2004.
[24] Mathew, op.cit., p.204.
[25] Ibid., p.205.
[26] Ibid., p.208.
[27] Ibid., p.212.
[28] Ibid., p.210.
[29] Ibid., p.213.
[30] http://www.vhp.org/, May 16, 2004.
[31] Ibid.
[32] http://www.vhp.org/, May 16, 2004.
[33] http://www.hindu.com/, July 21, 2004.
[34] Ibid.
[35] http://www.bajrangdal.org/, July 22, 2004.
[36] Ibid.
[37] Ibid.
[38] Ibid.
[39] Ibid.
[40] Ibid.
[41] Ibid.
[42] Ibid.
[43] Ibid.
[44] Ibid.
[45] Ibid.
[46] Ibid.
[47] Ibid.
[48] http://www.aiccindia.oreg/, August 12, 2004.
[49] http://www.bajrangdal.org/, July 22, 2004.
[50] http://www.flonnet.com/, July 21, 2004.
[51] http://www.bajrangdal.org/, July 22, 2004.
[52] http://www.hindu.com/, March 29, 2002.
[53] http://www.bajrangdal.org/, July 22, 2004.
[54] http://www.tribune.com/, July 22, 2004.
[55] http://www.assistnews.net/, July 9, 2003.
[56] Ibid., August 4, 2003.
[57] http://www.assistnew.net/, August 27, 2003.
[58] http://www.aiccindia.ore/, August 12, 2004.
[59] http://www.assistnew.net/, August 27, 2003.
[60] Mathew, op.cit., p.289.
[61] http://www.hinduunity.org/, July 22, 2004.
[62] Ibid.
[63] Ibid.
[64] Ibid.
[65] Ibid.
[66] Ibid.
[67] Ibid.
[68] Mathew, op.cit., p.290.
[69] Ibid.
[70] http://www.hinduunity.org/, July 22, 2004.
[71] Mathew, loc.cit.
[72] Ibid., p.291.
[73] Ibid., pp.291-292.
[74] Ibid.
[75] Ibid., pp.292-293.
[76] Ibid., pp.291-292.
[77] Ibid., p.294.
[78] Ibid., p.299.
[79] Ibid., p.298.
[80] Zachariah, op.cit., p.175.
[81] http://www.bjp.org/, May 16, 2004.
[82] Ibid.
[83] Ibid.
[84] Ibid.
[85] Ibid.
[86] Ibid.
[87] Zachariah, loc.cit.
[88] http://www.bjp.org/, July 13, 2004.
[89] Ibid.
[90] Ibid.
[91] www.tribune.com , July 21, 2004.
[92] http://www.bjp.org/, July 22, 2004.
[93] http://www.assistnews.com/, July 7, 2004.
[94] http://www.hindu.com/, July 21, 2004.
[95] Ibid.
[96] Ibid., May 15, 2004.
[97] Zachariah, op.cit., p.157.
[98] Ibid., 1992, p.158.
[99] Ibid., 1992, p.159.
[100] http://www.sivasena.ord/, July 22, 2004.
[101] Ibid.
[102] Ibid.
[103] Ibid.
[104] Ibid.
[105] Ibid.
[106] http://www.tribuneindia.com/, August 12, 2004.
[107] http://www.aiccindia.org/, August 11, 2004.
[108] http://www.sarvodya.org/, May 16, 2004.
[109] Zachariah, op.cit., p.167.
[110] Ibid.
[111] Ibid.
[112] http://www.sarvodaya.org/, May 16, 2004.
[113] Zachariah, loc.cit.
[114] http://www.sarvodaya.org/, May 16, 2004.
[115] Ibid.
[116] Zachariah, op.cit., p.163
[117] Ibid.
[118] Ibid.
[119] Ibid.
[120] Ibid., p.164.
[121] http://www.sarvodaya.org/, May 16, 2004.
[122] Zachariah, op.cit., p.166.
[123] http://www.sarvodaya.org/, May 16, 2004.
[124] Ibid.
[125] Ibid.
[126] Ibid.
[127] T.H.P. Chentharassery, History of Indigenous, New Delhi, 1998, p.1.
[128] James Massey, Indigenous People: Dalits, Delhi, 1998, p.122.
[129] N. S. Rajaram, “Indus Civilisation and Vedic Society”, The Hindu (Hyderabad) 22 January, 2002, OB.1. OB-1.)
[130] “The DNA Teels It All”, The Christ Word 2/7, (September 2001): p.18
[131] A. L. Basham, The Wonder that was India, Culcutta, 1988, p 30
[132] Chentharassery, op.cit., 2.
[133] Ibid.
[134] Basham, op.cit., p 9.
[135] Chentharassery, op.cit., 10
[136] N. S. Rajaram, The Hindu, Hyderabad, January 22, 2002, OB-1.
[137] Chentharassery, op.cit., pp.1-2.
[138] Ibid., pp. 7-8.
[139] Rajaram, loc.cit.
[140] Massey, loc.cit.
[141] Kancha Ilaiah, Why I am not a Hindu, Calcutta, 1996, p.viii
[142] Walter Fernandes, The Emerging Dalit Identity, New Delhi, 1996, p.127.
[143] “India’s biggest mutiny”, Relay; Cumbria United Kingdom, Vol. 6 No. 3 (Fourth Quarter 2001): p.4.
[144] Fernandes, op.cit., p.125
[145] Zachariah, op.cit., p.271.
[146] Zachariah, op.cit., p.269.
[147] Zachariah, op.cit., pp.274-275.
[148] Zachariah, op.cit., p.275.

When trying to keep the news updates, my mind some times can not take how Sangh Parivar uses the opportunities out of events to propagate their agenda. It is less than a month after a massive attempt of Sangh Parivar’s Aryanization campaign (converting to Aryan religion) by proselytizing Dangi tribal of Gujarat to Hinduism (Hindutva). Now they have come up with another attempt of Saffron laboratory to propagate the agenda of Aryavartization by Nationwide Centenary Bithday Celebration of Guruji Golwalkar this year.

Nationwide Centenary Celebration of Guruji’s Birthday

Sangh Parivar has their two founder leaders - Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar known as Doctorji born on 1st January 1889 at Nagpur in a Brahmin family. He founded Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) a National Body of Hindutva. Doctorji was succeeded by Guruji Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar known as Guruji born in 1906 at Ramtek near Nagpur in a Brahmin family. RSS grew under Guruji’s leadership and it has become a largest cultural organization in the world.

Sangh Parivar (Hindutva family) is known for its famous Saffron laboratory inventions like Ayodhya Episode, Godhra Episode, Fifth Fraud Sabhri Kumbh Mela episode, appeal to all BJP rule states to celebrate Sabhri Kumbh Mela like festivals every year and newly invented Guruji’s Nationwide Centenary Birthday Celebration. Before we try to dig the ideology behind Guruji’s centenary nationwide birthday celebration, it may be good for those who are new to whole issue of Sangh Parivar and Hindutva agenda (Hindutva is an adulterate political and Hindu religion, play by politicians on Hindu sentimental) to know where the ideology of Sangh Parivar is founded and who fueled it.

Hindutva Ideology was seen by a man with vision!

What is known today of Sangh Parivar is seen by a man with a vision nearly 200 years ago. Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj born in 1824 at Tankara of Gujarat and had his Vedic (Hindu Scripture) training under Swami Virjananda at Mathura. His commitment to spread Vedic religion, literature and culture was the price given to his teacher. C. V. Mathew writes, “… I want from you a new kind of dakshina. Promise me that you will, as long as you live, devote everything; even give up your life, to the propagation of the books of Rishis and the Vedic Dharma. I will accept from you the fulfillment of that promise as my dakshina.”

Swami Dayananda Saraswati could see a vision little less than 200 years ago. If Aryan/Vedic religion has to revive, expand then Swami Dayananda Saraswati foretold to have FOUR-FOLD WINGS of Aryan/Vedic brigade: 1) Establish national cultural body of Sangh Parivar, 2) Establish militant body of Sangh Parivar, 3) Establish political body of Sangh Parivar and 4) World body of Sangh Parivar. All four-fold bodies are closely knitted together under Sangh Parivar as seen today. Dayananda’s vision of national cultural body of Sangh Parivar is seen in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founded in 1926, national militant body of Sangh Parivar is seen in Bajrang Dal founded in 1984 and other arm wings like Siva Sena etc, national political body of Sangh Parivar is seen in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) founded in 1980 and other like minded political parties. Lastly world body of Sangh Parivar is seen in Viswa Hindu Parishat (VHP) founded in 1964.

The Ideology of Hindutva!

The ideologies of saffron missions are to promote, propagate and defend the Vedic religion by converting the non-Vedic religions to the Vedic faith. All those who are brought to the Vedic faith are to make them as Aryans by imposing the Vedic faith, culture and ideology. The ideology of saffron goes much further than just promoting Vedic faith. They aim to Arynize the world and world as Aryavarta – a saffron world.

Two fold ideology of Sangh Parivar are the Aryanization of the World and Aryavartization of the World. First ideology of saffron mission, one will realize after studying the movement is the deep and broad to Arynizing the world. It is beyond bringing the faith and spiritual values of Vedic religion. It is aimed at making all non-Vedic religions as Aryans by imposing Aryan culture and faith. Later ideology of Sangh Parivar is Aryavartization of saffron mission which is much more than Aryanization. In Aryanization, saffron mission aims at making every human being as Aryan. Aryavartization aims to make whole universe an Aryan world by imposing Aryan culture, religion, and world ruler in power and political.

Converting human beings into Aryans and making world as Aryan world have most dehumanization factors of Caste system on which High Caste community of India could rule whole nation for 3000 years. It may not be true to whole world but to every face of Indian society is so true of most dehumanization of Caste system of Sangh Parivar.

Wining whole India to Vedic religion through the means of political power, imposing the Vedic culture and religion to non-Vedic religions, through establishment of Hindu military will be symbol of success in Arynizing and Aryavartizing the whole universe.

How can the Most Dehumanization Forces of Sangh Parivar be confronted?

There is a saying, “If body is hurt by a pin of throne, gouge it by the help of a needle.” The methods Sangh Parivar used to expand under the leadership of Doctorji, Guruji and their successors will be worth studying and adopt the strategy accordingly. First, there is a need to unify and strengthen the national body of oppressed communities (Dalits) to confront dehumanizing forces of Sangh Parivar. Under divide and rule policy of Sangh, Dalit communities have been so much divided and isolated to keep as weak as possible by Saffron brigades. Dr. Bim Rao Ambedkar was one and most acceptable Messiah for Dalit communities, whom almost all Dalits are inspired and try to follow. But most discouraging fact is that Dalits are so much divided by setting up different Ambedkarite groups.

Secondly, Sangh Parivar succeeded their ideology by setting up world body of Hindu (VHP) especially among the western world. They have gone to global scenario to show a good face of Hinduism while ugly face of casteism, dehumanization hidden agenda carried out with western funding, once succeeded but actual face of VHP is dug out in recent time in UK and US public and Government. To get global sympathy on Dalit oppression and confront dehumanization of Sangh, Dalits will need to globalize Dalit issues.

Thirdly, Sangh Parivar succeeded by setting up political power on basis of Hindu sentimental issue by creating Saffron laboratory like Ayodhya and Godhra etc. But within no time, Indian public have realized and seen the true face of Sangh Parivar and differentiated the differences between Hinduism and Hindutva. Most Hindus have realized that Hindutva does not represent Hinduism rather Hindutva will harm Hinduism more!

Dalit Bahujan political parties will be an answer to emancipation of Dalits. But sadly parts of Dalit Bahujan political parties have been at clutches of power hungry political power. However, for full emancipation of Dalit Bahujan (Oppressed Majority Indian population) will be at the hands when Dalit political party comes to full political power.

