New York Times is anti-Hindu?

October 16, 2008 By

harvesting souls of indiaThe Hindu American Foundation is very upset with the New York Times because of its ongoing coverage of anti-Christian violence in the Orissa State in eastern India, leading to a series of three letters calling for coverage that focuses more attention on the role of Christian missionaries in that region.

The latest letter makes the following comments about a recent Times article by Somini Sengupta that ran with the blunt headline, “Hindu Threat to Christians: Convert or Flee.”

As Hindu Americans, we unequivocally condemn and repudiate all of the violence consuming Orissa today. That the New York Times would engage in blatant, inflammatory race-baiting with the front-page headline above is shocking. If the intention is to spuriously allege that marauding Hindus across India are contemporary actors emulating the Crusades or the Islamic conquests — then mission accomplished! …

The tragedy unfolding in Orissa state results from the venomous amalgam of the Swami’s murder, and Hindu radicals in the area inflamed by evangelicals blaspheming Hinduism as they seek to meet quotas of new converts in a wild west battle for souls. Pluralism and respect for the tribals’ indigenous Hindu traditions became the first casualty that opened the door to the madness seen today.

While the focus seems to be on the work of evangelical missionaries, Hindu wrath has hit Catholic leaders and churches as well. Here is the latest summary material from the Times coverage:

India, the world’s most populous democracy and officially a secular nation, is today haunted by a stark assault on one of its fundamental freedoms. Here in eastern Orissa State, riven by six weeks of religious clashes, Christian families … say they are being forced to abandon their faith in exchange for their safety. The forced conversions come amid widening attacks on Christians here and in at least five other states across the country, as India prepares for national elections next spring.

The clash of faiths has cut a wide swath of panic and destruction through these once quiet hamlets fed by paddy fields and jackfruit trees. Here in Kandhamal, the district that has seen the greatest violence, more than 30 people have been killed, 3,000 homes burned and over 130 churches destroyed. …

Across this ghastly terrain lie the singed remains of mud-and-thatch homes. Christian-owned businesses have been systematically attacked. Orange flags (orange is the sacred color of Hinduism) flutter triumphantly above the rooftops of houses and storefronts.

Some facts are clear. In August, the popular Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati — a leader in efforts to oppose Christian missionaries — was attacked and hacked to death. Police blame Maoist guerrillas. Hindu leaders — the Hindu American Foundation included — insist that the Maoists were, in fact, converts to Christianity. As the Times article explains, the violence is also rooted in economic tensions between two tribes, the Panas (largely Christian) and the Kandhas (Hindus).

In one lurid event that has drawn worldwide news coverage, a nun said that she was repeatedly raped. The attack was also witnessed by a priest, who was severely beaten — but gave interviews from his hospital bed. Police also, after medical examinations, have agreed with the nun’s account.

This leads us to the other side of the story, as reported by the Times:

Given a chance to explain the recent violence, Subash Chauhan, the state’s highest-ranking leader of Bajrang Dal, a Hindu radical group, described much of it as “a spontaneous reaction.” He said in an interview that the nun had not been raped but had had regular consensual sex.

On Sunday evening, as much of Kandhamal remained under curfew, Mr. Chauhan sat in the hall of a Hindu school in the state capital, Bhubaneshwar, beneath a huge portrait of the swami. A state police officer was assigned to protect him round the clock. He cupped a trilling Blackberry in his hand.

Mr. Chauhan denied that his group was responsible for forced conversions and in turn accused Christian missionaries of luring villagers with incentives of schools and social services. He was asked repeatedly whether Christians in Orissa should be left free to worship the god of their choice. “Why not?” he finally said, but he warned that it was unrealistic to expect the Kandhas to politely let their Pana enemies live among them as followers of Jesus. …

Besides, he said, “they are Hindus by birth.”

There are many more sickening details in this report that are sure to upset the Hindu American Foundation and others who believe that their side of this story is being given short shrift.

There are, of course, factual questions that remain unsettled about these crimes. One can only hope that the Times and other publications (even Newsweek) will continue to follow the police investigation into the swami’s murder and the crimes that followed it. But can they also find a way to protect India’s tiny 2 percent Christian minority?

