Articles
Christian Upsurge in AP
Dt:23/11/20
Christian Upsurge in AP
Dr T H Chowdary*
Government of Andhra Pradesh(GOAP) though an advertisement in the Indian Express informed the public that the following categories of persons in places of worship /prayer were given Rs. 5000 each as relief during COVId-19 pandemic.
|
Persons |
Archakas |
Pasters |
Imams/Muezzins |
|
Number |
31,017 |
29,841 |
7,000 |
2. The population of Christians and Muslims in undivided AP as per successive censuses was:
Christian Population in Andhra Pradesh (undivided)
|
|
Year |
||||
|
|
1971 |
1981 |
1991 |
2001 |
2011 |
|
Total population mln |
43.5 |
53.6 |
66.5 |
76.2 |
84.5 |
|
Christians mln |
1.8 |
1.43 |
1.2 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
|
% of Christian population |
4.19 |
2.68 |
1.83 |
1.44 |
1.38 |
Source: Census of India
3. What is surprising is that the Christian population as a % of total ( as well as in absolute numbers) has been continuously decreasing decade after decade as enumerated in the census.
4. But demonstratively, the number of churches has been increasing phenomenally. In several villages in AP ( and in Telangana too) there are many churches of several denominations (Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Baptist,, Pentecostal, etc) even in villages which have recorded nil or insignificant number of Christians in the census. One example village Angaluru in Gudlavalleru Mandal of Krishna district. There are twelve (12) churches / places of Christian worship while no Christian population is recorded in census 2011.
5. The divergence between the increasing number as churches and diminishing Christian population suggests deliberate fraud by evangelist missions who seem to instruct he converted not to disclose their conversion to any government record like census and caste certificate, affidavits (for eg: while contesting for elective posts to Panchayat, Mandal, Zilla Parishad , State Assembly (MLA/MLC), Parliament (MP), seeking admission to educational institutions etc to avail of reservations and other benefits for people of certain castes .
6. Churches are planted under operation Joshua planned and executed by an international Council of Missionaries - first within cycling distance i.e every 10 kmts; next within walking distance i.e 5 kmts and finally within hearing distance ie. within residential areas; among houses in flats; in housing colonies.
7. In Andhra Pradesh the third phase is on. In the last two decades over 50,000churches were thus planted. Information as to where from has the money come; in whose name are they registered, whether the location and plan of the church building had the obligatory approval/sanction of the concerned local authority, has not been forthcoming. Oral inquiries reveal that few have permissions; most are funded in cash, none pay property tax etc.; in short , these are unauthorized, illegal structures .
8. Construction of some churches received grants of Rs. 3/5 lakhs from AP government’s Christian Minority Finance Corporation, a patently unsecular practice of GOAP ( which does not finance the construction of temples from its budgets)
9. Who is a Pastor? What are his qualifications to be a Pastor? What education and training does he undergo, where and who gives him the certificate, to be a Pastor; who appoints him; who pays him; how much and for what purposes?
· What are the conditions of his service? Is his appointing authority recognized by the Government? Why should a Pastor, a functionary of a religion , be paid by a secular government?
· The same questions relate to Imams and Muezzins, functionaries of Islam , another religion like Christianity , also with different sects like Sunnis, Shias, Ahmedias, Ismailis etc.
10. In contrast to Pastors, Imams and Muezzins GOAP has authentic information about Archakas (and other persons) serving in temples as these are under management of TTD, the government administered and the Endowment Departments.
11. As the GOAP does not manage or administer churches and mosques , w hat instrument has it to ascertain the bonafides of applicants as Pastors and Imams and Muezzins and their certifiers? Has GOAP registered their certifier bodies and what verification ha sit done, on what criteria for holding their certificates as qualifying for government payment - these must be made public.
12. Most importantly , did Archakas receive this gift from the tax/debt revenues of the GOAP like Pastors , Imams and Muezzins or from the funds of TTD and the Endowment Department?
· If the Archakas were paid from TTD/ Endowment Dept ie. Hindu devotees money and the Pastors, Imams and Muezzins from government ( tax and loan receipts and GOI grants); it is discrimination against Hindus; a type of zezia levied by some Muslim rulers on non-converting (to Islam) Hindus.
13. An honest, transparent and secular government should
· Investigate the divergence between declining Christian population and furiously proliferating churches; sources and amounts of funds and existence of prescribed approvals for church buildings
· Let the public know answers to the questions raised regarding the criteria for pastors, Imams and Muezzins to receive gift of money from the state
· Treat all religions their places of worship and their ecclesiastical persons in uniform manner.
14. We must take note of the alarming findings of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights( NCPCR) that Shelter Homes surveyed run by NGOs in Andhra Pradesh housed 6202 children, received Rs. 409.52 cr in 2018-19 from foreign sources, working out to Rs. 6.6 lakhs per child sheltered per year and that this is the highest in the states surveyed. Almost all these Shelter Homes are run by Christian Missions directly or their surrogates.
15. A spend of Rs. 6.6 lakhs per year per child is a princely sum and is obviously not needed. Huge amount appears to be diverted for missionary activity like gifts to gain the indigent for Christ, planting of churches (project Joshua) and organizing “Assemblies” .
16. GOAP has also been funding the construction of hundreds of churches, funneling the amount through AP State Christian Minority Finance Corporation established during the Christian Chief Ministership (2004-‘09) of the late Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. His successor Sri Chandra Babu Naidu(2014-’19) enhanced government’s contribution for church construction from Rs. 3 lakhs to Rs. 5 lakhs and subsidy for Christians ‘ pilgrimage to Jerusalem from Rs. 25,000 during YSR’s regime to Rs. 50,000and just before 2019 Assembly elections to Rs. 75,000 . These are give- aways to Christians while Hindus have to buy Rs. 300/- tickets to have Balaji’s darshan.
17. The present government of AP is seem to be verily of Prabhu (Yesu) as proclaimed by the Chief Minister’s activist mother and brother-in-law ( a Pastor). Evangelists in AP claim that Christians are 25% of AP ( that is why there are nearly as many Pastors as Hindu Archakas). Hindu temples are being increasingly desecrated and idols are vandalized freely; police explain these acts as those of mentally deranged where is the fact is these are acts of militant evangelist groups .
18. The general belief that AP is having a Christianizing government is gaining further credibility by the government’ resolve to replace Telugu as medium of instruction in Anganwadis and government schools form KG onwards and choice of 25 December 020 as the day when lakhs of government-built houses for the poor will be registered for a fee of one rupee, all by grace of Prabhu (Jesus Christ). AP is going to witness Christian-Hindu riots , as I predicted in an article in 2008. ( 1,142 words)
END