Fourthly, kind of Sangh Parivar’s Arm wing forces should never be setup to confront Hindutva forces. They became more Saffron Patriots than Indian Patriots. The example of this is seen when terror attacks Indian Parliament on 13 December 2001 and Ayodhya Ram Temple on 5 July 2005. We did not see national wide protest by Sangh Parivar when Terror attacked Indian parliament as much as they protested at National level and BJP rule states when terror attacked Ayodhya temple. What does it reflects? For Sangh Parivar Ram Temple is more than Indian Parliament! While seeking caste liberation and confronting Hindutva forces, Arm forces should not be encouraged rather stand as more Patriots that religious patriots.

THE GLOBALIZATION OF THE DALIT PROBLEM

By Joseph D’souza

INDIA (ANS)--The cruel caste system has been a huge, never-ending problem for us as Indians. Our inability to eradicate caste completely even after the rise of prophets like Mahatma Phule and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar reveals our own blindness to one of the most dehumanizing systems the world has ever known. There is no point in saying that the Indian Constitution has abolished untouchability because we all know that the law has not taken care of the root system that gave rise to the practice of untouchability.

There is no point in saying that we have reservations for the Dalits, because if there were no reservation system, we would have effectively consigned all Dalits to their inhuman existence. We would not then have the few Dalit-Bahujan leaders who have risen to speak out on behalf of their people. To our utter shame, no significant campaign or movement has risen up after India’s independence among the upper caste leadership in the nation, nor overseas, to end the caste system in Indian society.

If we are honest, we must admit that caste prejudice runs very deep in the Indian psyche.

So today, when Dalits agitate for some kind of quota system in the private sector, India’s upper-caste-dominated industrialists shut the door in their faces! Dalit-Bahujan leaders are forced to appeal to the overseas multinational companies to voluntarily provide for affirmative action just as they have provided such benefits for African-Americans and other minorities in their own nations. In order to make their case, the Dalit-Bahujan leaders have no option but to describe their lives as they know it in modern India. Let us be clear about this one thing: Caste is alive and well on planet India. Let us have the honesty and courage to deal with this problem and avoid the spin of the last several decades which says there is no caste system, nor the ensuing discrimination that has resulted in our cities, villages and towns.

Politics has not delivered on the issues of Dalit discrimination or the abolishment of caste, Dr. Ambedkar’s main dream and desire. What is required is the development of a national and global social conscience on the issue of caste discrimination and its atrocities. This new social conscience must be both national and global because the caste problem is not only limited to India. It is present in all South Asian nations and in other parts of the world where Indians congregate. The case of the foreign-based Indian woman who had her daughter and son-in-law murdered because of their inter-caste marriage is well known.

The rise of the extremist Hindutva movement also has meant the rise of the caste-based structure in society. How can we ignore the blatant distribution of the Manusmriti by the Sangh Parivar elements in Western India when their government was in power? The Sangh Parivar has not been shy of spreading this divisive and soul-destroying ideology even in the West and especially in America. When after the lynching of the five Dalits in Jhajjar, Haryana, the Vice President of the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad – the world Hindu federation) can say that the life of the cow is more precious than the life of the Dalit we are brought face to face with colossal social blindness.

This social blindness can be cured only when there is the realization that all men and women are created equal and have equal intrinsic value and worth. True change can come only when everyone knows and agrees that Dalits and upper caste alike they are equally created in God’s likeness and there is no such thing as a God-given hierarchy of human beings.
There is now a growing national and global alliance of people – irrespective of caste, creed and religion – who believe that both the caste system and its consequences – the practice of untouchability and discrimination – must be abolished. It is this alliance which must educate, inform, campaign and be engaged in activism resulting in the growth and development of the social conscience which will revolt against any caste-based discrimination or prejudice. It is this conscience that will eventually abolish the caste system and that will realize India’s greatness and true potential – the potential of its huge and utterly deprived masses.

Nevertheless, this is going to be a long, difficult struggle and campaign. Those who have profited economically and politically from the caste system will not yield easily. As we have noticed recently in the Gohana episode where 50 Dalit houses were burned, these forces will attack any assertion of Dalit rights. The vast majority of our own people do not know the meaning of “India Shining” – a slogan of the upper-caste-dominated Indian elite. India does not shine for the masses – not simply because they are poor, but because of the social system that denies them equal opportunities, empowerment, capital and freedom. Globalization has resulted in “India Shining” for the privileged minority, but now let globalization also result in “India Shining” for the majority Dalits and other oppressed castes/tribes.

Managing Organisational Change

By Madhu Chandra

1.0. INTRODUCTION

The Managing Organizational Change is the assignment No. 2 in syllabus and it is a part assignment of Organizational Theory and Culture taught by Dr. D. Uglem in January 2003 in partial fulfillment of Master of Art in Christian Leadership and Management offered by Briecrest College and Seminar.

This very subject I have taken is related to organizational behavior and theory. The reason why I have taken this very aspect of change is because I need the constant and timely change and adaptation in my ministry and leadership context. Fifth word out his last seven words, before stepping down from OM International Directorial ship, George Verwer said, “OM for last 45 years could survival mainly because of the ability to change and adapting.”[1]

To study as literature research on the subject of managing organizational change in small volume as required of the syllabus, I have chosen Madhukar Shukla’s book “Understanding Organisations” as main source along with other sources.

2.0. WHY ORGANIZATION CHANGE

The organizations are open systems, which are influence by the environments and thus effecting to cause the changes. The changes in the organizations are good and healthy for its growth and survival.

2.1. Change Through Evolution

Shukla says the reason why the organization changes is because of its nature of evolution and life cycle in which points out five phases of transits in organization’s life that takes place of changes. Schien, supports, “At different stages in the evolution of a given organization’s culture different possibilities for change arises because of the particular function that culture plays at each development stage.”[2]

The evolution in organization that brings the changes is divided into several evolutions but for my study I have chosen general and special evolutions.

2.1.1. General Evolution

General evolution is related to what Schien calls is, “Just as groups go through logical stages, so organization go through logical stages, especially with respect to their ownership structure…”[3] Shukla calls it situational reasons for changes. “…organizations change both because of situational fluctuations in the environmental demands, as well as because it is in their nature to grow and develop.”[4]

2.1.2. Special Evolution

The special evolution of organizational change is through special mechanisms, which is the particular effort of the organization that brings the changes. Schien put it in this way; “Specific evolution involves the adaptation of specific parts of organization to their particular environments and the impact of the subsequent cultural diversity on the core culture.”[5]

2.2. External Reasons for Change

Other than evolution reasons, Shukla give two other reasons of change are the external and internal reasons, which I am elaborating here.

The external reason for changes is the external forces, which causes the organizational changes. “If the organization is under too much external stress and if the founder or founding family is around for a long time, the culture evolves in small increments by continuing to assimilate what works best…”[6] Of course the external changes do not always affect the organizations directly.

These external causes to the organizational change are like changes in the government regulations, economic changes, technology, etc.

2.3. Internal Reasons for Change

Although the external reasons do not directly causes the changes, yet they create changes in some of the internal sub systems leading to a realignment of all other sub systems. Shukla summarized it, “Moreover, certain changes in the organizations take place primary due to the internal decisions, which may or may not be directly affected by the external situational factors.”[7]

The internal causes to the organizational change are the changes in the cooperate leadership, implementation of new technology, changes in the employee profile, and low morale and motivation etc.[8]

3.0. PROCESS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

The fact of reality is that whatever may be the reasons, externally or internally, the organizations are keep on changing. Shukla emphasizes the role of process in managing organizational change, “It is for this reason that an insight into the nature of organizational change process becomes an essential requirement for managerial effectiveness… A good manager is a person who has mastered the change process.”[9]

Shukla introduces a model of organizational change through four stages, which he called equilibrium, unfreezing, movement or change, and refreezing.

3.1. Equilibrium

When any organization or enterprise is established and goes by the time, the organization comes to a state of equilibrium. First stage the changes takes place within the organization as the equilibrium is disturbed, “The changes process started when this equilibrium got disturbed, due to the entry of something which was alien to the system. In one case, it was a person defining new rules of the game; in the other, it was a dissonant feedback.”[10]

3.2. Unfreezing

The second stage the change take place by unfreezing the embedded assumption, artifact values and believes. “In this second stage the steady state gets effected due to intrusion of an alien element in the system.”[11] This could be a new person, new idea, new rules, or introduction of new technology.

Maxwell also support Shukla’s view, “They will response to the options of others… they can be influenced by the positive or negative influencers of the organization.”[12]

3.3. Movement/Change

In this state the organization will move in finding new equilibrium through varieties of exploring the possible options, which can be with consciously or unconsciously.

3.4. Refreezing

In fourth stage the organization start refreezing with establishing a new form of equilibrium. “Effort to manage change, therefore, must focus on each stage of this sequence.”[13]

4.0. MANAGERIAL OPTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING CHANGE

As the equilibrium was disturbed and unfreeze and looking for refreezing to form new equilibrium with new assumption, values and beliefs, there will be many option arising up. There comes the decision to make in order to bring the changes.

Maxwell has suggested the checklist when there is option of implementing the change, in which the right timing is considered a crucial part.

The wrong decision at the wrong time = disaster.
The wrong decision at the right time = mistake.
The right decision at the wrong time = unacceptance.
The right decision at the right time = success.[14]

Supporting Maxwell in choosing the right options for implementing the organizational change Walter C Wright affirms, “Change comes so fast from so many directions that we cannot extrapolate into the future with any certainty… In the world of tomorrow, ‘built to last now means built to change’.”[15]

5.0. GUIDELINES FOR FACILITATING CHANGE

There are many factors will can facilitate the changes. The one I consider most is to do with the leadership itself, “Change the leader, change the organization. Everything rises and falls on leadership! … Unchanged leaders equals unchanged organizations.”[16]

5.1. Leader as Change Agent

Maxwell emphases more on the leadership to articulate bringing the changes, where as Shukla on the pattern of whole system, “In order to change, the system needs to be shaken up. Unless people see a need for change and start questioning the status quo, no energies would get mobilized for movement towards change.”[17]

To bring the changes in whole system I personally consider the greater role of leadership. The leadership should become a change agent in whole process. Stephen R. Covey in his book, The 7 Habits of highly Effective People, elaborate the driving force of leadership is the personal and organizational mission statement.

A personal mission statement based on correct principles become the same kind of standard for an individual. It becomes a personal constitution, the basis for making major, life-directing decision, the basis of making daily decisions in the midst of the circumstances and emotions that affect our lives.[18]

Covey goes on to say,
You have the vision and the values, which direct your life. You have the basic direction from which you set your long- and short-term goals. You have the power of a written constitution based on correct principles, against which every decision concerning the most effective use of your time, your talents, and your energies can be effectively measured.[19]

5.2. Wining Over the Resistant to Change

The human beings have the tendency to resist when any new ideas, persons, or rules are introduced to the organization, which became a major factor from implementing the change. Harvey Kaye supports, “… Implementing decisions almost always results in a certain amount of resistance from the outside world.”[20] The responsibility of the lead is to see the resistant turn to receptive. Resistant to change is closely related to the power of paradigm. Paradigm of old system and values blocks the new system, assumption and value. The role of leadership is to enable others to shift the paradigm. Stephen Covey says about it, “It shows, first of all, how powerfully conditioning affects our perceptions, our paradigm.”[21]

Kaye proposes that the well result and success oriented plans can reduce the resistant to the changes. “Planning stimulates the flow of future events. It allows you to try out actions on paper (on in your head)… By predicting the consequences of the planned actions, you can compare the soundness of various courses of action and select the most promising.”[22]

5.3. Facilitating the Changes

Shukla suggest four ways to facilitate the changes in the organizational setup. To established clear goals, “Goals provide a picture of what the future should be like, and give a direction to change efforts.”[23] The other three means are the involvement of people in change, focusing on the total system, and developing support system.

