A
bizarre
scene
Below: first and second images from the bottom - the poorest strata of society is being lured with jobs and money. Third from bottom - a Sikh policeman being targetted by two "missionary" workers.
History
Beware... Punjab is being Invaded ...Again!
A Report by TEHELKA
Punjab is being invaded by foreigners ... again!
The latest invasion is no less insidious than the ones we've suffered through the last few millennia at the hands of Greeks and Macedonians, Maurayans, Guptas, Persians, Afghans, Maharathas, Britons ...
This time around, it is being heavily funded by the religious right of North America, which in turn is being funded and facilitated by George Bush's administration and his strange religious agenda.
The poor are being targeted with the help of economic and political might, by a philosophy which has already sucked out all the beauty and spirituality from the Christian faith in the West. The people of Punjab and India are being sold an ideology which has already proved bankrupt elsewhere, and now threatens the very existence of a society shaped by the incomparably rich and unique philosophy of the Gurus.
We have been weakened in recent years by a number of body blows: 1947, the 1984 assault on the Golden Temple and gurdwaras across the land, and the pogroms across the nation the same year ... and by the shenaningans of our "leaders". No wonder the vultures are hovering ...
We need to act NOW!
The following is an extract from an article I came across recently in the Tehelka journal which spells out the threat in clear terms. Please circulate it widely ... the first step is to inform ourselves of the goings-on.
[Sahib Singh, Chandigarh, Punjab.]
By the mid-1990s, when "spying missions" were despatched to India by US-based transnational missionary organisations (TMOs), it was part of the larger conversion mission, AD2000 and the Joshua Project.
Abraham's commentary in a film produced by Agape reveals that "by the mid-1990s, a growing realisation for the need for a systematic church-planting effort covering the entire state was gaining momentum. We held a systematic grassroots level harvest force research in 1998 and the results were an eye-opener for us.
"There were 262 pin code areas in Punjab without any churches in 1998. In the next three years, however, all the 491 postal code areas in the state gained entry into the church map".
This was possible due to the research and survey conducted by Brother Issac Dutta, research coordinator, Punjab, Operation Agape.
"God gave me the burden of Punjab in 1997. I started my research in 1997. My team and I visited 1,100 Christian workers in the whole of Punjab, collecting data from them on who was working in different villages, blocks and districts", Dutta explained.
The North India Harvest Network, also started by Abraham, used the "Pin Code survey" conducted by the Indian Missions Association, Chennai, to generate ethnographic data in the North Indian states. The data has armed the US intelligence agencies, for they now have unparalleled access to the remotest corners of India and are again, pincer-like, bringing areas into "the fold" by secretly unleashing pastors in different blocks and districts.
Operation Agape has, for example, been instrumental in producing over 3,000 "house-churches" in Madhya Pradesh in the last six years. Their conversion figure stands at a record number of "60,000 to 70,000" converts.
"Our methods have become a model for churches all across India", says Abraham. "The house-church movement does not strive for buildings. We do not believe in buildings. Traditional churches are dying. The Anglican church in England is dying. The house-church movement is the spirit of God.
"Ludhiana is a city where the church has done really well. Now we are dreaming of a church in every colony. Fifty percent of colonies in Ludhiana and 60 percent of villages in Punjab have churches now", he told Tehelka.
Planting churches in Punjab
Operation Agape is supported by Christian Aid, a US-based conversion-funding agency, run by Rev. Bob Finley, a loyal supporter of President Bush. The mission headquarters of this operation is Agape Bhawan, located within the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana.
Abraham was extremely evasive about answering questions on Operation Agape, but a video CD produced by AGAPE Foundation, which is in Tehelka's possession, is explicit about the movement.
The film on Operation Agape interviews Rev. C. George, who claims to have begun the church planting movement in Punjab:
"I had great concern for Punjab...Then the Lord very definitely, specifically asked me to go to the state of Punjab and do whatever possible so that the people will come to know that Operation Blue Star or Operation Black Thunder did not help, but operation of God's love will be the solution to the problem of Punjab".
Simply put, the strategy is to plant a church in every village and urban colony and notch up a figure of 100,000 churches in the state by 2010.
"We cannot say we have any challenge here because Punjab is open. All religions are respected and we can go freely to everybody. The most difficult states to evangilize are Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh because extremist Hindus are there", says Simon P. George, manager, Punjab Bible College, Hiran (near Ludhiana).