ILLUSTRATION: Hindu drawing depicting Christian missionaries “harvesting souls” of Hindu believers.

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Filed Under: Catholicism, Evangelicals, Godbeat, Journalism, Religion, World, World Religions
About TMatt

Terry Mattingly directs the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. He writes a weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service.

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  • Kuna Mohanty

    Greetings from Bhubaneswar, state capital of eastern Indian state of Orissa.

    Why blame NYT alone, majority of the western media are blatantly partisan & anti-Hindu. Their India based correspondents would never bother to check the reasons behind the Kandhamal violence and who killed Revered Hindu Monk Swami Laxamanananda Saraswati. But write in detail about Christian victims as if Hindu tribals were not affected at all.

    Going through some of the stories published by leading European-American dailies/mags via the internet – the Hate Hindu mania becomes explicit. Majority of the International news agencies did not cover the brutal assasination of Saraswati and four others (including a woman sannyasin) on August 23, 2008 – as if thats no news.

    The pro-Christian media was happy when Maoists cliamed responsibility for the killing. But the Orissa Police special sqaud called – Crime Branch – on 16 October evening told Indian News agency PTI: ” “Maoists were given money to train certain youths of a particular community to eliminate Saraswati,” Inspector General (IG) of Police, crime branch, Arun Ray told PTI asserting the mastermind of the killings had been identified.” Now I dont think it requirs much of an imagination to understand ” the particular community”.

    The police version finally vidicates the stand of Hindu groups who never believed the “Maoist claimed responsibilty” theory – peddled faithfully by some Indian and most of the foreign media.

    Many are not aware that agrresive proselytization by Christian missoners have been causing serious social divide & rift among communities. In districts like Kandhamal Hindus are oppressed lot – mostly harrassed by neoconverts and their managers. Such acts of mindless conversions have been disturbing Orissa’s peaceful social fabric by uprooting neo converts to fight their parental faith -Hinduism. The western media made much noise when a Orissa nun alleged rape. The concern was possibly due to the fact that Nuns belong to the Christian religious order. Fine. But why, if the the likes of NYT were so impartial, the media never had the similar concerns when a woman Hindu sannyasin was brutally murdered along with the monk. I have a strong feeling that media in west is predominantly anti-Hindu. The same also applies to some of the Indian english news papers & TV channels.

    To read the whole PTI version Click the link

    http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/0AB29BAF159285A1652574E4005EF088?OpenDocument

    Kindly also read: Cong MP suspected behind VHP leader’s murder – India Today

    http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17911&sectionid=4&issueid=75&Itemid=1

  • Stoo

    I don’t think the media in the west has strong feelings either way on hinduism. It rarely comes up on the radar.

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  • Michael V

    Kuna Mohanty – Thanks for bringing your perspective here. I agree with Stoo that I don’t think Western media is anti-Hindu. I’m sure most in the Western media are quite ignorant about Hinduism. Perhaps the media is more sympathetic to Christians, but there’s no reason to suspect malice toward Hindus.

    Our media doesn’t do a whole lot of reporting on overseas affairs, which is sad, but given the limited attention I don’t think it’s unusal that the assassination of a religious leader who is not well known in the West would not get reported. But I think it’s entirely expected to see reports about large scale religious violence involving the religion shared by most Westerners and happening in the largest democracy in the world where religious liberty ought to be cherished. The fact that the two events are not of equal interest to Western media should not come as a surprise and can’t be cited as evidence of prejudice.

  • John Mark

    I can’t prove this, of course, but I hosted former missionaries to India in my church August 25, who have a child and grandchildren there now. They report being threatened the last time they were there for witnessing about their faith (actually it wasn’t them, but an Indian) on a boat.
    I don’t claim to understand all the nuances of the present turmoil, but everything I have heard from India indicates that Christians are very afraid of persecution and violence. I doubt seriously the NYT is anti-Hindu, though I am sorry if Hindu’s really feel offended by these stories.