The role of leaders is to create a climate for change. How can the climate be created for change? Maxell suggests, “The leader must develop a trust with people… The leader must make personal changes before asking others to change… Good leaders understand the history of the organization… place influencers in leadership position.”[24]

6.0. CONCLUSION

Managing organizational change is crucial part of organizational theory and behavior, which play a vital role, to give its maximum output of the organizational system. The changes are influence by general and special evolution and external and internal reasons.

The change in organization is good and healthy of the movement. The leadership has important role in articulating the changes by the organizational mission statement, which will constitute the goal, values, beliefs, which will direct toward the future and life orientated changes. The persons who can change within the self indeed can bring the changes.

Footnotes:
[1] George Verwer, “Final Word as International Coordinator”, Relay, 8/2 (Second Edition 2003), p.4.
[2] Edgar H. Schien, Organizational Culture and Leadership, San Francisco, 1992, p.303.
[3] Schien, op.cit., p.305.
[4] Madhukar Shukla, Understanding Organizations, New Delhi, 2002, p.190.
[5] Schien, op.cit., p.306.
[6] Schien, op.cit., p.305.
[7] Shukla, op.cit., p.192.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Shukla, op.cit., p.197.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Shukla, op.cit., p.199.
[12] John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leader within You, Nashville, 1993, p.64.
[13] Shukla, op.cit., p.199.
[14] Maxwell, op.cit., p.63.
[15] Walter C. Wright, Relational Leadership, Secunderabad: OM Books, 2000, p.74.
[16] Maxwell, op.cit., p.49.
[17] Shukla, op.cit., pp.208-209.
[18] Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, London, p.108.
[19] Covey, op.cit., pp.108-109.
[20] Harvey Kaye, Decision Power, New Jersey, 1992, p.80.
[21] Covey, op.cit., p.28.
[22] Kaye, op.cit., p.81.
[23] Shukla, op.cit., p.210.
[24] Maxwell, op.cit., pp.67-68.

Bibliography
1. Covey, Stephen R., The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, London: Pocket Books, 1989.
2. Kaye, Harvey, Decision Power, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1992.
3. Maxwell, John C., Developing the Leader Within You, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993.
4. Schein, Edgar H., Organizational Culture and Leadership, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1992.
5. Shukla, Madhukar, Understanding Organizations, New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India Pvt. Ltd, 2002.
6. Verwer, George, George Verwer, “Final Word as International Coordinator”, Relay, 8/2 (Second Edition 2003)
7. Wright, Walter C., Relational Leadership, Secunderabad: OM Books, 2000.

Developing Others

By Madhu Chandra

1.1. Introduction
This assignment “Developing Others” is the partial fulfillment of Master of Arts, assigned by Dr. Justin Dennison, who taught on Leadership – Management & Team Building. The choice of the topic for assignment was given to the individual students. The topic was proposed and was approved by the teacher.

The term “Developing Others”, which I mean developing the potential leaders working around the leader. The topic is chosen as to apply in my own life and ministry situation aiming at developing the potential leaders of my teams working along my leadership. This assignment is done on scholar research style rather than popular writing.

2.1. Importance of Developing Others
The churches and parachurches are constantly searching for real leaders. Oswald quotes the word of William Sangster an English Methodist preacher, “‘The church is painfully in need of leaders,’… ‘I wait to hear a voice and no voice comes… I would rather listen than speak – but there is no clarion voice to listen to.’”[1] To be success in leadership, he/she needs to ask the question, “Am I developing the people working with, along and around me?” Before any leader trying to develop or mentor the people working with, the leader needs to know why he of she need to develop the potential persons. Without knowing the purpose of developing others, it will be just merely doing as a required responsibility without achieving any specific goals.

The developing others is importance both in Secular world and in Christian ministry. The following are the reasons of developing others.

2.1.1. A Leader Needs A Successor
Peter Drucker said, “There is no success without a successor.”[2] Some Christian organization ends up their ministry along with their leader gets retired. The reason is that leader did not develop other potential leaders to carry on the responsibility when they are gone. Many organizations suffer of this kind. The success of the leader is measured by the level of leadership that he developed during his tenant.

To have the better ministry that last long and bear fruits, the present leader and the leaders to come need to emphasize on developing, the potential leaders.

2.1.2. Potential Leaders can Carry the Load
The potential leaders, if developed can carry the load of the leader. Any leader of the organization has a limit to handle the numbers of people. He can not handle every one within the organization by himself. He can not do all the work by himself. He needs other potential leaders around him to carry out the tasks. Therefore the leader needs to select few potential leaders around him to share his load.

It is very important that you mentor someone. Train them. Teach them what you know – especially those over whom you have authority, any person who is carrying out an instruction for you, such as employees, children, and so on.[3]

John C. Maxwell says the importance of developing leaders. “Leaders create and inspire new leaders by instilling faith in their leadership ability and helping them develop and hone leadership skills they don’t know they posses.”[4]

2.1.3. Developing Potential Leaders will Strengthen the Organization
To become great organization, it may be impossible without a great team of leadership. The small ministry setup can become big, if the leader of the team develops a team of leaders around him. Developing potential leaders is important for any big organization to keep on growing and becoming effective. The smaller organization to grow will also need to emphasize on developing potential leaders.

2.1.4. More Leaders Needed for More People
Moses was the greatest leader in the Old Testament time. It was hard and tiring to lead whole Israelites. The problem Moses has was trying to do it all himself. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses suggested finding other leaders to assist him in his leadership responsibility. Moses too his father-in-law’s advice and soon he had many leaders helping him.

In organizational setup up, leader trying to do all the work by himself will cause him frustration, tired and failure. The more personnel in team setup increases, the more training and developing other leaders to assist and share the load is need.

3.1. Identifying Potential Leaders to be Developed
Leadership training can not be done in a mass movement. It has to be done one by one process. “One of the primary responsibilities of a successful leader is to identify potential leaders.”[5] Identify the potential leaders need to be done developed. John Maxwell, used Five A’s format:

Assessment of needs : What is needed?
Assets on hand : Who are the people already in the organization who are available?
Ability of candidates : Who is able?
Attitude of candidates : Who is willing?
Accomplishments of
Candidates : Who gets things done?[6]

3.1.1 Know What The Job Requires
A job has certain characteristic that require individuals with specific skills to accomplish. “The more you know about the kind of person you need and what the job requires, the greater your odds of hiring the right individual.”[7] Before we start developing others, we need to know what we need. This can be done by asking questions, such as, “What the job requires?” Is an up-front or a behind-the-scenes person? Is it a generalist or a specialist? Is it a producer of a maintainer?

3.1.2. Select the Right Persons
Since the leader can develop all leaders working with him, He needs to find out the right persons, whom he can invest his live in them. John Maxwell in his inventory mentioned above states the needs of the organization. He finds out who are available, from those available, he finds out the able persons, then willing to get the jobs done. It is important to find out the right able, willing potential leaders. “Assessment of Current Leadership Qualities”[8] developed by John Maxwell in his book, which can be given to the leaders available on the team for personal assessment. He grades the leaders in five categories: Great leaders, Good leaders, Emerging leaders, Bursting with potential leaders, and need growth leaders. Great and good leaders are already involved in mentoring others, whereas emerging leaders are focused on growth and begin mentoring others. The Bursting with potential leaders are the excellent persons to be developed.

This finding will help identifying the right potential leaders to be developed. This can be done by exploring the field, interviewing several people, and ask hard questions, such as “Why did you leave?”, “What can you contribute?”, and “Are you willing to pay the price?”

To find out the right persons, the following qualities can be considered.

3.1.2.1 Leaders with Good Character
The first and most important thing while looking for any kind of leader or potential leader is to look for the strength of his character. Character flaws should not be confused with weaknesses. We all have weaknesses; this can be overcome through training and experience. They can not be overcome in over night, it will take long period of time and involved significant relationship investment and dedication on the part of the leader.

John Maxwell gives some assessment of character while identifying the right person.

· a person’s failure to take responsibility for his actions or a circumstances
· unfulfilled promises or obligations
· failure to meet deadlines[9]

We can tell much about a person’s ability to lead others from how well he manages his own life. We also can tell much about a person’s character from his relationships. We can examine his relationships with superiors, colleagues, and subordinates.

3.1.2.2 Leaders who impart positive Influence
Everyone influences someone either positively or negatively. “Sociologists tell us that even the most introverted individual will influence ten thousand other people during his or her lifetime!”[10]

We need to ask, “Who influences the leader?” He or she will become a model of the leader, whom they are following. Do they have right priorities? Second question need to ask, “Whom does he influence? The model of the followers will indicate the quality of his leadership.

It is important to find out the effectiveness of the leaders’ influence while identifying the leaders to be developed.

3.1.2.3 Leaders with Positive Attitude
A leader with positive attitude is a one of most required in Christian ministry. A positive attitude is one of the most valuable assets a leader can have in life. “People with positive attitudes are able to go places where others can’t. They do things that others can’t.”[11]

While finding the potential leaders to be developed, it is important to find out the leaders with good and positive attitude. “Our attitude is the primary force that will determine whether we succeed or fail.”[12]

3.1.2.4. Leaders of Excellent People Skills.
“Teamwork: Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”[13] Keeping people working together is the success of the leader. The leaders to be developed need to have the quality of excellent people skill, the skill of relating to people. Without this skill, a leader will soon loose his people and soon no one will be following him. “Excellent people skills involve a genuine concern for others, the ability to understand people, and the decision to make positive interaction with others a primary concern.”[14]
We must look for people oriented rather than task oriented leaders.

3.1.2.5. Leaders with self Discipline
All the great leaders always have self-discipline without exception. “All great leaders have understood that their number one responsibility was for their own discipline and personal growth. If they could not lead themselves, they could not lead others.”[15]

4.1. Principles of Developing Leaders
Once we have identified the potential leaders, we need to begin the work of building them into the leaders they can become. We must be targeting to build whole of person, his attitude, and character. How do we do this?

4.1.1. Build a Personal Relationship with the Potential Leaders
Any leaders desiring to mentor other people must begin with a personal relationship. All good mentoring relationship begins with this. “Leadership is a relationship between a leader and a follower – ideally, a relationship of shared vision, shared responsibility and shared leadership.”[16]

Another concept of leadership is influencing others. “It is a relationship of influence in which the leader seeks to influence the behaviour, attitudes, vision, values or beliefs of another.”[17] Biblical leadership is a relationship – a long term relationship modeled on God’s patient working out of his purpose in our lives. Teddy Rockefferr says, “The most important single ingredient to the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”[18]

To build relationship, we should listen to their life story – of their joys and sorrow. Our genuine interest in them will mean a lot to them. This will also help us to know their personal strengths and weaknesses. Finding out their goals and what motivates them will help in building relationship with potential leaders.

John Maxwell says, “One of the best ways to get to know people is to see them outside of the business world. People are usually on their guard at work.”[19]

4.1.2. Build Trust
Building trust in people is very essential part of leadership, particularly, if a leader wishes to develop the people around him. Mike Murdock says, “You will never succeed in any business unless you really believe in that business. You must believe in the product you are promoting. Your doubts will eventually surface.”[20] People working around the leader will not follow him if they do not trust. It is leaders’ responsibility to actively develop that trust in him from the people working around him. Stephen R. Covey talks about emotional trust, “An Emotional Bank account is a metaphor that describes the amount of trust that’s been built up in a relationship. It’s the feeling of safeness you have with another human being.”[21]

Trust can be built on many things by taking time to listen and give feedback on their performance. Give respect the potential leaders respect and they will return it with trust. Once people trust their leader as a person, they become able to trust his leadership. In same way we need to believe in potential leaders around us. When we believe in people, we motivate them and release their potential.