For full report: http://www.tehelka.com/story_main.asp?filename=ts013004qaeda.asp
September 16, 2008
Conversation about this article
1: Haqeeqat Singh (Bakersfield, California, U.S.A..), September 16, 2008, 3:02 PM.
The above article reflects a devastating commentary on the state of Sikhism in Punjab. This "invasion" by the Christian Evangelicals is truly insidious - and threatens to wipe out our unparalleled spiritual heritage and destroy the very core that defines us as human beings. However, I feel as a society, we are to blame for letting our belief system and faith be compromised so easily. Today's Punjabi Sikhs are playing right into the hands of outside negative influences. We are destroying each other by letting envy, jealousy and apathy consume us. In today's Punjab, there is no moral fabric that unites us anymore. It's everyman for himself. Brothers kill each other over land disputes, drugs are rampant among the disenfranchised Punjabi Sikh youth, and distinctions based on the caste system i.e. Jatt/Chamar/Tarkhan etc. are as prevalent as ever. Unfortunately, I write this all from personal, first hand experience. What is the solution? At this point, I'm not sure I know. When I first moved from Amritsar to the U.S., I cut my hair, shaved and stopped going to gurdwara. I had given up on the whole culture because I had seen what was going on first hand. Punjabi pride and unity was a thing of the past - long gone. On the whole, the only pride a Punjabi has in Punjab these days is how much money he has, and this cut-throat "survival of the fittest" mentality. The people who wear turbans and long beards drink whisky in the evenings and discuss how to pay-off local politicians and patwaaris. The chief minister of Punjab, who is also the head of the organization (SGPC) responsible for promoting the Sikh Faith and running Gurdwaras, is pictured in newspapers with a hindu tilak on his forehead after attending pooja at a hindu temple in order to garner votes. These examples constitute reality, folks - you can't make this sort of thing up. The youth of Punjabi villages are disenchanted with the system. They watch MTV and aspire to be like what they see on TV - it's a form of escape for them. When they look up to their elders they see hypocrisy and political corruption. They are not the ones to blame. Nobody teaches the next generation about values and Sikhism. It's all about bling-bling, looking like what they see on TV, and leaving the pind for better opportunity, even at the expense of their own identity and belief-system. Trust me, there are complete villages in Majha (which was once regarded as the stronghold of Sikhi), that have the next generation of Sikh youth all clean shaven. Fathers all wear puggs and fight elections, and sons are all clean shaven. This is the land where our ancestors gave their lives and their children's lives to preserve the identity that the Guru gave to us. I am not trying to preach here, because I too had cut my hair, but I think the whole environment has changed for the worse. The environment in Punjab is ripe for these Christian evangelists and the fault is none other than OUR own. I urge those threatened by the demeaning tactics, intolerance, and blatant financial opportunism of the Christian Right to read Sam Harris's excellent work: A Letter to a Christian Nation, published by Knopf. It articulates a number of wonderfully rational and intellectual arguments against the bigotry, hypocrisy, and divisive nature of these so called "Christians" whose sole aim is to convert other people to their own belief and thinking.
2: LS (San Jose, California, U.S.A.), September 16, 2008, 4:48 PM.
Among my American friends, I keep hearing about incidents of conversion (one recently I heard was from someone who converted to Muslim and was sharing a story about how he's fasting these days!), many others I hear about conversion to Christian (mainly the poor ones for whom obviously any help is like light from God - it depends who offers them first!).
3: J. Kaur (USA), September 16, 2008, 10:46 PM.
Regarding the quote: "This time around, it is being heavily funded by the religious right of North America, which in turn is being funded and facilitated by George Bush's administration and his strange religious agenda." Can anyone highlight the source of the allegation that the United States Government is supporting these missionary activities?
4: Rajinder (Canada), September 16, 2008, 11:19 PM.
Instead of blaming SGPC, Akalis or whoever, the simple question each on of us should ask ourself: Am I raising or did I raise practicing Sikh children? If your answer is yes, then you already contributed toward survival of Sikhi. If not, then you're as good as SGPC, Akalis, and the sants. Remember, their mantra is not how Sikhi is doing, it is how much influence I have over people.
