wfn.org | Indian churches criticize hard line Hindu stance on 'national church'

[franki@elca.org]

LWF affirms autonomy of churches, their contribution to development

NAGPUR, India/GENEVA, 27 October 2000 (LWI) - The National Council of
Churches in India (NCCI) has affirmed the existence of the Christian
church in the sub-continent as a "truly Indian church" and strongly
criticized renewed calls by the country's main Hindu hard line group
for the expulsion of foreign churches and establishment of a so
called national church.

Reacting to the NCCI statement, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
expressed solidarity with all the churches in India and asserted that
the "Indian churches are indigenous, and part of the global church."

The NCCI, which brings together 13 million Christians drawn from 29
member churches, 11 regional Christian councils, 14
all-India-Christian organizations and related agencies, in a
statement on October 9, criticized recent demands by the hard line
Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that Christians of the
country establish an Indian church and free themselves from the
clutches of foreign dominance and dictates.

Responding to the NCCI's stance on the pronouncement by the RSS
group, which has close links with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), the LWF general secretary, Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko said that
no-one who knows the reality of the churches in India could doubt
their independence and their 'Indian-ness'. He added that allegations
of foreign domination could only be based on political objectives.

"Most of the church members are Dalits (untouchables according to
India's caste system) and Adivasis (tribal peoples). We are wondering
what Mr. Sudarshan [the group's leader] is referring to when he makes
this demand that "all foreign churches be expelled from India", the
NCCI statement said of the remarks made at the RSS' anniversary
celebrations.

On the RSS' call for sarkari (indigenous) churches on the lines of
the Chinese system, the NCCI noted that India, a secular state, does
not have any official religion and its churches have the ability and
capacity to manage their resources. The churches cautioned that any
unhealthy control by the government would be unconstitutional and in
violation of the basic principle of democracy and secularism.

The churches' umbrella body also said the theology of church in India
is indigenous in its content citing the tremendous contribution of
theologians to the emergence of Indian Christian theology based on
the values of conversion, dialogue and engagement with other faiths.

The NCCI cited in its six-point statement the contribution of the
Indian churches to nation building through services that focus on the
eradication of poverty and empowerment of the marginalized. It
invited the RSS leader to join forces to deal with such issues as a
way of using the resources of religion to foster national growth.

In the 23 October letter addressed to Dr. Kunchala Rajaratnam, acting
executive secretary of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in
India (UELCI)-a body of Lutheran churches in India-Noko joined with
the NCCI president Archbishop Vinod Peter in calling for the
different faiths to be combined in common action on issues that
concern people, rather than in mutual demonization and exclusion.
Other signatories to the NCCI statement included its general
secretary, Dr. Ipe Joseph and press secretary, Rev. Chandran Paul
Martin.

Hindus make up about 80 percent of India's population of 1 billion
people, followed by Muslims with 11 percent, Christians 2.3 percent
and other faiths. The LWF has nine member churches in India with a
total membership of more than 1.5 million people.

(The LWF is a global communion of 131 member churches in 72 countries
representing over 59 million of the world's 63 million Lutherans. Its
highest decision making body is the Assembly, normally held every six
years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council
which meets annually, and its Executive Committee. The LWF
secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material
presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of
its various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the
notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with
acknowledgment.]

*       *       *
LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
PO Box 2100, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Editor (English): Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
Tel: (41.22) 791.63.54
Fax: (41.22) 791.66.30
http://www.lutheranworld.org/