  • Ben

    Christian missionary work has been going on in India for a long, long time, but the violent reaction to it seems to be a newer phenomenon. This article points out that many contemporary missionaries in India are of a new sort, and are going about their business in a way that’s ruffling more Hindu feathers:
    http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0401/p01s04-wosc.html

    This is, of course, not to imply in any way that violence against anybody is justified. But the article gives a little more voice to how contemporary Christian activity there is being viewed — not just by Hindus, but some older Christian communities as well.

  • mudaliar

    why is everyone agitated about religion and religious conversions and anti conversions ?Good people believe in every religion as man made and good for mankind.People who get agitated about their religions donot follow their faith fully and definitely do not follow their conscience.If evedryone listens to his/her conscience there will be no strife in the world.People sidetrack hide their conscience and do things onky in order to benefit materially and for other selfish ends.Political parties affiliating themselves with hardcore religious groups are the real culprits behind all these troubles.State and religion must be separate.

  • Jerry

    The posts so far here remind me that there are several levels of reporting. The first is that an event happened. The second and rare is reporting the event in the context of other events. The third and very rare, story looks into the long-term root causes of the event. The fourth and most rare looks into the long term solutions not just immediate palliative measures. Overlaying all of these is cultural and religious points-of-view as we’ve seen in how these particular events have been covered and are reflected by the comments here.

  • Dan

    Most Americans, even most highly educated Americans, have no idea what is going on in India. How then can we possibly know whether the NYT article on the Hindu-Christian violence is fair or not? When the NYT reports on what is happening within the Catholic Church, I have a basis for evaluating it because I have many independent sources through which I am informed on the subject. Evaluating the fairness of an article about what is happening in India by contrast is impossible. I’ll say this though: the NYT’s coverage of certain subjects — such as the Catholic Church, abortion, the pending national election, and Sarah Palin — has so destroyed its credibility that I now do not give it automatic trust on any other subjects.

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  • Dave

    Michael V. wrote:

    The fact that the two events are not of equal interest to Western media should not come as a surprise and can’t be cited as evidence of prejudice.

    I disagree. If a newspaper or wire service has reporters on the ground who ignore one side’s narrative in a community violence story, that’s constructive prejudice. It may be of the subtle stereotyped-assumption kind rather than the hating KKK kind, but it’s still prejudice.

  • http://www.tmatt.net tmatt

    OK, I let this go on a bit, but I am starting to spike all of the comments making unsubstantiated fact claims about what is happening on the ground in India.

    Provide links to publications, mainstream if at all possible.

    Thanks.

  • Eternal Truth

    I personally don’t think that NYT was deliberately trying to malign the impression of the hindus. However I do think that they could have done more justice to this article by publishing both the sides of the story. Just to compare the quality of work, I am providing the link of article published by BBC on the same subject:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7641247.stm

    BBC’s work sounds more in tune with reality, neutral and honest.

  • Brian L

    Eternal Truth – why do you think the BBC is “more in tune with reality, neutral and honest”?

    The article you linked to made reference to “Christian zealots operating with impunity”, “‘induced’ conversions”, and “crude evangelism” – all without backing any of it up with supporting facts.

    The report also acknowledges that Christians are only 3.8% of the population. Then a few paragraphs later seeks to compare a 56% Christian growth with a 12% Hindu growth to imply something of the wildness of Christian proselytising. But, given 100 people, the four Christians would only have to convert 2 to see a 50% increase. Let’s say there are 80 Hindus – they would need 10 converts to see 12% growth. Ten to two – Multiply that by the millions actually living in the region and I say, Apples and Oranges. Is that neutral, or honest?

    It also ends with this juicy, totally objective tidbit: “Kandhamal, clearly, needs a respite from proselytizers of all kinds to return to normalcy and calm. After which, the people and authorities can begin sorting out the real issues.”

    Do you think the “reality”, honestly defined, of the situation is that religion has nothing to do with the issues?

  • http://www.tmatt.net tmatt

    What Brian said.

    And then there is that little matter of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

  • Michael V

    Dave wrote:

    I disagree. If a newspaper or wire service has reporters on the ground who ignore one side’s narrative in a community violence story, that’s constructive prejudice. It may be of the subtle stereotyped-assumption kind rather than the hating KKK kind, but it’s still prejudice.

