Dear All
I write this open letter regarding the standoff
with Hindu Organizations in the question of offering
“Arati to Bharat Mata” in the institutions run by the
Christian organizations. First and foremost I must
appreciate the clear stand taken by Bishop of Sagar
(Catholic Diocese) and all those who faced the
onslaught very courageously and my special prayers to
those persons who work over time to diffuse the crisis.
Since late 19th century with the play named
‘Bharat Mata’ by K C Bannerjee, the picturised form of
Bharat Mata became the symbol Indian Nationalism. It is
a matter of fact to be agreed with the well known
writer K D Menon that "the vision of India as Bharat
Mata has profound implications for the politics of
Hindu nationalism" and that the depiction of India as a
Hindu goddess implies that it is not just the patriotic
but also the religious duty of all Hindus to
participate in the nationalist struggle to defend the
nation.” And it is a clear fact that the Hindu
fundamental ideologists believe that all those who do
not subscribe to the practices enemies and anti-
nationalist.
The real concept of Mother Earth is originated
from Greek Culture which dates back to 13 century B C
but Greek Philosopher Aristotle created it into a clear
concept above petty ideologies. The notion of mother
earth encompasses and pervades all political and
cultural ideologies which motivate people to work to
save the earth from global warming and climate change
and its killing effects. So we must not undermine the
importance of Mother Earth Concept. Here the Bharat-
India is personified as the Mother or Soul of India as
part of the Spirit of God to be honoured, cared and
seen as an icon of Indian unity.
Among the many important insights that arose
from the Second Vatican Council, one of the most
important one is the recognition that the church has
not simply been a self-contained and distinct
civilization or institution from the “rest of the
world,” but has always been a part of the world. The
magisterium teaches that enculturation is a must for
developing an exchange of cultures, “especially in a
time characterized by rapid change and a growing
variety in ways of thought, the church has particular
need of those who live in the world, whether they are
believers or not… It is for God’s people as a whole,
with the help of the Holy Spirit, and especially for
pastors and theologians, to listen to the various
voices of our day, discerning them and interpreting
them, and to evaluate them in the light of the divine
word, so that the revealed truth can be increasingly
appropriated, better understood and more suitably
expressed (Gaudium et Spes no. 44).
In the similar way iust after the Vatican
Council II in 1966 the East Asia Christian Conference
(Ecumenical Conference) held in Hong Kong came up with
documents named Confessing the Faith in Asia Today
which draws five points in relation to the
responsibility of Churches. It said that Churches have
responsibility to learn cultures , to interpret
cultures, to mediate with cultures , to create
cultural values and thus belong to cultures
It will be worth quoting Pope Francis who while
addressing the farmers (31/1/2015), said ‘in the spirit
of St Francis, love the land as Mother earth, and
proposed that they make an alliance with it, so that it
can continue to be, the source of life for the entire
human family. His Holiness calls the “Earth our
mother”, it is a common, poetic sentiment, not meant to
convey any kind of theological or cosmological truth.
The Bible teaches that God created the universe
including the earth before all its living being were
made and God used the creative power of the earth to
create the living beings. So it is the mother of all
beings. Bharat Mata is part of that Mother Earth that
has God’s power to create living beings. Honouring that
power of God and praying for it will not be in any way
against the teachings of the Bible, “You shall have no
other gods before me.”
We must resist any effort by the fundamentalist
organizations to insist that we must worship the
picture presented by them as a God. It is an aggression
on ones personal and the right of community to believe
in ONE GOD. All monotheistic religious believers will
have same problem. But in its original terms if
Bharat is treated as a religion-less entity,
symbolizing the Soul of Unified India regardless of
class or caste, it must be a wonderful idea to save the
mother earth. It is an open fact that over the years
Christianity has assimilated many cultural practices
that helped to get well immersed into the people. The
Vatican II and the Ecumenical documents published by
various Churches also promote the enculturation in the
multicultural and political situation of Asia and India
in particular.
It is the need of the time that we are a community that
has prayers for every occasion. We have introduced
various cultural values in our building of Churches,
prayers, religious tunics and all areas possible
because they are not our core faith but externals. It
is probably right time that our liturgists, theologians
and missiologists put their heads together to develop a
special prayer which prays for the Mother Earth and the
“Bharat Mata”. It will help the Church to further
establish itself in the midst of misunderstood
troubles.
Yours Truly
Father Dr. Anand Muttungal
franandbhopal@gmail.com
www.franand.com
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