4.1.3. Be A Role Model
There are all kinds of theory on how to lead. One of the best, I think is role modeling. Calvin Miller in his book writes about Tom Peters comment on leadership, People in organizations are all boss-watchers, especially when external conditions are ambiguous. For better or for worse, what you spend your time (not what you sermonize about) will become the organization’s preoccupation.[22]

What we try to influence by our words will not make any differences on the lives of the potential leaders unless our lives proofs what we utter with our mouth. To be a role model in a Christian leadership, we need to learn from role model of Jesus and other New Testament leaders. They set the role model in service, in prayer life, in getting along with people, in self discipline, in handling the conflict, and in suffering. Paul boldly tells us, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”[23]

4.1.4. Give Encouragement
Quite often we say to the people working under us, “Be encouraged”, and “Be motivated”. We expect them to encourage them rather than us encouraging them. John Maxwell quotes the words of Physician George Adams, “… encouragement to be so vital to a person’s existence that he called it ‘oxygen to the soul’.”[24]

New leaders need to be encouraged; they encounter many changes and undergo many challenges. Encouragement will help them reaching their potential, and it empowers them by giving energy to continue when they make mistakes.

4.1.5. Build Support System
We delegate the job to the potential leaders, without providing the resources. To let them accomplish the task assigned to them, we need to build support system. This support system can be built in the following areas.

4.1.5.1. Emotional Support
We need to build a “yes, you can do” atmosphere. With the emotional support, a person can forge ahead and accomplish the word.

4.1.5.2. Skills Training
One of the fastest ways to build potential leaders up is to build their skills and provide opportunity to exercise and develop their skills. The skills of many potential leaders are not noticed by the leader. The potential leaders should be given chances to demonstrate their skills.

The leader can be mistaken by ignoring the full potential leaders, if the chances are not given them to prove their capability. Therefore we must develop the skills and at the same time the potential leaders should be given chances to prove their capability of the inward potentials.

4.1.5.3. Financial Assistance
The stingy leaders produce stingy workers. “Invest money in people; it always yields the highest return on your investment.”[25] We must provide the needed financial assistance to the potential leaders.

4.1.5.4. Provide Personnel
Provide the people needed to get the job done. The people should be good because personal problem can eat up the time and energy of a potential leader, leaving little time for production.

5.1. What Are We Attempting to Build
What are we going to develop out of the potential leaders? We are developing people, not an instrumental unit. It is whole person – his vision, attitude, character, and skills.

5.1.1. Imparting Vision
Vision is one of the most essential qualities of a leader. This quality must be seen both in the leader and the potential leaders around the leader. Many great missionary pioneers were the people of vision. William Carey is the one of many examples.

Aubrey Malphurs defined vision as, “A vision is a clear, challenging picture of the future of the ministry as you believe that it can and must be.”[26] Vision is always related in terms of the future. It is a mental picture of what the future would look like. Malphurs quotes the word of John R. W. Stott, “It is an act of seeing–an imaginative perception of things, combating insight and foresight… We see what it is – but do we see what could be?”[27]

Vision is very important for every organization and it is the same for Christian ministry. “To attempt a ministry without a clear, well-articulated vision is to invite a stillbirth.”[28] Without God’s vision, the ministries of church and the parachurch organization may grow at the beginning, but they will not grow and eventually die. The leader of the church and the organization must be able to articulate what God has called them to do. “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”[29] The leader needs to help the potential leader to see what they could achieve in their lives. Justin Dennison says, “The team leader, whatever their title, should remain the prime articulator of the vision, but all members of the leadership team should be involved in the dissemination process.”[30]

5.1.2. Building Character
Stephen R. Covey in his 4th Habits – Think Win/Win, writes about character “Character is the foundation of Win/Win, and everything else builds on that foundation.”[31] The character is the foundation for human relationship.

So the integrity is the cornerstone of the human relationship foundation. Stephen says integrity is much more than honesty:

“Integrity includes but goes beyond honesty. Honesty is telling the truth–in other words, conforming our words to reality. Integrity is conforming reality to our words – in other words, keeping promises and fulfilling expectations.”[32]

5.1.3. Ministry Skills

Developing ministry skill is more practical ways. The skills to be developed in the lives of the potential leaders are some of the followings:

5.1.3.1. Arts of Delegating
The leader does the right things and manager does the things right. Things to do be done right, the leader need to develop the arts of delegating to others. Calvin Miller quotes from Joe Batten about delegation, “Delegation means to assign, trust, instruct.”[33] D. L. Moody said, “… would rather put a thousand men to work than do the work of a thousand men.”[34]

The leader should be delegating other responsibility to potential leaders around him. The potential leaders also need to learn delegating the responsibility to other members. Delegate them by results to be achieved not by tasks to be performed. Biblical example will be great help to learn Moses delegating the responsibility to other Israel leaders.

5.1.3.2. Decision Making
Every leader is to be decision makers. In developing others, we look for the potential leaders who can make decision by himself. Great Christian leadership always gets God involved in the process of making decision. Moses father-in-law met him during a time of great executive stress and gave three advices on decision.

1. Talk more to God about the people than to the people about their problems. (Exodus. 18:20)
2. Teach the people more clearly to walk in God’s ways. (Exodus. 18:20)
3. Delegate responsibility to others and share the burden of leadership with them. (Exodus. 18:21)[35]

5.1.3.3. Handling Conflicts
“Conflict occurs when there is a perceived divergence of interests or goals.”[36] Justin Dennison divides the conflicts into four categories: Intra-personal conflicts, Inter-personal conflicts, Intra-group conflicts, and Inter-group conflicts.

Intra-personal conflicts are the conflicts of an individual person. Inter-personal conflicts are the conflicts between the persons of the organization. Intra-group conflicts are the conflicts within the organization. And inter-group conflicts are the conflicts between one organization and other. The conflict is seen on the surface. To solve the conflicts, the roots need to cut out.

6.1. Conclusion
The church is searching the able leaders. Developing the potential leaders of today for tomorrow is important agenda for every church and church organization. The responsibility of leaders to develop others around him is, first to identify the right and potential ones. The principle of developing others should be based on personal relationship, building trust, be a role model, motivating, and building a support system.

The development should be aiming at imparting vision, building character, and developing ministry skill.
Appendix 1[37]

Assessment of Current Leadership Qualities
0 = Never 1 = Seldom 2 = Sometimes 3 = Usually 4 = Always

1. The person has influence. 0 1 2 3 4
2. The person has self-discipline. 0 1 2 3 4
3. The person has a good track. 0 1 2 3 4
4. The person has strong people skills. 0 1 2 3 4
5. The person has the ability to solve problems. 0 1 2 3 4
6. The person does not accept the status quo. 0 1 2 3 4
7. The person sees the big picture. 0 1 2 3 4
8. The person has the ability to handle stress. 0 1 2 3 4
9. The person displays a positive spirit. 0 1 2 3 4
10. The person understands people. 0 1 2 3 4
11. The person is free of personal problems. 0 1 2 3 4
12. The person is willing take responsibility. 0 1 2 3 4
13. The person is free from anger. 0 1 2 3 4
14. The person is willing to make changes. 0 1 2 3 4
15. The person has integrity. 0 1 2 3 4
16. The person is growing closer to God. 0 1 2 3 4
17. The person has the ability to see what has to
be done next. 0 1 2 3 4
18. The person is accepted as a leader by others. 0 1 2 3 4
19. The person has the ability and desire to keep
learning. 0 1 2 3 4
20. The person has a manner that draws people. 0 1 2 3 4
21. The person has a good self-image. 0 1 2 3 4
22. The person has a willingness to serve others. 0 1 2 3 4
23. The person has the ability to bounce back when
problems arise. 0 1 2 3 4
24. The person has the ability to develop
other leaders. 0 1 2 3 4
25. The person take initiative. 0 1 2 3 4

90 – 100 : Great leader (should be mentoring other good and great leaders)
80 – 89 : Good leader (must keep growing and keep mentoring others)
70 – 79 : Emerging leader (focus on growth and begin)
60 – 69 : Bursting with potential (excellent person to be developed)
Below
60 : Needs growth (may not be ready to be mentored as a leader)

Footnotes
[1] Paul E. Sangster, Doctor Sangster, London, 1962, p.103, cited by J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, Secunderabad, 1987, p.18.
[2] John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leaders around You, Nashville, 1995, p.11.
[3] Mike Murdock, The Leadership Secrets of Jesus, Secunderabad, 1996, p.89.
[4] Maxwell, loc.cit.
[5] Ibid., p.3.
[6] Ibid., p.39.
[7] John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leader within You, Nashville, 1993, p.189.
[8] Work Sheet is attached in Appendix 1
[9] Maxwell, op.cit., p.48.
[10] Ibid., p.2.
[11] Ibid., p.50.
[12] John C. Maxwell, The Winning Attitude, Nashville, 1993, p.26
[13] Justin, Dennison, Team Ministry, Secunderabad, 1997, p.31.
[14] Maxwell, op.cit., pp.51-52.
[15] Maxwell, 1993, op.cit., pp161-162.
[16] Walter C Wright, Relational Leadership, Secunderabad, 2000, p.xi.
[17] Ibid., p.31.
[18] Maxwell, 1993, op.cit., p.131.
[19] Maxwell, op.cit., pp.93.
[20] Murdock, op.cit., p.15.
[21] Stephen R. Covey, The 7 habits of highly effective people, New York, 1989, p.188.
[22] Top Peters, Thriving on Chaos, New York, 1987, p.410, cited Calvin Miller, The Empowered Leader, Nashville, 1995, p.111.
[23] (1 Cor. 11:1, ASB)
[24] Maxwell, op.cit., p.70.
[25] Ibid., p.78.
[26] Aubrey Malphurs, Developing a Vision for Ministry, Michigan, 1999, p.41.
[27] John R. Stott, What makes Leadership Christian?: Christianity Today, August 1985, p.24, cited Aubrey Malphurs, Developing a Vision for Ministry, Michigan, 1999, p.35.
[28] Malphurs, op.cit., p17.
[29] Ibid., p18.
[30] Dennison, op.cit., p.69.
[31] Covey, op.cit., p.217.
[32] Ibid., pp.195-196.
[33] Joe D. Batten, Tough-Minded Management, New York, 1991, p.110, cited by Calvin Miller, The Empowered Leader, Nashville, 1995, p.161.
[34] Sanders, op.cit., p.135.
[35] Calvin Miller, The Empowered Leader, Nashville, 1995, p.111.
[36] Dennison, op.cit., p.147.
[37] Maxwell, op.cit., pp.41-43.

Bibliography

1. Covey, Stephen R., The 7 habits of highly effective people, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.
2. Dennison, Justin, Team Ministry, Secunderabad: OM Books, 1997.
3. Maxwell, John C., Developing the Leader within You, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993.
4. ______________, The Winning Attitude, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc. 1993.
5. ______________, Developing the Leaders around You, Nashville: ICI, 1995.
6. Miller, Calvin, The Empowered Leader, Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995.
7. Murdock, Mike, The Leadership Secrets of Jesus, Secunderabad: OM Books 1996.
8. Sanders, J. Oswald, Spiritual Leadership, Secunderabad: OM Books, 1987.Wright, Walter C., Relational

9. Leadership, Secunderabad: OM Books, 2000.

AN ESSAY ON FEMINIST THERAPY

By Madhu Chandra

1.0. INTRODUCTION

The subject is vast and complicated to dig down its history. Feminist Therapy is based on gender and power at the core of the therapeutic process. Looking into the Indian context, the feminist movement and therapy might be low in comparing to the western society; therefore the subject might be irrelevant in Indian context. Nevertheless, the Indian society is also becoming globalized and westernized fast, which might cause the feminist movement bigger in Indian context. Gerald Corey says that therapist needs to know feminist therapy because, “The majority of clients in counseling are women, and the majority of psychotherapy practitioners are the master’s level are women. Thus the need for a theory the need for a theory that evolves from the thinking of experiencing of women seems self-evident.”[1]

The key concern in feminist therapy is the psychological oppression of women and limitations imposed by the sociopolitical status on women, seeking for their identity, acceptance, equality, and empowerment.