5: H. Singh (U.S.A.), September 16, 2008, 11:36 PM.
I know it is insidious to speak about caste practices in our community, but I can't help point to the problem. The first things we need to know are: who are these Christian Evangelists targeting and, why are they targeting them? The Christian Evangelists are targeting :Mazbhi" Sikhs, Ravidassiya Sikhs and other economically and socially discriminated group of Sikhs. The Mazbhi Sikhs are vastly poor and have been historically treated as untouchables under the Hindu Varna system which is segregated on basis of skin color - with the fair-skinned people on the top and the blacks at the bottom. These poor Mazbhi Sikhs who clean the roads of Punjab, work with leather hides, clean toilets, work as labourers in the fields, also work in the upper-class homes as cleaners or maid servants. Why are Christian Evangelists targeting Mazbhi Sikhs? The Mazbhi Sikhs have not been treated as Sikhs by the so-called upper-class Sikhs. The latter vastly don't associate themselves or have family ties with the Mazbhi Sikhs. These fair-skinned Sikhs discriminate against the Mazbhi Sikhs not just because of their occupation but because of their dark skin-color. Having been born as Sikhs hasn't changed much for them at all. The malaise of caste consciousness amongst Sikhs is driving many Sikhs to the Dera Evangelicals, Christian Evangelicals, Radhasoami Evangelicals, etc.
6: Harjinder Singh (India), September 17, 2008, 7:17 AM.
The irony is that many so called Sikh leaders of Punjab are crying hoarse over atrocities being committed by Hindu fundamentalists on Christian missionaries else where in India. They are obvilious of this fact that the same missionaries are spreading their tentacles in rural and urban Punjab. Their target is the poor and deprived masses. Ethically, morally and legally, it is wrong to take advantage of one's sorrows, miseries and poverty to lure and entice them into joining a vacuous system. Are we Sikhs so gullible?
7: D.J. Singh (Chicago, U.S.A.), September 19, 2008, 5:38 PM.
People embrace other beleif systems only when they see something better or see an advantage. This is a reality check - modern-day youth (self included) hardly relate to Sikhi anymore - we can no longer keep basking in our glorious past. We must evolve with times and adapt according to circumstances - I beleive there is a similar expression in the holy scriptures as well .. ".. tabhi chalayo panth.."
8: Ranjeet (Southampton, U.K.), September 21, 2008, 8:17 AM.
As Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann once said, 'It's not about the numbers!' It is about substance.
9: Harmeet (Chandigarh, Punjab), September 22, 2008, 5:46 AM.
I think that double standards, hypocrisy, large scale corruption by both past and present governments, are responsible for eroding faith in the rich culture Punjab once enjoyed. Every educated Sikh is aware that the SGPC is also politicised. The so-called leaders need to learn how to be humble and polite (the basic qualities of a Sikh). The only thing these leaders know is how to take revenge and how to acquire wealth. There are examples galore of our leaders neglecting their true responsibilites and duties.
10: Gurinder Singh Dhanoa (Geelong), September 24, 2008, 7:02 AM.
We also need to challenge the deras such as the beas-wala Radhasoamis, and others who are similarly misguiding the public in Punjab.
11: Harinder (Bangalore, India), September 24, 2008, 12:40 PM.
Why can we open gurdwaras in the West and they cannot open churches in India?
12: Mohkam Singh (Paris, France), September 24, 2008, 1:21 PM.
I think Harinder has missed the point completely. Sikhs have always, and continue to, welcome people of all beliefs and their places of worship ... in fact, no other community has ever been so tolerant and welcoming in human history. However, the issue currently being debated is PROSLEYTIZATION, especially the evangelical kind which preys on the poor and the disadvantaged by luring them with money and material benefits. What have the Christian churches done for the native peoples of North America and elsewhere in the world, the blacks herded to western countries as slaves, the aboriginal tribes of Australia, the Inuit of the North, the people of Africa and South America (just to name a few), AFTER they converted them a century and more ago. All the converted peoples around the world live in extreme poverty today, and suffer extreme persecution and privation at the very hands of the mainstrean communities which have now turned to other pastures to convert others. Prosleytization, including that done by economic coercion, is a crime against humanity!
13: Law Jake (Florida, U.S.A.), November 05, 2008, 2:39 AM.
Yes, I know it's a bad image Christians are creating in North India.