Grateful Hindus laud Christian Missioners' contribution to India

During the launching of a book on missioners' contribution to India, several Hindus lauded the commitment and service of overseas Christian priests' among the poor in India.

The event which was held on Nov. 30 saw the release of the book “Contribution of Christian Missionaries in India”, by Camil Parkhe, a Christian journalist working in the western state of the country.

"Christian missioners' contribution for nation building was tremendous and their impact influential," said Abhay Vaidya, one of many journalists who attended the event.

The book published by the Gujarat Sahitya Prakashan, highlights the pioneering contribution of Catholic and Protestant missionaries in various aspects of the Indian society.

Anupama Dongre–Joshi, another Hindu who works as a lawyer told UCA News that missionaries were catalysts of change, and served people in need irrespective of caste, creed and religion, "especially providing education and health care in the remote hinterlands of the country."

"They reached where no Indian social worker dared to go, and served the neglected people," she added.

The dawn of Christianity in South Asia dates back to the arrival of Saint Thomas in Kodungallur, Kerala (52 AD), and the subsequent establishment of the Seven Churches.

Thereafter, the early modern period saw the arrival of Portuguese missionaries, Jesuits and others who laid the foundation of systematic mission in India.

Another journalist with the ‘Times of India’, a mass circulation daily said he admired the dedication of the missioners and their love for poor and marginalized people.

"One has to learn what dedication is from Christian missioners. They toiled hard and sacrificed their lives to bring a ray of hope in the lives of the people living on the edge," he said.

Few journalists also commented on the misunderstanding and opposition faced by Christian missioners by the Hindu groups, for their immense service among the poor.

"I have known some of them from close quarters, and I can vouch that their intentions are to enable the voiceless to have dignity of life," Gokhale, a journalist testified.

Camil Parkhe, author of the book told UCA news he owes much to the German missioners who educated him and shaped his life. "The book is my humble tribute to the 19 Catholic and Protestant missioners who were catalysts of change, and who touched the lives of the poor," he said.

"Like former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who studied in a Jesuit institution, thousands of Hindus and Muslims appreciate" Christians' valuable contribution, added Parkhe.

The total number of Christians in India according to the 2001 census was 24.08 million (2.40 crores), or 2.3 percent of the population. About 70% of Indian Christians in 1991 were Roman Catholics, including 300,000 members of the Syro–Malankara Church and 3.5 million (35 lakh) of the Syro–Malabar Church.