From: Indian Institute Of Scientific Heritage
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2012 6:48 PM
Subject: DHARMA MESSAGE SERIES NO. 52

DHARMA MESSAGES SERIES NO. 52

DEVASAHAAYAM PILLAI’S BENEDICTION (Devasahaayam pillai vaazhthapettavan);

Message and news appeared on the benediction of Devasahaayam Pillai (formerly Neelakantan Pillai) who died in 1757 January 14th in Kanyakumari District TN.

It is said that this benediction was based on the Bishop’s report to Pope in Vatican that Pillai was shot dead for embracing Christianity from the Hindu Nair family. The sad part of this benediction was that there is not even a single report in the history of India on killing a person for embracing other religion. In fact many south Indian kings invited Christians and gave them facilities for building their commercial centres, churches and preaching the religion. Under this circumstances who shot dead Devasahaayam Pillai and for what purpose ? How it did not appear in the Indian history ? Is this a similar fake story like that of St Thomas ? 

During 1757s, south India was the fighting ground and battle field for British, French and Portuguese for building their power. Many kings and even people were shot dead like Pazhassi Raja by the western invaders. No Hindu ruler had ever killed using pistol or gun in these land in the name of religious conversion from Hindu dharma. 

In fact the Portuguese missionary cruelly killed tens of thousands of Hindus for not converting to Christianity and that fellow was declared as ‘Saint’ Francis Xavier. Hundreds of churches are built in his name. Still Hindus did not react in the past or present.

Under that circumstances shooting and killing Neelakanta Pillai for converting into Christianity is a fabricated story. Either aiming at tarnishing Indian culture and Hindus or for converting the remaining Hindus of Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu by elevating a Hindu to Christian Benediction level. 
By Keeping the Hindu name Pillai, the shrewd Christians know that a part of Hindus can be dragged into the fold of the churches. The church is accepting the Hindu names, rituals, customs, books, methods and so on for converting the illiterate Hindus.

The Devasahaayam Pillai with chains in hands, cross near by, in Tamilain dress on the Altar of every church can fasten the conversion in Tamil regions using his name.

By creating such a false story, the Bishops are tarnishing the Hindu and Indian image of tolerance and sarva dharma sama bhaavana. They wanted to project that Hindus also killed Christian missionaries. However no Hindu organisation realised such a motto through the benediction of Devasahaayam Pillai. 

Mr. Pillai was soldier in any one of the foreign army of British, Portuguese and French who fought each other for their supremacy and might have shot dead for working for or against others.

Hindus do not bother elevating anyone inside or outside India to any level. But in the name of this Benediction what happened is that Hindu dharma and Indian culture got degraded, belittled, denigrated because it carries the message that Indians killed a Hindu for embracing Christianity through this fake story !

IISH COMMUNICATION TEAM 
Encashment of virtuous Tamil Hindu psyche: Sainthood of Devasahayam Pillai

by C I Issac 

05 Dec 2012
Roberto de Nobili Read: Arun Shourie on de Nobili, descendant of Brahma.

Idol of Devasahayam being carried to the stage| Express
divine blessings: The Chairman of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints Angelo Cardinal Amato proclaims Devasahayam Pillai blessed at the ceremony at Nagercoil on Sunday; and | Express

The Vatican in its third millennium is committed to plant its Cross over Asia as was done in previous millenniums over Africa and the Americas. In the case of Asia, the church generally signifies India and particularly Tamil Nadu, the most vulnerable place of Hindu social formations of India (the reasons for this vulnerability are not the subject of this article).

Earlier in the seventeenth century, Roberto de Nobili of Montepulciano, Tuscany, a padre of the Society of Jesus, in his zeal to convert the Brahmins adopted their mode of life and so had to cut himself off completely from intercourse with fellow missionaries. Through fraudulence, he depicted the entire Hindu tradition as the corrupted form of Christianity. With this end he claimed to have discovered a fifth Veda which he called Jesus Veda. He worked in Madura, Mysore, and southern Karnataka till old age and almost complete blindness compelled him to retire to Mylapore.

Proselytism enterprises in the Tamil south attempted to baptize Thiruvalluvar and the Kural. In 1969, M. Deivanayagam with the blessings of the Church published a book in Tamil to portray Thiruvalluvar as the disciple of St. Thomas. The timely interference of national forces aborted the vicious and malicious designs of Arulappas and ‘Paul Iyers’ like ‘Jayachandras’ of modern south India.

