Christianity has a gentle influence on Indian civilisation journey, says Gopalkrishna Gandhi

The Quasquicentennial of the Indian Christian Association of Tamil Nadu was observed on February 25

Christianity has been a gentle influence on the civilisation journey of India, according to Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal.  “What a privilege it is — from the Northeast to the West Coast, to the deep South, where we are, right up to the North, it has been a gentle influence on the civilisation journey of our country,” he said while addressing the Quasquicentennial of the Indian Christian Association of Tamil Nadu in Chennai on Saturday.

According to him, it was a privilege to be in a country where Christianity has been so strongly entrenched – not as a religious arm of the colonial power – but far from it.  “There is a precious strand in the depository of India’s civilisation,” he added. 

It had a formative influence on Mahatma Gandhi, though it started negatively when he found a priest from outside India deriding Indian religious traditions in very hurtful terms. “Then he realised, as he went on at every religion has people who do not do it a service and every religion has people who see the best in it and bring out the best. He saw more and more of the best of Christianity as he went to England to study and South Africa to work,” Mr. Gandhi explained. 

He said the ship of India, which had been rocked through ages had no shores of destination, except its faith in its civilisational legacy, which was that of plurality, diversity and simple decency among simple people.

In a recorded video address, Congress MP Sashi Tharoor said it was a “timely moment to reflect on the challenges faced by the minority communities in India, including the Christian community, which in many parts of our country stands challenged by the onset of bigotry and chauvinistic attacks.” 

Since the issue of anti-conversion is in our minds, particularly during these troubled and changing times, it is a matter of grave concern the arrival the anti-conversion laws across the country, he said.  Recalling criminal cases filed against members of the minority communities on the charges of converting people, Mr. Tharoor said the Indian Constitution had guaranteed freedom of worship and freedom to propagate one’s faith and that could not be criminalised. 

Tennis player Vijay Amirtharaj and president of the association Ravi T. Santhosam were among the participants.