26.February 2015
Feb 26 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai)
Saamna backs RSS chief, activists upset
Bella Jaisinghani
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Mumbai:
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Social Workers Rubbish Right-Wing Criticism
On Wednesday, Shiv Sena supported RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's allegation that religious conversion lay at the heart of Mother Teresa's welfare work.An editorial in its publication `Saamna' stated that Christian missionaries have used “enticement and service“ to convert Indians, mainly in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, and indeed worldwide. In the Marathi heartland of Vile Parle, nuns who run the Missionaries of Charity orphanage were not perturbed. “We are not discussing the matter even among ourselves. We do God’s work and have nothing to fear.
When Mother was faced with such allegations she would say I urge Hindus to be better Hindus, Muslims to be better Muslims and Christians to be better Christians,” said a spokesperson. Abraham Mathai, who organizes awards in Mother Teresa’s name, quotes from the Constitution of the Missionaries, “We shall not impose our Catholic faith on anyone but have profound respect for all religions. Can the RSS, which wants a Hindu Rashtra, say the same?“ Mumbaikars who have seen the volunteerism of the Missionaries in Kolkata express praise. The head priest of the Ramakrishna Mission in Mumbai, Swami Sarvalokananda, said, “I am not aware whether Mother Teresa carried out conversions but her track record of social service is impressive. Her volunteers pick up leprosy patients from the streets and heal them. Yes, the general impression is that everything Christian missionaries do is intended for conversion, and this belief pervades even in Kolkata.” Over in Navi Mumbai, Subroto Nayak who is deputy director of the Human Rights Organisation in Vashi, said the saffron brigade’s comments were “totally wrong”. “We do a lot of social work ourselves so Bengalis like me salute Mother Teresa. I have seen missionaries in Kolkata offer help whenever required. Sadly, people in government, including MPs, are making hurtful statements at will,” said Nayak. One of the largest de-addiction centres in the city, Kripa Foundation in Bandra, is run by Fr Joe Pereira. Perhaps the only priest to be awarded a Padma Shri for his work in this field, Fr Joe owes his 30-year career to Mother Teresa’s inspiration.
Psychiatrist Rajiv Jerajani, founder member of Kripa, met Mother Teresa when she arrived to inaugurate their clinic in Kolkata. He said, “She has helped people irrespective of caste or socio-economic status.”
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When Mother was faced with such allegations she would say I urge Hindus to be better Hindus, Muslims to be better Muslims and Christians to be better Christians,” said a spokesperson. Abraham Mathai, who organizes awards in Mother Teresa’s name, quotes from the Constitution of the Missionaries, “We shall not impose our Catholic faith on anyone but have profound respect for all religions. Can the RSS, which wants a Hindu Rashtra, say the same?“ Mumbaikars who have seen the volunteerism of the Missionaries in Kolkata express praise. The head priest of the Ramakrishna Mission in Mumbai, Swami Sarvalokananda, said, “I am not aware whether Mother Teresa carried out conversions but her track record of social service is impressive. Her volunteers pick up leprosy patients from the streets and heal them. Yes, the general impression is that everything Christian missionaries do is intended for conversion, and this belief pervades even in Kolkata.” Over in Navi Mumbai, Subroto Nayak who is deputy director of the Human Rights Organisation in Vashi, said the saffron brigade’s comments were “totally wrong”. “We do a lot of social work ourselves so Bengalis like me salute Mother Teresa. I have seen missionaries in Kolkata offer help whenever required. Sadly, people in government, including MPs, are making hurtful statements at will,” said Nayak. One of the largest de-addiction centres in the city, Kripa Foundation in Bandra, is run by Fr Joe Pereira. Perhaps the only priest to be awarded a Padma Shri for his work in this field, Fr Joe owes his 30-year career to Mother Teresa’s inspiration.
Psychiatrist Rajiv Jerajani, founder member of Kripa, met Mother Teresa when she arrived to inaugurate their clinic in Kolkata. He said, “She has helped people irrespective of caste or socio-economic status.”
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Newsdesk