The forces of the Conversion Lobby is now experimenting with another strategy to bestow the halo of sainthood upon a traitor, Neelakanda Pillai, of the kingdom of Travancore. This 18th century convert is now being repackaged as ‘Devasahayam Pillai’ in the absence of any proper historical evidence, in order to build an icon of martyrdom to the cause of ‘faith’.

According to the Catholic Church of Kanyakumari district, Neelakanda Pillai was an employee in the palace service of Travancore. Here it may be appropriate to quote Swami Vivekananda: “For every conversion that is lost to Hinduism, it is not just one lost, but one more enemy to Hinduism”. 

During the Second Vatican Council (11 October 1962 to 8 December 1965) under pontiffs John XXIII and Paul VI, two thousand saints were removed from the nomenclature of ten-thousand-odd saints of the Catholic Church on the ground that there was insufficient evidence to their continuation in the galaxy of saints.

Pope John Paul II was known for his agenda of elevating 482 persons to sainthood; about 300 were put on a pedestal of different stages on the road to the final destination of sainthood. It was an all time record in the long history of 261 pontiffs so far. But his successor Benedict XVI is striving to overtake him. Yet Fr. Damien, who died on 15 April 1889 and served the ostracized lepers of Molokai in Hawaii, waited until 11 October 2009 in a long queue for sainthood. Fr. Damien’s elevation to sainthood is not beneficial to the Church from the conversion point of view. 

The two thousand-odd saints had a purpose in the last millenniums and were served well. But in the changed scenario the Church has no use for them and so they were ousted from the pantheon of saints! Now the Vatican is running after Mother Theresa-like pragmatic saints who have acquired socio-political relevance in the contemporary world order. Several ‘removed saints’ are still adored in the Catholic churches of Kerala.

One such saint is St. George [Gee Varghese in Malayalam]; he is dear to the Church materially and mystically and that is why the Church of Kerala renounced the dictum of the pontiff. St. George of Edthuva and Aruvithura are indivisible in Kerala Catholic faith because this saint is acceptable to the Hindus, especially from southern Tamil Nadu, and hence he is a money-minter for the Church. His morphology is rather more Hindu than Occident; hence his acceptance. Above all, the Church in an era of globalization is more pragmatic than any business firms of Kerala. 

The focus of this study is the authenticity of the story of the execution of Neelakanda Pillai alias Devasahayam Pillai of Nattalam in the present day Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu by the Travancore Raja in 1752 on the ground that he embraced Christianity. The Catholic Church alleges that the Brahmin chief priest of the kingdom and certain members of the royal family along with the Nair jati levelled false charges of treason against Devasahayam Pillai before the Dalawa (dewan).

According to the advocates of Neelakanda Pillai’s sainthood, his conversion to the Christian faith generated intolerance amongst the upper jati Hindus / Nairs, thus they conspired against him; hence the case of treason. There are various other stories in circulation concerning the poignant end of Neelakanda Pillai. One story says that during the reign of Ramayyan Dalawa, authorities framed charges against him: disclosing of state secrets to rivals and Europeans. Dalawa ordered the execution of Neelakanda Pillai and he was taken on the back of a buffalo to Kuzhumaikkad where he was executed on charges of sedition.

Another story is that in 1752, the King and his Dalawa ordered his deportation from Travancore into the Pandya country at Aralvaimozhy. There, he was let off in the forest where he began deep meditations and people from adjacent villages began visiting him as a holy man.

Here the pertinent questions are whether the practice of religious persecution existed in the State of Travancore; whether Neelakanda Pillai converted to Christianity and specifically to Catholicism; whether a man from Nair jati embraced the Latin Catholic Church; if he converted to Catholicism was it possible to remain in the palace service, and what is the immediate purpose of elevating him to the sainthood.

P.K. Balakrishnan, author of Jati Vyavasthithiyum Kerala Charithravum (Mal. pub.1983, pp 342 ff), makes it clear that even though the social relations of Kerala were based on jati / birth-based discriminations, religion was not a matter of social concern. The great poet Vallathol attested to the harmonious co-existence of diverse religions as Kerala’s time tested tradition. Krishna Chaitanya, a noted social historian of Kerala writes: “The Keralite, whatever his religion, grows up in a multicultural milieu, which has been an established reality in the land for centuries” (Kerala, p 62).

