Bangalore: Who created racism inside the church? (DV edit, Nov. 16,92)
The havoc created by the Aryans, who embraced Christianity just to gain favours from the Christian rulers, is very well brought out by Percival Spear, a noted British historian, in his book, The Nabobs (Rupa & Co., 3831 – Pataudi House Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi – 2), a reprint of its 1963 edition: –
Spear sets apart a whole chapter to chaplains and missionaries. While the earliest missionaries were catholic priests based in Goa, who even set up the Inquisition in their aggressive pursuit of converts, Robert Nobili started the “pious fraud of the white brahmins’ in Madura. They took to wearing saffron clothes and the sacred thread and lived like high caste Hindus, and even observed the practice of avoiding pollution by untouchables. Their credibility was however compromised when they secretly visited the coastal missions at night The Papal office took a strong line and finally condemned the whole mission as heretical in 1744. Nevertheless, other missions too encouraged the untouchables to receive the sacrament at the church door, and also adopted other native practices like elaborate ceremonial processions during festivals and religious observances relating to marriage, funerals and so on. . . ” (Hindu Nov 24. 92)