2.0. FEMINIST MOVEMENT

Before going further in studying the feminist therapy, it will be ideal to explore what is feminism all about. The term feminism may mean the need to secure, or a commitment to securing, rights and opportunities for women equal to those of men and the movement committed to securing and defending equal rights and opportunities for women equal to those of men.

2.1. What is Feminism?

After having talked so much of women empowerment and feminism movement, it will be worth for one to ask what the feminism is all about. Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards define feminism as “In the most basic sense, feminism is exactly what the dictionary says it is: the movement for social, political, and economic equality of men and women.”[2] This definition includes three aspects of the movement seeking the equality in social, political, and economical between men and women.

2.2. Background

Feminist movement can be traced way back to 1792 during the time of Mary Wollstonecraft, An English author and feminist, “Influenced by the ideas of the American and French Revolutions, the English writer Mary Wollstonecraft calls for the full participation of women in the rights and duties of citizenship. Her A Vindication of the Rights of Women becomes a foundation for the woman suffrage movement.”[3]

Prasanna Kumari in her research on feminist theology writes, “In trying to overcome their oppression, women have created another liberation movement. This not only concerned with their own liberation, but that of all people by affirming the full humanity of all women.”[4]

The causes of feminist movement can be based on the issue raised on female hood such as unmarried women taxed in Berlin in Germany, “The city of Berlin levies a special tax on unmarried women. The city’s aim is for women to be forced to marry and live under a man's care. Another goal of the tax is to increase the city's population by encouraging marriage.”[5] In 1807, during French Revolution Napoleonic Code was officially issued which is ill treat against women hood, “The Code guarantees individual rights for men, but treats women as inferior, drawing a limit to the application of liberal ideas about citizenship.”[6]

The feminist movement began from America to European countries in early 1900s, expanded to African countries in 1868-1870, to East Asia in 1946-1948. Susan Anthony, an outstanding American reformer led the struggle to gain the right for women to vote for 50 years, “Anthony is later arrested, tried, and fined, but her act inspires others to press for women’s suffrage.”[7] The 19th Amendment of United State of America for women’s right to vote was finally rectified on August 18, 1920.

Until the second half of the 20th century, women in most societies were denied some of the legal and political rights accorded to men. Although women in much of the world have gained significant legal rights, many people believe that women still do not have complete political, economic, and social equality with men. The first country granted the right for women to vote was New Zealand in 1892. The Amendment in New Zealand gave birth to the woman suffrage to the world. “Women gain the vote in New Zealand, the first country to grant women’s suffrage. Women vote in the federal elections of 1902, beginning a wave of women's suffrage around the world.”[8]

Thereafter United Nations created special commission on women in 1947.

“The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is created under the auspices of the United Nations to be the focal point of international efforts to promote women's rights. In incidents of exceptional women’s rights abuses, the CSW plays an important role by encouraging international action to stop such activity and to hold violators responsible.”[9]

In 1966 under the leadership of Betty Friedan founded National Organization for Women with its aim and objectives of promoting feminist issues and equal right amendment banning sex discrimination. Feminists have been raising their voice against liberation from oppression, “We are constantly reminded of the slogan from U. N. “If a woman is educated, the whole family is educated. If a man is educated only he will be educated.”[10]

2.3. Aims and Objectives of Feminist Movement

Corey made statement that the aim and objective of feminism is, “… a goal for feminism in the future is to search for balance between appreciating diversity between women, self-discovery, and self-determination while also maintaining some common framework that focuses on the collective transformation of society.”[11] Susan Frank supports the feminist movement from Christian perspective.

“Feminist theory offers important insights into a possible reformulation of our understanding of morality, and with it a reconception of what might constitute a good life for human beings, and those may engage directly with the kinds of insights which the Christian tradition might bring to bear.”[12]

One of the aim and objective of feminist movement according Prasanna Kumari is elimination of gender oppression. She writes, “Among feminist there is general agreement that feminism is fundamentally a political movement which has as its primary objective is the elimination of gender oppressions.”[13]

Looking back to my own Meitei community in Manipur, a woman social worker shared[14] with me that why Meitei society looks down on food habit of ladies. While girl child grows up and start eating meat at home, the family elders will rebuke, “Do not eat meat since you are a girl.” While child girl or lady with food habit of non-vegetarian while men without any discrimination, is the symptom of feministic practice among Meitei society. The dress code imposed by outfit ultras of the state of Manipur is also against the right of womanhood.

Female eating meat among the Meitei society for the centuries has considered a corrector less. To get the right from society oppression on women even from food habit are the aim and objectives of the feminist movement.

3.0. RESPONSE FROM ECUMENICAL TOWARD FEMINIST MOVEMENT

Down through the centuries the ecumenical has over looked, suppressed, and consider less significant of feminism. Elwell made statement of J. P. Gabler’s response to feminism movement as treat to the Biblical teaching.

Yet biblical theology has suffered enough at the hands of idioms that have garbled the Bible’s message through the enthronement of conceptualities foreign to it. In 1787 J. P. Gabler inaugurated the discipline, calling for it to rescue the Bible from the dogmatic chains of the church. Today the dogmatic bonds of modernity—atheism, post- and Neo-Marxism, relativism and reductionism, selfish materialism, narcissistic individualism, New Age spiritism, feminism—are as destructive of biblical theology as any chains ever imposed by the church.[15]

Pop John Paul was against the women entering into ordained priesthood.

“In an audience in July with prelates from the provinces of Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, and Washington, DC, Pope John Paul urged American bishops to combat "bitter, ideological" feminism." It is not simply that some people claim a right for women to be admitted to the ordained priesthood," the pope declared. "In [feminism's] extreme form, it is the Christian faith itself which is in danger of being undermined."[16]

Susan Frank reports the attitude of ecumenical toward women hood, “There are those who vehemently oppose the ordination of women on the basis of doctrine and scripture… Participation of women in worship and Eucharist during that time is considered to be prone and unclean. Women have remained vulnerable in society and have been oppressed in the church.”[17] Kumari states that the feminist consider the figure of Jesus was a problem for women, “The figure of Jesus and belief in Jesus Christ have become problematic for many women in the last twenty years: how can the male figure of Jesus serve as a point of identification for women who today want to discover themselves and their history.”[18]

Contradiction to ecumenical attitude toward feminism movement, Pop John Paul II issues an apology on March 12, 2000 for what the church has done against women hood.

“Pope John Paul II delivers the most sweeping public apology ever given for the past sins of the Roman Catholic Church. As part of his observance of the holy year marking the start of the third Christian millennium, the Pope publicly repents for the church’s past and present acts of intolerance and injustice toward Jews, women, indigenous peoples, and others.”[19]

Liberal theologians consider oppress on the basis of race, sex, class is sin, “Liberation theologians declared that dominations and subordination of sections of people on the basis of race, sex, class or culture is sin and is against the will of God, since all are equal in God’s sight…”[20]

4.0. RESPONSE FROM SECULAR PERSPECTIVE TOWARD FEMINIST MOVEMENT

The response from secular perspective toward feminist movement can be looked from two angles – Western Male Perspective and Indian Female perspective.

4.1. From Western Male Perspective

Prof David Rubinstein reports in an interview with Tribune on November 14, 2003 that “Feminism, a movement with its roots in Europe, is a dead issue for the Britishers today. With liberated independent women walking shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts, it has strengthened the base of the middle class in the UK, but its flip side has been the break-up of the family.”[21] Rubinstein proves that feminism is death in British today as women are librated.

4.2. From Indian Perspective

The story on the feminism in Indian scene is different from western societies. Seema Kumar reports to Hindustan Time, New Delhi[22] that Bhanumati Narasimhan, sister of Sri Sri Ravishankar, the Art of Living instructor who have considered female as a joy of being a woman. The right of the men to perform funeral rituals not by women is felt because of women are more emotional than men. According to Bhanumati it is not a weakness rather joy of being women.

She is against the feminist and she considers the feminist movement is the causes of the divorce in Western culture, “Now that women are fighting for equal rights, there are divorces within a week of marriage! These are western ways. An accepting woman is not weak. That acceptance is her strength, which man doesn’t have.”[23]

The fight of feminist is not limited seeking to the equality between the sex. In India, feminist economic is a part of feminist struggle. Both state governments and central government have being debating on the empowerment of women by introducing the Women Reservation Bill in which a special privilege for women is seek to provided for economic development and job opportunity. Sukuntala Narasimhan reports to Tribute on Feminist Economic.

Addressing women’s economic dependence is not sufficient for women’s empowerment, felt the participants. Class and culture come in as determining factors, along with gender — in some cultures where a single or separated woman faces social hostility or censure, even economic independence does not help her in seeking an escape. Issues like these cannot be addressed through merely "economic policies for increasing incomes".[24]

5.0 FEMINIST THERAPY

The feminist therapy is the collective effort of many individuals. There is no single found of the therapy. It has been developed by in a grassroots level, responding to the challenges and to the emerging needs of women. Some of the key figures are Jean Baker Miller a clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, Carolyn Zerbe Enns the Professor of Psychology at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Oliva Espin, Professor of Women’s Studies at San Diego, and Laura S. Brown a founding member of Feminist Therapy Institute.

5.1. What is Feminist Therapy

Feminist therapy can not be distance from the feminist movement. Therapy on feminism has to be studied on the development of feminism movement. Feminist therapy is based on varieties feminist theories such as like Liberal feminist. Liberal feminist seeks the major goal of personal empowerment of individual women, dignity, self fulfillment and equality between the sexes. Other types of feminist are Cultural feminist, Radical feminist, and Social feminist.

Feminist Therapy questions the validity of all the theories of counseling systems which white male from Western cultures have created. The theories created for counseling system by white and male dominated culture ignores the needs of women clients in counseling.

Corey defines Feminist Therapy as, “A central concept in feminist therapy is the psychological oppression of women and the constraints imposed by the sociopolitical status to which women have been relegated.”[25] From the feminist perspective of human nature and development is from male dominated perspective as Corey writes, “Feminist researchers have demonstrated that when all human development is seen through the lens of male gender, important qualities of both women and men are overlooked.”[26]

5.2. Response to Feminist Therapy

I personally consider worth having a brief explore of the response to feminist therapy from Biblical and my personal point of view.

5.2.1. Biblical View on Feminist Movement

To seek the Biblical view for a traditional believer of the Bible may able to come up with conclusion criticizing the feminist movement without seeking bolts and nuts of the movement. To seek the Biblical view it will be worth to seek what is the order of men and women which, God has originally designed. Concluding with the references like Eph. 5:22, Col. 3:18, 1 Pet. 3:1 where the wives are instructed to be submissive to their husbands that scripture has clearly taught the order that man is head and woman is subordinate has been criticized by feminists that the Biblical culture and tradition has also been the Hebrew male dominated culture where females have been kept oppressed under the domination of males. Craig S. Keener supporting women in the ministry from egalitarian point of view points out the different views between traditionalists and egalitarians, “The divinely ordained relationship of male and female is, therefore, a mutually submissive one.”[27] There was Male dominated society in Hebrew culture which can not be ignored. It will be worth to study further to find out what was God’s original intension of the order and relationship between men and women. If the male dominated order was God intension then feminist will raise question on what kind of God Christian follows. Or men after fall have manipulated the God given responsibility to dominate over women hood to meet its selfish felt need. To conclude Biblical view on Feminist movement is difficult issue yet for both husband and wife it will be more important to give the right to one another than taking the right from one another.