Recently the Dalai Lama, while attending a Christian function at Cochin, attested to the age-old Indian tradition of equal respect for all religions (and not religious tolerance) in the following words: “India exemplified how different religious faiths and traditions could live in harmony and she is the noble paradigm spiritual harmony and coexistence” (Matrubhoomi Daily, The Hindu, Deccan Chronicle, Cochin 26 November 2012). 

This traditional characteristic of Kerala society was acknowledged by an eminent historian: “The Hindu rulers of ancient Kerala followed a policy of enlightened religious toleration … The progress of the faith was, in many respects, due to the tolerant policy pursued by the rulers of Kerala…” (A. Sreedhara Menon, A Survey of Kerala History, 1970, pp 92, 104).

Above all, Marthanda Varma’s broadmindedness to accept De Lannoy, a Danish Christian, as commander-in-chief of his forces is sufficient and self-explaining testimony to the general Hindu social psyche of the day. In short, Kerala’s track record in the history of harmonious coexistence of religions is exemplary of the broad Hindu outlook since the dawn of its civilization to the present. Hence a story of Devasahayam Pillai’s tragic end is fictitious and un-historic. 

As Neelakanda Pillai hailed from an aristocratic Nair household of 18th century Travancore and was well placed in the palace service, the genuineness of the story of his conversion to Christianity is unbelievable and fabulous in the history of proselytism of Kerala. Social disability attributed to certain jatis by smriti rules, the ruling ideology of ancient Kerala, is the prime villain responsible for the mass exodus of certain jatis to alien religions in the changed political scenario.

In this situation, the conversion of a Nair before European domination over Kerala’s political life is an absurd story and an act of building castles in the air. If for the sake of argument one accepted the conversion of Neelakanda Pillai to Latin Catholicism, the question of his social acceptance in the highly jati conscious society is vital. One has to keep in mind that the Latin Catholics, even today, are untouchables to the Syrian Catholics of Kerala. Conversion would make his social rank in the mlechha (out-cast) category and thus he would miss his socio-political acceptance automatically.

Thus, without any external intervention, all his social status and prerogatives along with his employment in the palace service would be automatically terminated. Hence there was no room for false fabrication of charges by a Brahmin priest against him. While in the palace service, Neelakanda Pillai was very clearly not converted to an alien faith. 

A 20th century story associated with Neelakanda Pillai’s conversion is narrated by C.M. Augur in “The Church History of Travancore” (1902, Kottayam). It explains the story without any relevant documentary evidence. This is a deliberate conspiracy plotted by the Church.

Similarly, the Malayalam literary magazine Bhasposhini (Vol. XXVIII, No. 7, 2004), part of the Christian-owned Malayala Manorama group, published the story of the conversion of one Ramavarma, heir-apparent to the Cochin royal family, to Christianity under the influence of Dr. Herman Gundert, a protestant missionary in 19th century Malabar. The cover story says he received baptism from Dr. Herman Gundert on 3 September 1856m and assumed the name Yakoob (Jacob) Ramavarman (1814-1858).

The story of his conversion is presented to the reading public in a more camouflaged manner by the magazine, which debates the question of the first autobiography in Malayalam and concludes that Yakoob Ramavarman is the first autobiographer of the Malayalam language. This is a paradox which was not noticed by three outstanding literary historians of Kerala, Ulloor S Parameswara Iyer, T.M. Chummar and Dr. K.M. George, but was discovered by Bhasposhini in its cover story. The irony is that T.M. Chummar and Dr. K.M. George are upper jati Christians of Kerala. The purpose of the debate over the nonexistent and unpublished autobiography was to give stimulus to the enterprise of apostasy in Kerala.

Anyway, the attempt did not produce any desired output. The reason is that Gundert was a Protestant and in Protestantism saints have no relevance; hence making and marketing Yakoob Ramavarman as a saint turned unfeasible for the time being. In short, the proselytism entrepreneurs of India who cast its covetous eyes over the unorganized Hindus are always eager to experiment newer and newer tricks to trap them and has a periodic recurring character (sambhavami yuge yuge).

Neelakanda Pillai’s alleged conversion to the Catholic faith under the influence of De Lannoy was another serious contradiction that persists in the fabrication of this story, which acquired impetus in the 1980s. Those who fabricated the above story did not know the then persistent politico-religious relations of the West.

