it is shocking to observe the scenario of Indian Christian theological world where there is a total shallowness due to the rejection of Buddhist oriental way of liberation. It is also surprising to note that right from the time of Indian renaissance, Indian Christian theologians like Mohan Roy, Brahma Bhandav and to the latest upper caste theological, including Syrian Christian theologians, categorized themselves with Hindu framework or with Marxian class analysis. This in total etoiles the fact that eye exile of Buddhism during Indian renaissance period was not at all considered as the period of liberation for untouchables and Dalits.
Indian renaissance was the period of great awakening for untouchables in India. The revival of Buddhism gave firm footing for — untouchables to realize their freedom from Brahminical barbarism for leaders like Mahatma Phule. Indian Renaissance was a © superficial reform movement. Hence Buddhist revival was inevitable to counter Brahminism and revivalism.
In the later part of the 19th century establishment of the Mahabodhi Society gave an ideological thrust to Buddhist movement. Scholars like David Hewari Thane of Sri Lanka founded the Mahabodhi Society at Buddagaya. Japanese monk Kazame made Calcutta as the center of Buddhist studies and published the Mahabodhi journal and Pali became the language of Buddhist interest. This was also the period of World Parliament of Religions which was held in Chicago in 1883 where Buddhism was one of the main religions for discussion.
Scholars like Myleene Venkata swami’s Boudamum Tamilium said untouchables had Buddhist origin. Tamil Pandit Clyodhidass revived Buddhism and did scholarly work on Thirukural and Asvaghosa. Now the question is why aur Indian upper caste Christian theologians refused to take Buddhism as a theological framework for Indian Christian theology.
The reasons are simple:
(1) Buddhism is anti- brahmin and anti-caste,
(2) Buddhism is the religion of the, oppressed and untouchables,
(3) Buddhism was countering Hindu Advitic Philosophy (destruction of Nagarjuna Konda can be referred),
(4) Buddhist revival during Indian renaissance-countered Hindu reforms and rejected purohitism,
(5) Buddhism is mainly the ideology of Mahatma Phule, Dr. Ambedkar and modern Dalits.
(6) Buddhism is the religion of Non-Aryans in Indian.
Christianity in India is under test. Is it with the Aryan aliens or Indians?
At this juncture one of the main commitments of the Indian Christian dalits is to fight against brahminism, in other words pe. which prevents. the oppressed people from participating in decision-making and to understand the realities of their life.
This priestly brahminical Christian minority is silent with regard to caste problems in the Church and in society. And this minority in the Church has generalised and justified the humiliation of 75% of the Christians at the hands of the upper caste _ Hindu Christians as the ‘theology for India’. It is high time that the dalits and the oppressed in the Church identify these ~ oppressive caste and class forces and take up the ‘Jesus model’ of cleansing caste and class dirt in the Church and in society. Indian Christians have great responsibility to lead the oppressed people from all types of bondage to liberation and not from Hindu caste bondage to Hindu-Christian bondage.
In 1961, at the World Council of Churches Third Assembly held in New Delhi, lantana spoke particularly on Christian confession concerning racism and categorically condemned any form of discrimination as ‘Unchristian’. This was not taken seriously by our people. After two decades the Church is still suffering from caste and varna problems. Dalit Christians must to raise questions like: can the sensitized brahminial theologies, the imported consumerist theologies of Brother’s and Bills’s, the transplanted liberation theologies and the uprooted Christian radicals, serve the oppressed? We must always remember it is the theology of the Basti and the Chery and places of the class-caste exploitation which will have more relevance in making the voice of the people heard along with the experience of God of the oppressed.
Hence, to consolidate their struggle against the larger dalit problem the dalits should reject first those who are agents of imperialism and brahminism. Dalit Christians should reject those who deviate from dalit problems in Church and in society. They should reject those whose priorities are not the education, health and total development of dalits and other oppressed people. Christian dalits should reject those who wrongly segregate racism, casteism and Class struggle. enemy should reject those who give wrong leadership in the Church and in society. Now it is time for dalit Christians to draw all revolutionary democratic elements from the teachings in Bible to begin a protracted war along with other oppressed pee: With all these rejections let us remember that the Church is an instrument of the Kingdom of God and is called upon to bring good news to the ore and the oppressed. it is an instrument of God in His mission because Jesus says, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me. Because he has appointed me to preach good news to the poor, release the captives and io Set ai liberty those who are oppressed. To proclaim the acceptable years of the Lord” (Luke 4.8).
