We have a small playground adjacent to JP Nagar club in 2nd Phase JP Nagar. Since our children started to hit longer and stronger shots in their cricket matches during the holidays, recently, the parents have started to allow them to play in this play ground just to save windows and cars parked on the road. This play ground being very small is heavily crowded especially on holidays.
On Saturday, 29th of May 2010, around 5.00 pm, three foreigners, all looking to be in 20’s, came to this playground on the pretext of playing with the children. They have told the children that they had come from Texas, USA. Initially, they tried to learn about cricket from the children. It was fun for the children too as cricket was played/attempted in base ball way. After couple of minutes of base ball/cricket demo, they offered to tell some stories. We can very well guess that by them more children on the play ground would have accumulated towards them.
I would like to highlight one of those ‘stories’ as narrated by the children later to me. Interestingly the ‘story’ was also illustrated with pictures drawn on the ground. Initially he drew two pictures on the ground. One picture represented the child (‘you’ as told to children) and the other was that of lord Vishnu (‘your god’ as told to children). Then he pointed to the picture of Vishnu and told that Vishnu was false’ and ‘no good’. Then he wiped the picture of Lord Vishnu’s using his legs and wrote the picture of a cross /Jesus. Then he told that only Jesus is right and all should believe only Jesus and not Vishnu or Shiva or Krishna as they are all false. Then the guy explained about this logic of only one god can exist and people should not get confused with multiple gods - There should be only one god and there can not be hundreds and thousand’s of gods and so on. Encouraged further by children’s curiosity and mum, the guy went to the extent of asking them to do some prayers to Jesus. They were asked to repeat his words. The highlights of this prayer are like … ‘From today onwards I believe only Jesus. I will not go to temple or mosque and I will go to church only….. And so on. When all this was going on, couple of children came to told me that some foreigners had come to spread Christianity and talking bad about Indian gods. Immediately I went to playground to check. I saw three foreigners engaging three groups of children separately. They were all very busy playing or talking to children perhaps with more of such ‘stories’. I approached one person who was talking to a group and told him that he need not tell what the children should believe and which god they should worship as they can decide when they grow up and also their parents will guide them. He started to convince me that he had only played with them and told some stories. In between some children explained me what all had happened and who all participated in the prayer (it was more of oath taking than prayer!). It was interesting to note that a Muslim boy was asked to include a special sentence in his prayer which goes like this - ‘I will not go to mosque and I will only go to Church’!
After hearing all kinds of updates from the children, I was very much disturbed. How can a person that too from an alien nation can provoke the children against their tender beliefs and culture? For that matter, no body should indulge in such disgraceful acts. I just asked him to stop preaching as the children were very young and he should not meddle with their innocence. But he wanted to continue to play “CRICKET” with them. He did not move a bit and continued to explain me that he just wanted to spend some time with the children. I knew what would happen when I leave the ground. I just lost my cool and asked him to get out of the play ground immediately as children need not learn from him about Hinduism. He got scared when I told him that I would call the police if he did not leave the premises. Very unwillingly, they had to leave the place as I insisted.
After they left, I started realizing if we really could get any support to stop such intrusions. Those persons would go to different play grounds and continue their attempts. So far they have not appeared again but I suppose they are trying different play grounds or other forums in the city.
On Saturday, 29th of May 2010, around 5.00 pm, three foreigners, all looking to be in 20’s, came to this playground on the pretext of playing with the children. They have told the children that they had come from Texas, USA. Initially, they tried to learn about cricket from the children. It was fun for the children too as cricket was played/attempted in base ball way. After couple of minutes of base ball/cricket demo, they offered to tell some stories. We can very well guess that by them more children on the play ground would have accumulated towards them.
I would like to highlight one of those ‘stories’ as narrated by the children later to me. Interestingly the ‘story’ was also illustrated with pictures drawn on the ground. Initially he drew two pictures on the ground. One picture represented the child (‘you’ as told to children) and the other was that of lord Vishnu (‘your god’ as told to children). Then he pointed to the picture of Vishnu and told that Vishnu was false’ and ‘no good’. Then he wiped the picture of Lord Vishnu’s using his legs and wrote the picture of a cross /Jesus. Then he told that only Jesus is right and all should believe only Jesus and not Vishnu or Shiva or Krishna as they are all false. Then the guy explained about this logic of only one god can exist and people should not get confused with multiple gods - There should be only one god and there can not be hundreds and thousand’s of gods and so on. Encouraged further by children’s curiosity and mum, the guy went to the extent of asking them to do some prayers to Jesus. They were asked to repeat his words. The highlights of this prayer are like … ‘From today onwards I believe only Jesus. I will not go to temple or mosque and I will go to church only….. And so on. When all this was going on, couple of children came to told me that some foreigners had come to spread Christianity and talking bad about Indian gods. Immediately I went to playground to check. I saw three foreigners engaging three groups of children separately. They were all very busy playing or talking to children perhaps with more of such ‘stories’. I approached one person who was talking to a group and told him that he need not tell what the children should believe and which god they should worship as they can decide when they grow up and also their parents will guide them. He started to convince me that he had only played with them and told some stories. In between some children explained me what all had happened and who all participated in the prayer (it was more of oath taking than prayer!). It was interesting to note that a Muslim boy was asked to include a special sentence in his prayer which goes like this - ‘I will not go to mosque and I will only go to Church’!
After hearing all kinds of updates from the children, I was very much disturbed. How can a person that too from an alien nation can provoke the children against their tender beliefs and culture? For that matter, no body should indulge in such disgraceful acts. I just asked him to stop preaching as the children were very young and he should not meddle with their innocence. But he wanted to continue to play “CRICKET” with them. He did not move a bit and continued to explain me that he just wanted to spend some time with the children. I knew what would happen when I leave the ground. I just lost my cool and asked him to get out of the play ground immediately as children need not learn from him about Hinduism. He got scared when I told him that I would call the police if he did not leave the premises. Very unwillingly, they had to leave the place as I insisted.
After they left, I started realizing if we really could get any support to stop such intrusions. Those persons would go to different play grounds and continue their attempts. So far they have not appeared again but I suppose they are trying different play grounds or other forums in the city.
Yes, it's true that they come under tourist visa and get indulge in these kind of activities.
ReplyDeleteIn Kaggadasapura area two pastors were arrested and kept in jail for more than month. People of near by area has to take some initiative.
It's good you have observed it rightly and published in blog. Why can't you write this to Vijaya Karnataka Kanndaprabha or Prajavani as letters to the editor. Even you can send it to English print media also.
Thanks, for updating.
Kick them out
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt is a sad truth that religion works this way, by mere brain washing. It does not hold good with christianity alone. Any religion forcing people to convert adopts the same formula. It is funny to see ISKCON does the same kind of fanatic hindusim spread in foreign countries.
ReplyDeletegood info. need to be published in general platforms too.
ReplyDeleterajesh padmar