De Lannoy was a Danish subject in communion with the Protestant Church. When the Dutch captured Fort Cochin, they occupied St. Antonio Church of the Catholics, where Vasco da Gama was buried, and changed it to St. Francis Church. Now this church belongs to CSI, a Protestant order. Later, the British occupied it and at the time of independence they handed it over to the CSI.

In Europe at the time of Neelakanda Pillai, the Catholics and Protestants were in a belligerent mood. Therefore De Lannoy would never allow Neelakanda Pillai to receive baptism from the Catholics. Moreover, at Udayagiri Fort, De Lannoy maintained a Protestant Church. Above all, the Dutch were the gurus of conversion in those days, so why would De Lannoy send Neelakanda Pillai to the Catholic fold for a simple ritual of baptism?

From the days of Roberto de Nobili (1606), the Papacy was enthused to convert the Tamil south but failed. In recent times it has attempted to hijack the great saint Thiruvalluvar, the spinal cord of Tamil identity, who lived a century before Jesus, by forging history! The church is peddling the story that Thiruvalluvar met Saint Thomas at Mylapore and converted to Christianity. This did not go down well and so now it is experimenting with Devashayam Pillai. The archival sources remain silent about Neelakanda Pillai’s conversion or execution. 

The birth of newer saints will boost the morale of the nuns and clergy. In an age that criticizes the Church’s educational business and proselytism, miracles by native saints can attract more Hindus. Under the fascination of miracles of saints, if Hindus are converted to Christianity, no one can blame it as a proselytizing enterprise. That is the logic behind the elevation of people to sainthood in strategic regions.

In an age of sons of the soil, such a strategy may yield better. The offertory of a Hindu to a wayside chapel of a designated saint does not fall in the category of an income-generating business, like educational institutions or hospitals. This benefits the Church in two ways - it can continue conversion and amass money without public censure. In an age of liberalization and globalization, marketing strategies are essential for the faith also. Hence European churches are using the potential of the Indian Church for outsourcing holy mass and other sacraments. In the marketability perspective, Kerala waysides are perfect spaces for the sale of saints and their miracles. 

The author is a retired Professor of History, and lives in Trivandrum

http://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=2585


Devasahayam Pillai beatified

Author: Express News Service

Published Date: Dec 3, 2012 8:37 AM
Last Updated: Dec 3, 2012 10:21 AM
Lakhs of people on Sunday attended a ceremony to mark the beatification of Martyr Devasahayam Pillai, the first layman from India to be given this honour by the Catholic Church.

The grand ceremony was held at the Carmel School grounds near Ramanputhoor in the town by the Diocese of Kottar where Pillai was born. The Chairman of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Angelo Cardinal Amato, participated in the function as the Papal Delegate and presided over it.

During the ceremony, Kottar bishop Peter Remigius, together with the postulator of the cause, approached Cardinal Amato and requested him to proceed with the beatification of Devasahayam Pillai while the bishop read some important anecdotes from the life of Pillai.

Following this, the Cardinal read the ‘apostolic letter’ in Latin and declared Servant of God Devasahayam Pillai ‘Blessed’ and noted that it had been permitted to celebrate his festivals in select places according to diocese laws on January 14 every year. Afterwards, the bishop read the translated version of the apostolic letter in Tamil and, at the end of the reading, a Latin hymn was sung as a large picture and the relics of Pillai were carried to the altar in a solemn procession. They were placed by the side of the altar, adorned with candles. The celebrant passed incense over the relics and a hymn on the blessed was sung. Later, Bishop Remigius thanked Pope Benedict XVI for proclaiming Pillai blessed and the bishop and the Papal representatives embraced each other.

Senior Catholic clergymen, including Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio, several cardinals from India, 40 bishops and almost 2,000 priests and nuns were joined by lakhs of faithfuls from different parts of the country to witness the ceremony.

State Forest Minister K T Patchaimal, Nagercoil MLA Nanjil Murugesan, Kanyakumari MP J Helen Davidson and politicians cutting across party lines were present at the event.