Craig S. Keener supports women in the ministry, “Most apostles and prophets were men but at least one apostle and many prophetic figures were women.”[28]

5.2.2. My Personal View on Feminist Movement

Coming from male dominated tradition and without much seeking into the deeper controversial aspect of men and women relationship, it was pleasant to accept the biblical lay out in the epistle that men are head as Christ is the head of the Church, women should be submissive to their husbands.

The teaching of feminists, “Feminist therapists teach their clients that uncritical acceptance of traditional role can greatly restrict their range of freedom to define the kind of person they want to be”[29] seems to me danger if we do not have our Christian value system which should be based on healthy relationship. Judith Rolfs suggest how to face the feminist movement.

The social culture and political culture are continually in a state of change – and we need to adjust to it, up to a point. Whenever our absolute Christian values or the values of Christian around us get confused in the bombardment of the world’s philosophies, we need to be wise and vocal about speaking out and taking action with gentleness and courage.[30]

Basis on the Christian belief and values system, the husband and wife’s order has to be much more than what traditionally accepted. It will be most important for my personal conviction to seek what God has originally designed for men and women order and relationship. I personally value to go further in accepting women as subordinates. I believe the need for healthy relationship to give equality to one another in responsibility. The submissive should be one way rather mutual, “Even a cursory look at Paul’s writings shows that mutual submission is basic to his understanding of how believers are to relate to one another…”[31]

However I do not think going beyond what God has designed for. Some of the systems like radical feminists might seem to me bit extreme that they are seeking for total changes of the social order, institution etc. which has been preserved from the creation. I feel supporting the liberal and cultural feminists, who seek for personal empowerment, dignity, self-fulfillment and equality.

5.3. Feminist Therapeutic Process

5.3.1. Therapy Goal

The primary goal of feminist therapy is the transformation of individual and society. Feminist therapy is political enterprise to replace the current patriarchy with a feminist. Feminist therapy work to help women and men how to define themselves and relate to one another.

Corey suggests the feminist therapy goal borrowed from Worell and Remer[32] as follows:

Therapists should try to help women and men to trust their own experience and their intuition. Enable clients to appreciate female related values. Help women in taking care of themselves and accept and like their own bodies. And define and act in accordance with female sexual needs rather than another’s sexual needs.

5.3.2. Therapist Role

The role feminist therapy is the therapists and clients relationship. Therapists need to trust their clients’ ability and their therapeutic relationship should be a nonhierarchical, person to person relationship. It is the joint effort of therapists and clients seeking to help, “The therapist and client take active and equal roles working together to determine goals and procedure.”[33] Through the joint effort both therapist and client can come up the stage where they can be self disclosure.

5.4. Therapeutic Techniques

Corey has listed 9 techniques of feminist therapy, some of they are suggested to be adopted.

5.4.1. Gender Role Analysis

Gender role technique is used to help the client understand the impact of gender role in client’s life. Therapist begins by asking client to recall parental message client receive.

5.4.2. Bibliotherapy

Bibliotherapy is the useful tool in feminist therapy in which therapist describes number of books which deals the areas of the problem the client is looking for help.

5.4.3. Self Disclosure

Therapist self disclosure helps to equalize the relationship between therapist and client. Therapist discusses with client how the therapy will work and clarify the expectations, identify the goals and therapeutic process.

5.4.4. Group Work

Corey mentions that group work in feminist therapy is important. Women’s groups, including self-help groups and advocacy groups help women experience their connectedness and unity with other women. By joining the group the client will have opportunities to discover that she is not alone in her struggles.

6.0. CONCLUSION

The original of feminist therapy is connected with feminist movement in 1960s, seeking for liberation of women. Its main aim and objective is the change of individual and social life. They seek to replace the current patriarchal system with feminist and create a society that values equality in relationships.

Looking from both social and ecumenical perspective, the issue of feminist has been debated. The Biblical order of man and woman has to be base on relation which is based on the mutual submissive to one another.
Footnotes
[1] Gerald Corey, Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Belmont, 2001, p.343.
[2] Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richard, “What is Feminism”, www.feminist.com.
[3] Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002, 2001, vol. 11.0.0.0809, S.v. “Feminist”.
[4] Prasanna Kumari, A Reader in Feminist Theology, Madras, 1993, p.6.
[5] Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002, 2001, vol. 11.0.0.0809, S.v. “Suffrage”.
[6] Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002, 2001, vol. 11.0.0.0809, S.v. “Feminist”
[7] Ibid.
[8] Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002, 2001, vol. 11.0.0.0809, S.v. “Suffrage”
[9] Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002. loc.cit.
[10] Susan Frank Persons, Feminism & Christian Ethics, Cambridge, 1996, p.169.
[11] Corey, loc.cit., p.343.
[12] Susan Frank Persons, Feminism & Christian Ethics, Cambridge, 1996, p.13.
[13] Kumari, op.cit., p.140.
[14] Interview with Leibaklei Devi, Secretary, Wangjing Meira Paibee, 12 March 2003.
[15] Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House) 1998, c1996.
[16] Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002, 2001, vol. 11.0.0.0809, S.v. “Feminist”
[17] Persons, op.cit., p.165.
[18] Prasana Kumari, A Reader in Feminist Theology, Madras, 1993, p.67.
[19] Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002, 2001, vol. 11.0.0.0809, S.v. “Feminist”
[20] Persons, op.cit., p.175.
[21] “Feminism dead, says British exper”, Tribune (Chandigarh), 14 November, 2003, p.4.
[22] Seema Kumar, “The Feminisation of Joy”, Tribune (New Delhi), 15 September, 2003, p.4.
[23] Seema Kumar,
[24] Sukuntala Narasimhan, “Feminist Economics comes of Ages”, Tribune (Chandigarh), 19 August 2001, p.5.
[25] Corey, loc.cit., p.343.
[26] Corey, loc,cit., p.350.
[27] Gundry, Beck, Blomberg, Two Views on Women in Ministry, Secunderabad, 2002, p.139.
[28] Gundry, Beck, Blomberg, Two Views on Women in Ministry, Secunderabad, 2002, p.45.
[29] Corey, loc.cit., p.350.
[30] Judith Rolfs, A Woman’s Guide to Keeping Promises, Secunderabad, 2002, p.148.
[31] Gundry, Beck, Blomberg, Two Views on Women in Ministry, Secunderabad, 2002, p.132.
[32] Corey, loc.cit., p.354.
[33] Corey, loc.cit., p.354.

Bibliography
1. Tribune, Chandigarh, 14 November 2003.
2. Baumgardner, Jennifer, and Amy Richard, What is Feminism, www.feminist.com
3. Corey, Gerald, Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Belmont: Brooks/Cole, 2001.
4. Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996.
5. Gundry, Beck, Blomberg, Two Views on Women in Ministry, Secunderabad: OM Books, 2002.
6. Interview with Devi, Leibaklei, Secretary. Wangjing Meira Paibee, 12 March 2003.
7. Kumari, Prasanna, A Reader in Feminist Theology, Madras: A Gurukhul Publication, 1993.
8. Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002, 2001, vol. 11.0.0.0809, S.v. “Feminist”
9. Persons, Susan Frank, Feminism & Christian Ethics, Cambridge: Cambrige University Press, 1996.
10. Rolfs, Judith, A Woman’s Guide to Keeping Promises, Secunderabad: OM Books 2002.
11. Tribune, Chandigarh, 19 August 2001.Tribune, New Delhi, 15 September 2003

Organizational Culture and Leadership

By Madhu Chandra

Introduction

This study is part of my assignment submitted to Dr. V. V. Thomas, who taught on Organizational Culture as a subject under my MA in Leadership in Management. The purpose of this session in Leadership Seminar is to preliminary introduction of the topic to my Meitei Christian Leaders of its value and rich concept to enable my fellow leaders to create and recreate their own mission and ministry they are involved in.

In every organization has culture in relating to one another within organization and outside. Some cultures are rich and some are poor. The culture that is rich will function better and the culture that is poor will function less effective within or outside of the organization.

1.0. What Culture Is and Does
Words become actions, actions become habits, and habits become culture. The role of leadership in creating the organizational culture is very vital, therefore it is said that leadership and culture are two sides of the same coin. The leaders create the culture by imposing their values and assumption on group members.

Sechein defines organization culture as. “A pattern of shared basic assumption that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.”

The Organizational culture is analyzed at three levels which the cultural phenomenon is evident to the observer. The three levels are:

1.1. Artifacts:
The artifacts are visible organizational structure of its physical environment, its language, its technology, observable rituals and ceremonies, and so on. This level of the culture is easy to observe but very difficult to decipher. It is dangerous to suppose the deeper assumptions from artifacts alone because one’s interpretations will be projections of one’s own feelings and reactions. If the observer live among the group for long period of time, the meaning of artifacts will become clearer.

1.2. Espoused Values:
The espoused values are the strategies, goals, and philosophies. This strategies, goals, and philosophies are created by a group when they try to find out the ways and means to solve any task or problems they will face. The outcomes of the actions are observed by the group and the actions become solution to the tasks and problems, they those steps transformed into a shared value or belief, and ultimately become the shared assumption.

1.3. Basic Assumptions:
The basic assumptions are the ultimate source of values and action; they are unconscious, taken for granted beliefs, perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. When the solution to the problem works repeatedly and the hypothesis become gradually to be treated as a reality, it is taken for granted that this is the way the things work. The shared assumption of the group when what to pay attention to, what things mean, how to react emotionally to what is going on, and what actions to take in various situation. Once the group has developed such assumptions, those assumptions become mental map, which will be maximally comfortable with others.

Leadership is originally the source of the beliefs and values that get a group moving in dealing with its internal and external problems. If what a leader proposes works and continue to work, which was once only the leader’s assumption, gradually comes to be a shared assumption.

The most important part of the leader is how to get at the deeper level of culture, and find out the ways and means of the assumptions made at each level and how to deal with.

2.0. Two Sample of Organizational Culture
Two companies: Action Company and Multi Company were tested in Sechien’s research was analyzed through Clinical Research Model. The clinical model assumes that culture will not reveal itself that easily and that one must actively get involved to establish where stable rituals, espoused values and basic shared assumptions are located. Both the companies’ cultures are analyzed at three levels: Visible artifacts, espoused values and unstated assumptions.

2.1. The Action Company

2.1.1. From Artifact point of view
In Action Company, entry for the staffs were through company badges and for outsiders need to sign at guard’s counter. The code of dress were informal, staffs were open to one another and free interaction. The offices and conference rooms were open, and provision of food and coffee were seems to be part of life. The status prerequisites such as private dining room, parking space was required. The founder John Murphy himself was not different from the rest of the staffs. The access of the group members to argue with Murphy was practice.

2.1.2. From Espoused Values point of view
Many of those were embodied in form of slogans or in parables that Murphy wrote from time to time and circulated to group members. The high value was based on personal responsibilities yet team player. All the group members were very sure of what they roles were. The group members can bitterly fight in the meetings yet they are very close friends. Murphy emphasized absolute integrity in designing, manufacturing, and selling.

2.1.3. From Basic Assumption point of view
Every individual is the source of all good ideas. The entire group members are one family, will take care of one another. Truth is discovered through debate and testing. Every person must think for him or herself, and do the right thing.

3.0. Role of Leadership in Creating Organizational Culture
One of the most mysterious aspects of organizational culture is how it originates. Creating an organizational culture is to seek the means and ways to solve the problem a founder or post founder leader is facing in his or her organization. Culture basically springs from three sources.

