Christian Schools - Why Hindus go to them?

Hello Linda,

This is with reference to your mail to everybody who has been to Christian schools to stand up and be counted.

I too have been to a Christian Brothers school, Goethals and I am proud of my association with them.
In 1955 we used to live in erstwhile East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh.
My parents had to come frequently to India for any social functions, as all our relatives lived in India.
Since they could afford it, I was put in Goethals Memorial School, Kurseong so that my education would not be interrupted by the social functions. I must admit, at that time I was not very pleased at being sent to a boarding school. Looking back, I am thankful of their foresight.
At school, I am pleased to say, that there was no enforcement on us to follow Christianity. While the Catholics had their Catechism classes, we others had our moral science / civics classes.
These classes inculcated in us high standards in values.
Because of those values we keep our homes and surroundings clean. If we see a tap running uselessly, wasting water on the road, we shut it off. We switch off lights and fans when not required. We switch off lights on the roads if they are on during daytime. We get up to give our seats to aged people, ladies and children in public transport. We speak quietly and do not speak with our mouths full of food. We try to be honest not tell lies. We do not steal.
I suppose, it is for these high values that we boys of missionary schools do not enter politics.
I think all of us who have studied in missionary schools will stand up and say with one voice that we are obliged to them for the education they have given us and to differentiate between right and wrong.
However, as long as they keep their scope to just the education, they are acceptable.
When they widen the scope to proselytizing, it becomes offensive.
India, you must understand is a poor country.
It has been under foreign occupation for the last 600 years, first by the Mughals and then the British.
The Mughals forced our people to become Muslims, using threats and punishment. I am sure you must have heard of Aurangzeb.
The British brought in the missionaries to use a more subtle form of conversion. The missionaries used the lollipop of economic gains and admission in their schools.
I agree that the minorities should have their institutions. The Muslims have theirs so why shouldn’t the Christians have theirs? It is because they tell the people that if the convert they will gain admission.
People like Shashi Tharoor and Arundhati Roy also propagate the view that if the Christians can improve the people's lot they should be allowed to do so and if they convert, so be it. These people of the media have to please the western world since they would like to win their approval to get the Booker and other Prizes and any other crumbs that the Western world throws to them.
The Americans have had their Independence for 300 years. Have they forgotten how they treated the Red Indians, the original inhabitants of America? And have the Australians forgotten how they treated the aborigines?
The British have always been independent; rather they subjugated and stifled the rest of the world.
India has been independent for only 60 years.
You must give us time to set our country in order. Our society is taking steps to alleviate the poverty in spite of all the hindrances put up by the politicians.
Please let us do so by ourselves. If you want to help, help by all means but DO NOT CHANGE OUR RELIGION. Enough is enough.
You may practice your religion but remove the concept of proselytization.
We have our own culture and values, which are very different from yours.
We would like to maintain our own culture and not adapt yours.
We Hindus are generally very peaceful and consider all guests as god, “Athithi Devo bhava”. However, when the guest starts cutting the very ground where we stand, the guest is no more welcome.
We consider our Guru’s as gods and when people murder a guru, you may expect violent reaction.
The Congress party is making so much noise now.
Have they forgotten the reaction from them when Indira Gandhi was assassinated?
She was just a politician.
When a guru is murdered, the reaction would naturally be worse.

Radheshyam