Comments(7)
The entire story of devasagayam is fabricated to further conversions and the pope has given legitimacy to this. Its immoral, anti national and malicious.
Posted by gautham at 12/03/2012 19:05 Reply to this Report abuse
Fabrication? Immoral, anti-national and malicious? Has Mr. Gautham ever lived aruond or visited Padmabhapuram, Puliyoorkurichy, Colachel, Peruvilai, Nattalam, Vadakkankulam, Aralvaimozhy, Kaatadimalai, Kottar etc? How much is he aware of the history of Travancore Kingdom of 17-18 Centuries? 2-line comments perhaps are more a swinging clubs in the dark of his own maliciousness and flawed mindset than a sense of openness to things that have taken place in Thovalai, Agastheswaram, Kalkulam and Vilavancode Taluks.. Gita - AB.
Posted by Gitanjali at 12/03/2012 21:47 Reply to this Report abuse
Well said Gita. No one should talk without knowing the ground reality. People should visit St. Xavier's Church, Kottar, Nagarcoil before making some wrong comments. To be blessed in Christianity is not a joke -Jose
Posted by Jose at 12/04/2012 10:16 Reply to this Report abuse
Blessed Daivasahayam Pillai pray for the world to have the bliss and happiness to believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God. " But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God"( John 1:12). Good Jesus, You are " the Way, the Truth and the Life".
Posted by I.C. Se... at 12/04/2012 00:47 Reply to this Report abuse
Neelakandanpillai was a traitor of the Travancore kingdom. He was a spy He allied with Dutch. In spite of his treacherous act, Dutch was defeated. He stole timber from the forests of Travancore and smuggled it to Tirunelveli. He was caught red handed, He was assasinated by the law of the land for his various heinous acts. Now 200 years later the church wants to glorify him, thinking that everybody has forgotten the truth. This only proves that the churrch's' vested interest.
Posted by Ben at 12/04/2012 11:11 Reply to this Report abuse
My dear friend, truth never fails. Even 200 or 2000 years passed Truth is Truth. All the facts about Devasahayam Pillai is are with evidence. He is a person know learned who is real God. He Knew Him, lived for Him and will live in the hearts of all people. Facts can not be hidden. Pope never approve false recommendations. The study the things analyse it, verify the history and evidences thoroughly and then only give approval for beautification. Devasahayam Pillai lived for truth. Truths can't be hidden by such false statements. You may not know anything about history. You talk in an anger that a person converted his religious beliefs. Everybody has their own religious feelings as he had.
Posted by Joseph Stephen at 12/04/2012 12:20 Reply to this Report abuse
[!User Complaint!] Mr Ben please reserve your ignorance for yourself.Whatever has happened is well documented by people with credibility.Learn to understnd this before making sweeping statements.
Posted by I.Stephen at 12/04/2012 14:59 Reply to this Report abuse

http://newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/article1364366.ece

Fable of ‘Martyr’ Devasahayam Pillai – The Church’s lies exposed
- B.R.Gauthaman

The First Indian to become a Saint!

The Son of soil becomes a Saint!

A great hullabaloo in the district of Kanyakumari!
As a first step towards making a Saint out of one Devasahayam Pillai, the Pope declared him a 'martyr' on June 28, 2012. Frontline newspapers and magazines carried this news item as the day's headlines and celebrated this announcement as if the whole world has been made holy.

Now what is the ulterior motive behind the beatification? Do the so-called facts rest on the solid foundations of history? Who becomes a 'martyr'? Should we not turn the spotlight on these questions?

A martyr is none but a warrior, who enlists himself in the army of the Pope, who reigns in Europe thousands of kilometers away from Kanyakumari; and this 'valiant martyr' thrives in the conquest and conversion of the vanquished, in the process sacrifices his life. The 2nd-century Church Father Tertullian wrote that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church," implying that the martyrs' willing sacrifice of their lives leads to the conversion of others.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_martyrs )

As to the question of motive behind this 'supreme sacrifice', and the motive behind this beatification is verily religious conversion. This has been further confirmed by Pope John Paul II and he does not stop with that. He glorifies these 'martyrs' as "warriors conquering in the name of the Vatican".

“The Church of the first millennium was born out of the blood of martyrs”, he says and calls on the universal Church not to forget the legacy of martyrs. He encourages taking up “these nameless, unknown soldiers as it were of God’s great cause.”
(source:http://www.martyrdevasahayam.org/RELEVANCE-OF-MARTYRDOM.php retrieved on 30.11.2012 )

What is to be noted here is the phrase - "nameless, unknown soldiers".