3.1. The Beliefs, Values, and Assumptions of founder of Organization.
Organization does not form accidentally or spontaneously. Instead they are goal oriented, have a specific purpose, and are created because one or more individual perceive that the coordinated and concerted action of a number of people can accomplish something that individual action cannot. The process of culture formation will involve some of the following steps:

3.1.1. Found Leader with a vision
A single person (founder) has an idea for a new enterprise.

3.1.2. Formation a core group
The founder brings in one or more other people and creates a core group that shares a common goal and vision with the founder.

3.1.3. A core group start operating
The founding core group begins to act in concert to create an organization by raising funds, obtaining patents, incorporating, locating work space, and so on.

3.1.4. More Members are added
Others are brought into the organization, and a common history begins to be built. If the group remains fairly stable and has significant shared learning experiences, it will gradually develop assumptions about itself, its environment, and how to do things to survive and grow.

Example: The first case is the Jones Food Company. Jones the founder of the company continues to impose his assumptions on the company till his death. His assumption is the high quality, reliable product to customers as his prime mission. Jones believes to pass on his assumptions to group members and the leader to come after he is gone is through personal examples and close supervision. The founding group of Jones Company consisted three of Jones brothers and one lieutenant. Jones shared with his four founder leaders, how to run the business and ensure his basic assumptions. The power and authority in this organization remain very much with Jones himself. He appointed many of his family relative in higher post of the organization. Jones made the husband of his eldest daughter as president of his organization. After Jones died the company experienced culture turmoil for long time because of his absence and retirement of the several founders. None of his family members had experience to run the organization. Lastly the responsibility to run the organization to a manager who had known the history of the organization was handed over. Under his leadership some of the original assumptions emerge. The Jones Company was sold and Jones cousin and this manager established and became the competitive with Jones Food Company.

The lesson from this example is that a culture does not survive if the main culture carriers are gone.

3.2. The Learning Experiences of Group Members
As the organization grows with founder leaders and the teams that own the ideas and values of the founder leaders and work him, the new members come in to join the group. The artifact, espoused, and assumption values of the group is passed on to the new members. Now the new members adopted the culture which was prevailing prior to their coming.

New post founder leaders are appointed and new leaders keeps adopting the same values of the founder leaders, which is effective and have worth according to their understanding and concept.

Example: The second case is Smithfield Enterprises which deals with financial service founded by Smithfield. Smithfield was not very success in his business of financial investment. He appointed other managers to run the business; he does not impose his assumptions on those managers. His organizational cultures were embedded more from the assumptions of those managers.

3.3. New Beliefs, values, and assumptions brought in by new members and leaders
Third stage of organizational culture formation takes place when new post founder leaders bring new artifact, espoused, and assumption values after thorough study and evaluation of the inherited organizational culture from the founder leaders.
New post founder leaders, tries to redefine the mission statement, purpose statement, core values, and desired results. The role of founder leaders and post founder leaders are equally important in creating organizational culture. The future shape of the organization will depend on the richness of the organizational culture that founder leader created and post founder adopted or recreated.

To have effective function of the organization, every group must develop a system of sanctions for keeping and discarding the rules. The leadership brought the original source of norms, rules, languages, reward systems that will manager the internal integration of the organization.
Example: The third case is the Action Company of high technology and founded by Murphy and four others. Murphy is a very dominant and strong personality. Murphy believes that any good ideas can come from anyone, so the contribution of ideas from everyone was highly value. To get the best service out of individual one, Murphy believes to build strong support of the individual. So the assumptions of individual’s contributions and building strong support were embedded in the organizational culture.

From three cases presented in this chapter illustrate how organizations begin to create cultures through the actions of the founders. The Founders’ strong theories of how to run the organization were tested earlier. If their assumptions were wrong, the group fails and if their assumptions were correct, they create powerful organizational cultures that reflect their assumptions.

4.0. How Leaders Embed and Transmit Culture
The chapter twelve deals how the founders embed and pass on their culture to the group by exploring and detailing different mechanisms. Some of the mechanisms that leaders use to communicate their beliefs, values, and assumptions are conscious and deliberate actions. The mechanisms are categorized into Primary Embedding Mechanisms and Secondary Articulation and Reinforcement Mechanisms. Each mechanism has been subcategorized in six mechanisms.

4.1. Primary Embedding mechanisms
The mechanism of the primary embedding mechanisms is what leaders pay attention to and the process of how things are measured and control are the systematic and consistent. The leaders need pay attention to communicate consistently and systematically of their beliefs, goals, and assumptions.

4.1.1. The reactions of the leader to critical incidents and crises
Second primary mechanism is the reactions of the leader to critical incidents and crises. It is the manner in which the leader and other deals when the organization faces crises. This manner will create the norms, values, and working procedures and open the underlying assumptions.

4.1.2. The criteria used for resource allocation
Third primary mechanism is the criteria used for resource allocation. Budgeting is criteria for resource allocation which will reveal assumptions and beliefs of leaders.

4.1.3. The Deliberate role of modeling, teaching and coaching
Fourth primary mechanism is deliberate role of modeling, teaching, and coaching. The visible behaviors of founders and leaders of organizations have great value of communicating their assumptions and values to other members, especially to newcomers. The message received by observing the leaders’ behavior has more powerful than the message delivered from stage.

4.1.4. The kinds of criteria for allocating rewards and status to the group members.
Fifth primary mechanism is the kinds of criteria for allocating rewards and status to the group members. Members of the organization need to learn from the founders and leaders on what group one is promoted, is performance appraised and how one is punished. Founders and leaders establishing the criteria for reward, promotion and status system will ensure their values and assumptions.

4.1.5. The Criteria for Recruiting, selection, promotion, retirement, and excommunications.
The last primary mechanism is the criteria for recruiting, selection, promotion, retirement, and excommunications.

4.2. Secondary Articulation and Reinforcement Mechanisms
Secondary Articulation and Reinforcement Mechanisms is cultural reinforcers. The design, structure, architecture, rituals, stories, and formal statements in a young organization are not cultural creators but reinforcers. Secondary mechanisms are also categorized into six mechanisms. These mechanisms are secondary because they work only if the primary mechanisms are consistency.

4.2.1. The organizational design and structure.
First secondary mechanism is the organizational design and structure. The founders and leaders design their organization to embed their deeply held assumptions about the task, the means to accomplish it, the kinds of people, and the right kinds of relationship. The founder and leaders used the organizational structure and design to reinforce their assumptions.

4.2.2. The organizational systems and procedures
Second secondary mechanism is the organizational systems and procedures. The most visible part of organization is the system and procedure that is maintained daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually. If the founder or leader fails to design the systems and procedures, they are not consistent in their values, beliefs, and assumptions.

4.2.3. The rites and ritual of the organization
The third secondary mechanism is the rites and ritual of the organization. If the rites and rituals survived for certain period of time then it can be used them to decipher the culture.

4.2.4. The design of physical space, facades, and buildings
The fourth secondary mechanism is the design of physical space, facades, and buildings. The physical design is intended to be visible feature of the organization encountered by customers, new employees, and visitors. The message from the physical design can reinforce founder of leader’s message.

4.2.5. The important events and people
The fifth secondary mechanism is about important events and people. The stories of events or people whether in the form of a parable, legend, or even myth will reinforce the assumptions of the founders and teach the assumptions to newcomers.

4.2.6. The formal statements of organization philosophy, creeds, and contract
The last secondary mechanism is the formal statements of organization philosophy, creeds, and charters. The formal statement attempted by the founders or leaders to state what their values or assumptions were will reinforce the assumptions of the present leadership.

5.0. The Evolution of Culture and Leadership

5.1. The role of Leaders in Culture Formation at start
There are change mechanisms for different stages of culture formation. In the first stage of founding and early growth of a new organization, the cultural thrust comes from the founders or leaders’ assumptions. The leaders much become marginal in their own culture to recognize their assumptions and to learn new ways of thinking to unfreeze and change their organization.

5.2. The role of leaders in midlife
In organizational midlife, the organizations face different situations. They much maintain themselves through some kind of growth and renewal process. The past history of organization’s history is not necessarily good guide for the success in future. At this state it is more difficult to decipher the culture because their assumptions are embedded in their routines. At this stage the leader need to consider mechanisms for changes.
There are mechanisms to bring the changes in midlife of organization.

5.2.1. Systematic Promotion from Subculture
The changes can happened through systematic promotion from subcultures. Leaders do this by promoting people from the subculture into power position. The disadvantage of this mechanism is slow in bringing the changes in the organizations.

5.2.2. Organizational Development
Another mechanism to bring the changes in the organization is through Organization Development. Organization Development is defined as planned change process. The purpose of Organization Development is to build an effective executive team to tackle the specific inter-group problems. Once the change decision is made through organization development, the actual change will vary according to the situation. It is painful to give up some of the shared assumptions to bring the changes in the organization. This kind of changes required from five to fifteen or more years if the basic assumptions are really to bring changes without destroying and rebuilding the organization.

5.2.3. Technological Seduction
The third mechanism to bring the changes in organization is through Technological Seduction. The leaders of the midlife organizations try to change the cultural assumptions through introducing the technology. The current practice, the leaders try to do is through introducing the personal computer to several layers of leadership for better networking and communication.

5.3. Practical Steps to bring changes of organizational culture in midlife
If the success of the organization continues, the cultural assumptions are held strongly. The mature stage of the organization is sometime reached when the organization is not able to grow any more. The maturity is not necessarily related to age, size, or number but rather it is the interaction between outputs of the organization and environmental opportunity. In such situation the cultural change program is required. There are steps for change in organizational mature and possible decline.

5.3.1. The changes through combination of outsiders
The first is to manage the changes through combination of outsiders. The board of directors brings the new managers or executive directors who will bring their new ideas and assumptions. They might also be able to find out some of the old assumptions which are no longer effective and need the change. The people of the old assumptions will oppose to the new leadership. So the leadership needs to deal the old people who are not willing to changes which might required force them to leave or voluntarily leave the organization.

5.3.2. The change is through scandal and explosion of myths
The second change is through scandal and explosion of myths. The organizations developed ideology and myths about how they will operate as they grow mature. The ways they work according to their assumptions are called “theory-in-use”. There can be differences between theory and the share assumptions of the organization, which will further need the change. This change can be brought through the sandal and exposing the myths.

5.3.3. The change is through coercive persuasion
The third change is through coercive persuasion. The old culture of the organization might be dysfunctional and they are bound to their old cultural assumptions which are no longer useful will need change mechanism through persuading by force to happen the change. This process is difficult but the manager can use to bring the changes in the organizational culture.

5.3.4. The change is through turnarounds
The fourth change is through turnarounds. The main purpose of the change mechanism is to unfrozen the organization. Once the organization unfreeze, the change is possible. Turnarounds require the involvement of all organization members so that the dysfunctional of old culture become visible to everyone. This can be achieved by redefining the share assumptions through teaching, coaching, and changing structure.

6.0. Conclusion
Understanding and studying what is the organizational culture will help any one who is in the leadership position. This will help the leaders in creating the organizational culture of their own. Not only creating the organizational culture, this will help assessing their existing culture. Studying the culture assumptions will also help in helping other organizations to assess and analyze their culture. To know the basic concept of Organizational Culture, will lead the secret of making systems of effective function in our leadership setup.

Developing Vision

By Madhu Chandra

1.0. Introduction
Vision is a key foundation on which church plans and activities must be built.

2.0. Importance of Vision
Vision is crucial to life and any ministry. Ministry without vision is like a surgeon without a scalpel, a cowboy who has lost his horse, a carpenter with a broken hammer. To attempt a ministry without a clear, well-articulated vision is to invite a stillbirth. Church and parachurch ministries may grow at the very beginning, but without God’s vision they are destined to plateau and eventually die. The reason for importance of vision:

2.1. A Vision Clarifies Direction
Leaders must be able to articulate what God has called them to do. Not to be able to do so is to invite disaster. When people follow a so called leader who does not know where he is going, they all wind up in the common ditch.

