Other scholars question the theory that the dwindling numbers of Indian Christians are an indication that the Christian mission work was a failure. He said: “The fact is, the story of Christianity in India is a story of dismal failure, demographically speaking… what does Indian Christianity have to show for its humongous effort in terms of men, money and material, over two millennia? Almost zilch - or somewhere between two and three per cent of the population. Obviously, conversion - or the failure to convert - is not the reason. Critics should perhaps listen to the sociologists who say the educational and social success of a community could lead to a fall in its population.Ī few years ago, journalist Tony Joseph also outlined a number of reasons why the Christian faith has failed. Most criticisms, including Dilip Mandal’s, ask this question: Despite the long history of Christianity in India, and robust missionary activity, why does the number of Christians in the country still remain under three per cent? Fortunately, they are not arguing that the success of Ghar wapsi is the reason for this. Perhaps these critics should also look at why the Parsi community is dwindling in India. Christianity is a failed project in India How is it possible for a Hindu to do this? His whole life is one anxious effort to preserve his caste.”Īlso read: Don’t listen to VHP and panic. Civilizing the aborigines means adopting them as your own, living in their midst, and cultivating fellow-feeling - in short, loving them. But supposing a Hindu wished to do what the Christian missionary is doing for these aborigines, could he have done it? I submit not. Ambedkar’s The Annihilation of Caste where he stated: “The Hindus … will probably not admit that the aborigines have remained savages because they had made no effort to civilize them, to give them medical aid, to reform them, to make them good citizens. As he puts it, these schools practised “elitism” and caste-based education because they taught English only to elite Indians while Dalits were forced to study in the vernacular languages. If he had a chance to meet a Dalit or Tribal Christian, Mandal may get a different perspective. According to some historians, there was no Brahmin presence in that region till the 8th century CE.įurther, Mandal also questions the quality of education imparted by Christian schools. However, the theory that there were Brahmins in the first century CE in the region that later became Kerala (when St Thomas is believed to have come to that region) has been disputed by scholars. He argues that the failure of Christianity in the early centuries in Kerala and elsewhere was because they confined themselves to converting Brahmins. Compassion International, a Christian organisation mentioned by him, in a detailed statement pointed out that their sole purpose in India was social outreach. And no official complaint of conversion has been filed against organisations such as Compassion International.ĭilip Mandal’s severe criticism that the Christian missionary’s work in India became “a tool for Brahmins and elites” seems baseless. Mandal is, obviously, not open to recognising the idea that conversion was not the main purpose of the educational, medical and social work of Christian missions in India. Mandal also points out that the Christian population in India is either static or dwindling. Periodically, experts of mainstream media come up with theories on why Christianity is a “failed project” in India. Recently, senior journalist and author Dilip Mandal put forth the argument that Christianity has no future in India and, therefore, there is no reason for the Rashtriya Swayamevak Sangh or the Vishva Hindu Parishad to spread false alarm or panic about the proselytising capacity of Christian missionaries.
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