    True, but that doesn’t contradict my argument. Of course all sides of the story should be deeply investigated. I was simply saying that Kuna Mohanty is wrong when asserting that the lack of coverage of the Swami’s murder (until it became a larger story about religious violence) is evidence of prejudice. It’s not shocking murders and thousands of arson is a bigger story than the assassination of a religious leader few in the West have heard of.

  • JJ

    Religious conversions cannot be used to explain away the violence. Doesn’t the Indian constitution give every Indian the right to follow any religion? “Forced conversions” to Christianity – are they done at knife or gun point? Or are they through providing health care, education? What about the “reconversions” to Hinduism?
    Why has this suddenly become an issue in India? Because there are elections coming next year. …

  • Dave

    Michael V, prejudice can take subtle forms, especially in acts of selective inattention or omission. Enough social research has been on on the tenacity of ingrained prejudic to make it reasonable to suggest it as a motive when there’s a pattern of selective inattention.

    This is why it’s important to understand the seemingly unreasonable statement of members of minority groups that “Nothing has changed” when a great deal has changed indeed on the legal or political level. On the day to day level of selective behavior or slights it can seem that nothing has changed, if one is sensitized to it.

  • http://www.tmatt.net tmatt

    Folks:

    Please do not write paragraph after paragraph of info with no sources. Your nickname and a lot of un attributed info do not help our discussion of the NYTs and its reporting.

  • M T Reddy

    Dear All,

    First of all let me get some points out. In India we have a lot of small sects of Christianity coming up under various names & are Proclaiming their faith & they go on to denounce other faiths. This is one part.

    The Roman Catholic churches are there for a long time now & I have not seen them trying to convert anyone forcefully. If this was the case the schools & colleges i studied in could have clearly put in Christian ideals into my mind & they could have a whole lot of christians brewing up.

    A lot of brothers & sisters of india would second my thoughts.

    Coming back to Orissa. Why is this drama unfolding now? This is an entirely politically motivated plot. for which i understand if uneducated people support their cause. But as educated indians if we support the vandals then there is something very wrong with us.

    I pray that we should get together & denounce such inhumane acts.

    I feel very sad when one person says that because one swamy was killed with some followers it is just to wipe away villages & raping a nun & scaring the life out of a minority.

    Jai Hind.

  • devi

    I agree that the media in general in the West is anti-Hindu and pro-Christian. Its not that they support Chistinaity as religion but as a first intrument of colonization. Chistianity, commerece, and cililization has been the slogan of the whiteman during the first round of colonization. Now the second round of colonization begins, and three hundred years from now we will be wiped out and temples and mosques will be convered into churches and bars. Its attack on our national fabric and values. Thay are sowing the seeds of division among us to break us apart. Its politics and not religion. NYT is a political news paper, carrying the flag of western colonialism and capitalis at best. Conversion is political issue in India, not religious.

  • Ben Digal

    In normal times, harrassment of sisters is very common. In times like this, common innocent christians are bearing the brunt of actions of a few Maoists.

    The armed communists have their base among these tribal christians. With the elections fast approaching, it is very profitable for bjp front organisations like VHP(World Hindu Council) and Bajrang Dal(Monkey Brigade) to convert these christians into Hindus so that they vote for bjp.

    The number of christians killed is around 60, but the manner in which they were killed was inhuman and brutal. Women were brutally gang-raped including a nun, about whom Bajrang Dal is claiming it was concensual!

    The number of people who have been displaced is very high and they cannot return back to their homes. Because they have been warned that either they convert or they would be killed upon their return.

    The usual method of reconversion followed so far has been to shave off the head and make the person drink cow urine and eat cow dung and prostrate before an idol.

    A common Hindu-American finds this distasteful and goes into denial thinking every newspaper is lying. But, the fact is that it is their very own donations to HSS that bringing so much misery to these absolutely destitute people who had no hand in killing of swamy.(India is poor and Oria Tribal christians are even more poor)