2.2. A Vision Invites Unity
Scripture places great emphasis on the importance of unity among God’s people. An institutional vision is one of the critical components of unity in ministry.
The vision serves as a constant reminder to those in the ministry of the direction they have agreed to pursue together as a team. Clarity of the vision gives the people who make up the organization a chance to reevaluate the organization’s direction in light of their own gifts and personal directions in life.

2.3. A Vision Facilitate Function
A characteristic of many ministries today is that they do not know what they are supposed to be doing. Vision provides people with a picture of what this process looks like. This is critical because if people cannot see it, then it probably will not happen.

2.4. A Vision Develops Leadership
A question on the minds of many in ministry is, Where are the leaders? The question thus becomes, Who will replace them? The answer is today’s generation and that of tomorrow. But what is essential to this new leadership? What will mark them and others as leaders?
One answer is vision. Developing a vision and then living it vigorously and authentically are essential elements of leadership.

2.5. A Vision Prompts Passion
Vision and passion work hand in hand. While vision is a seeing word that involves what leaders see in their heads, passion is a feeling word that involves their emotions.
2.6. A Vision Fosters Risk Taking
A share vision fosters risk taking by a congregation. People with a compelling, passionate vision are willing to take risks that they might not otherwise take.

2.7. A Vision Offers Sustenance
Vision encourages people to look beyond the mundane and the pain of ministry. It holds a picture in front of them that distracts from what is and loudly announces, “This is what could be.” God uses the picture we carry in our mental billfolds to sustain us in the worst of times.

2.8. A Vision Creates Energy
Visions are exciting and energizing – they energize people. They strike a spark – the excitement that lifts a ministry organization out of the mundane. They supply the fuels that lights the fire under a congregation; they enable leaders to stop putting out fires and start igniting fires. A vision from God has the potential to turn a maintenance mentality into a ministry mentality.

2.9. A Vision Provides Purpose
The right vision provides meaning to people’s lives. It gives them a sense of divine purpose in life – of being part of something great – some thing bigger than themselves that is accomplishing at this time and place in history.
With shared vision, people see themselves not just as congregants or per warmers but as a vital part of a church that is exerting a powerful impact on a lost and dying world.

2.10. A Vision Motivates Giving
People are moved to give to organizations that project a clear, well articulated vision of what they believe is God’s future for them. Vision communicates that while God is doing something exciting now, the best is yet to come.
Note only does vision motivate people to give of their finances or treasure; it encourages them to give of their time and talent.

3.0. The Definition of a Vision
Several terms, such as dream, goal, objective, purpose, and mission, are used synonymously with vision but they are not the same thing.
The definition of an organizational vision is as a clear and challenging picture of the future of a ministry as you believe that it can and must be. It has six important facts.

3.1. A Vision is Clear
A vision is clear when those who are a part of the ministry understand it well enough to articulate it to someone else. To clarify the vision, ask these questions. “What is this ministry going and what will it look like when it arrives? What would you like to see this ministry accomplish? What do you think this work will have accomplished five years from now?

3.2. A Vision is Challenging
The problem for most ministry visions is that once they are conceived and born, they face a quick, untimely death and are quietly buried in some vision graveyard. If people are not challenged by the vision, there really is no vision.

3.3. A Vision is a Mental Picture
Vision is a seeing word. A good vision probes the imagination in such a way that it invokes up visual representations in the mind. John R. Stott says of vision, “It is an act of seeing – an imaginative perception of things, combining insight and foresight…”
Visionary leaders have the innate ability to see what others do not see. While they see needs, they have the natural capacity to see beyond those needs to the unique, exciting opportunities those needs present.

3.4. A Vision is the Future of the Ministry
Vision is always cast in terms of the future. It is mental picture of what tomorrow will look like. It is a view of a ministry’s future and its exciting possibilities.
Visionary leaders spend a large proportion of time thinking about and living in the future. By cultivating institutional vision, leaders have a vital part in inventing and influencing the future of their ministry.

3.5. A Vision can Be
A good vision has potential. It rests firmly on the bedrock of reality – thus it is highly feasible. The visionary leader possesses an mysterious sense of being on to something big for God, believing that God is planning something special and that the leader is a vital part of that plan.

3.6. A Vision Must Be
A good vision grabs hold and won’t let go. Not only does the visionary believe that it can be, he is convinced that it must be.
One is the blief God is in it. He is the motivating force behind what the visionary wants to accomplish.

4.0. Giving Birth to Your Vision
The ministry leader is the sole point person or primary leader of the ministry. In the church this person is the senior pastor. In the parachurch this individual goes by various titles such as president, general director, and so no.

4.1. A Point Person
It is important to recognize that every ministry and every leadership team within a ministry needs a single leader. The general leadership principle here is that where two or more related together as a team for any period of time, one must stand out as the leader or head. It is important that those with special leadership gift and ability take positions of primary leadership in the various organizations.

4.1.1. A Visionary Leader
A church or parachurch ministry’s vision begins with and is the primary responsibility of the point person. And this individual is benefited greatly it he or she is a visionary person. It takes a visionary leader to cultivate a profound, positive vision of the future.
Two kinds of leadership in developing vision for ministry are those who prefer senses and intuition. Visionary leaders develop vision through intuition. Intuitional visionary leaders gather information by looking beyond what senses can feel. Intuitional leaders naturally see the vision in their head; sensing types have literally to see it with their eyes. They perceive it thought their five senses – they see, smell, and touch the vision.
The visionary leaders have the unique ability to powerfully enable followers for ministry by communicating a unique, positive vision of the future. They display the strongest ownership of the vision. They best personify the vision and tend to be most dedicated to it personally
Addition to intuition, another characteristic of visionary type people is their ability to recognize, collect and synthesize pertinent information from a variety of sources. Therefore, visionary leaders should see and value any knowledge gained from their experience in ministry.

4.2. What Does the Point Person Do
The point person must be a vision caster. In this capacity, the leader wears three hats – cultivator, communicator and clarifier of the vision.

4.2.1. Vision Cultivator
The vision cultivator initiates and develops the organization’s unique vision, which empowers the vision community for ministry. He initiates the process by challenging the ministry to come up with a clear, challenging vision. He develops the vision initially but solicits the input of others to the extent that it becomes everyone’s vision.

4.2.2. Vision Communicator
The vision communicator functions as the primary vision caster but is not the only vision caster. Once the vision is cultivated and in place, the leader must take responsibility to keep it before the ministry community. He does this directly and indirectly through others in the ministry. Without the regular casting and recasting of the dream, people in the community are quick to stop dreaming and often behave as if there is no vision at all.
4.2.3. Vision Clarifier
The vision clarifier focuses the vision. Cutting edge organizations are characterized a whirlwind of activity and cataclysmic change. In the midst of all of this, there must be someone who regularly serves to rethink and further refine the dream. This clarification means periodic revisiting and rephrasing of the vision. The clarifier is not changing the vision but looking for new, creative ways to express it as a means of infusing fresh life and power into the dream.

5.0. How Vision is Processed

5.1. The Conception of a Dream
The birth process, whether it involves a child or a vision, begins at conception. The conception stage of a vision has at least two crucial phases: initiation and expansion. The end result of this stage is a dream that eventually leads to the vision.

5.1.1. The Initiation Phase
The dream is often initiated when the dreamer either recognizes untapped opportunities or becomes dissatisfied with the status quo.
Most visionaries are quick to recognize untapped opportunities. They have strange ability to see things that other people miss. Secondly when the visionary leaders become dissatisfied with what they are doing.

5.1.2. The Expansion Phase
While the dream is initiated most often by dissatisfaction with the status quo, it expands as a result of the desire for a viable alternative: What can and must be.
People other than visionaries may express deep dissatisfaction with what is. They too may be good at spotting critical unmet needs, inconsistencies. The problem is that they are often the organization’s squeaky (noisy) wheels. The visionary leaders are completely different from squeaky wheels. They possess a keen sense of strategic opportunity in the midst of adversity. They see or know of solutions for unmet needs.
Visionary leaders gain, first, their solution and idea from the source of God and secondly from the vast readings and listening from the practical exercises. They should read, listento, and seek experience with those who think of new ideas, new images, and new paradigms. While God may directly implant the dream in the mind, more often he indirectly plants the information the leader collects from reading, listening, and practical experience as a dream in his subconscious mind.

5.2. The Development of Your Vision
During the development stage, the dream moves closer to becoming a vision. There are several methods and combinations thereof for developing our vision and statement of it: employing the general method, expanding the mission statement, studying other vision statement and dreaming big dreams.

5.2.1. Employ the General Method
The general method can be used alone or in combination with others.

5.2.1.1. Step 1 : Envisioning Prayer
The first step in the general method of developing a vision is the envisioning prayer. It is not prayer for a ministry in general; rather it specifically concerns the ministry vision.

5.2.1.2. Step 2 : Thinking BIG
The second step in the development of the vision is to think big. Most successful vision statements are big vision statement. People who have a big view of God have a big vision.
How can we grow a bigger vision, increase its size? One way is to pray and ask God to increase our faith and consequently vision. Secondly we can relate to the people who think big and expose themselves to visionary by reading their books and articles and listening to their tape.

5.2.1.3. Step 3 : Written Brainstorming
As dreamers pray envisioning prayers and think big, the next step is to begin writing their thoughts down on paper, recording the dream. This is called written brainstorming, putting on paper what God is putting on your heart.

5.2.1.4. Step 4 : Determining the Contents
While creative people never cease to brainstorm, they do come to a point when it is time to organize the collected information. The fourth step in the development of vision.

5.2.1.4.1. Purpose Statement
Purpose statement tells why the ministry exists. Therefore, it is essential that those who are involved in a ministry or desire to plant a ministry think through and determine the purpose of that ministry. We need to answer these questions, “Why are we here? Why do we exist?”

5.2.1.4.2. Mission Statement
A good vision statement will contain the ministry’s mission.

5.2.1.4.3. The Core Values
Many vision statements include in some way the ministry’s values. Core values clarify what is unique about a particular ministry.

5.2.1.4.4. The Ministry Strategy
A fourth component found in many vision statements is the strategy the ministry will implement to accomplish its mission.

5.2.2. Expand the Mission Statement
A second method for developing a vision is the expansion of your mission statement. In the strategic thinking and acting process, I recommend all the leaders develop a mission statement. The mission statement is the picture that forms in your mind.

5.2.3. Study Other Vision Statements
A third method for vision development is to collect and study other ministries’ vision statements. To pursue this method, you must have already collected some vision statements – the more the better. Study them.

5.2.4. Dream Big Dreams
A fourth method for developing a vision is to take some time off and retreat to a quite, creative place, such as a lakeside cabin or a place in the mountains. Ask yourselves, what will the ministry look like tow, five, ten, twenty, or more years from now? What do I see when I envision this ministry in the future?
This method is for highly visionary people – the intuitive types. They tend to carry pictures around in their mental billfolds all the time, so this is a method tailor made for them. As pictures and images flash in their mind, they simply record what they see.

5.3. The Birth of You Vision
The birth of the vision occurs at that point in time when the dream becomes the vision. The best approach to understanding the birth of a vision is to ask and answer two important questions.

How do you know when you have a vision? What will the new vision look like?

6.0. Conclusion
We can not live without vision. Vision is clear mental picture of what want to see happen achieved. It must be developed from the source of God and vast reading, research and reflection of books and others’ thoughts.