New Delhi: Claiming that Christians continue to be the target of a “hate campaign” in Uttar Pradesh, Christian MPs have formed a Forum comprising about 25 MPs from both Houses. This is the first time Christian MPs have organised themselves formally and the decision reflected their “pain and outrage”, they said. Pamphlets attacking Christian missionaries were circulating freely, they said and on May 9 the Congress (1) MP Eduardo Faleiro sent those to Home Minister L.K. Advani, urging him to get the state govt. to confiscate them.
Gandhi was anti church: Of the three pamphlets, one is titled Seva ki aad mein, church ka shadyantra (A church conspiracy in the name of public service) and carries the print-line of Hindu Manch, Delhi. Its author Dr. Ravindra Agarwal, alleges a conspiracy to turn Arunachal into a “Christian majority” state, speaks of foreign money pouring into Christian missionary institutions and among other inflammatory statements compares the Christian missionary zeal for conversion with Hitler’s fascism. Another pamphlet, Church ka deshdrohi chehra (the anti-national face of the church) issued by Hindu Jagran Manch, Delhi quotes M.K. Gandhi as having said that if he had his way he would have banned conversions. (Hindu, May 10, 2000).