 To which army do these warriors belong to?
 For whose cause is this army waging war?
 Which nation is this marauding army conquering?
 Which culture is this army destroying?
 What is its motive?

The deeds of this army explain themselves. And to commit these very deeds alone the religion resting on the personna of Jesus Christ became a hand maiden for the ruthless army. Then the question arises about the role and functions, and the very purpose of this religion.

A Religion is one, which elevates a person to a conscious state of his/her humanness, and from there on raises humans to a state of Divinity. There are no two opinions on this. If a religion were to adhere to the above enunciated and accepted principle, then it deserves to called religion. However if the core objective of this ‘religion’ is conquering lands and nations, the question arises, what should people belonging to this religion be called?

Furthermore, in the process of conquering nations, when these marauders attempt to convert the natives to Christianity through fraudulent means and threat, and when the natives retaliate and kill some of these "warriors", such ' foreign legions ' who have been killed by the natives are those who are glorified by the Church establishment as "martyrs".

It is to be remembered that this very same Pope John Paul II admitted shamelessly on this soil, on the auspicious day of Deepavalli, "We converted Europe in the first millennium; America in the second millennium; in the third millennium, we shall plant the Cross in the whole of Asia".

As remarked by Father Tertullian, the Catholic Church requires 'harvest of souls' and as a consequence, 'martyrs'. To accomplish this task, the Church is seriously involved in unearthing 'martyrs' in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and North Sri Lanka. This fact has been admitted by the Kottar Diocese in their website.

"A suitable method for not forgetting the memory of the martyrs is to collect the essential documentation of their heroic testimony and update martyrologies", believes Pope John Paul II.
(source:http://www.martyrdevasahayam.org/RELEVANCE-OF-MARTYRDOM.php retreived on 30.11.2012)

The man who was caught in this 'holy excavation' is none other than 'our own indigenous martyr', Vedha-saatchi Devasahaayam Pillai. The history of Devasahaayam Pillai has been enumerated thus in the websites of Christian Assemblies:

Devasahaayam Pillai was born Neelakantha Pillai in the year 1712 in the upper caste Nair family. Subsequently, he served in the Padmanabhapuram Palace belonging to the Thiruvithaangoor (Travancore) Princely State. It was during this period that he is acquainted with the Dutch general of Maarthaandavarma Raja, De Lannoy.

As a consequence of this association, he was attracted towards Christianity. In the year 1745, he was converted to Christianity by one Fr. Giovanni Battista Buttari of Vadakkankulam Church. On becoming a Christian, he adopted the name Devasahaayam Pillai and moved closely with the people belonging to the lower castes and converted them to Christianity too. Not able to tolerate these acts, the people belonging to the upper castes like the Brahmins and Nairs, instigated the king and leveled a spate of allegations upon him. Consequently, Devasahaayam Pillai was arrested on February 23, 1749. Between the three years - 1749 and 1752, Devasahaayam Pillai was put to untold tortures and finally at a place called Kaathaadi Malai, on the Nagercoil-Tirunelveli road, near, Aaralvaaimozhi he was shot dead on January the 14th by the soldiers of king Maarthaandavarma Raja.
(http://www.martyrdevasahayam.org & http://cbci.in/FullNews.aspx?ID=648 ) (Retrieved on 30.11.2012)

What is the purpose of excavating this history? The website of Kottar Diocese explains it thus:

The past 259 years have shown such a continuity of presence of the Servant of God in the minds, piety, spirituality and prayer of the people of God in Tamil Nadu, south Kerala and northern Sri Lanka that he cannot be counted as one of “these nameless, unknown soldiers” in those areas. However, bereft of recognition by the Church and official acceptance by the authority in the Church, it is impossible to make such a meaningful event bear fruit in the Church and society at large.
(source:http://www.martyrdevasahayam.org/RELEVANCE-OF-MARTYRDOM.php retreived on 30.11.2012)

What is the significance of the statement“to make such a meaningful event bear fruit in the Church and society at large"? The import of this statement is that Devasahaayam is a commodity, an instrument for the Church. The Church itself has made it amply clear that there is no spiritual motive behind this act, whatsoever.
If that be so, what are the areas in which this 'commodity' is to be utilized?
The answer to the aforesaid query is readily answered herein: "a continuity of presence of the Servant of God in the minds, piety, spirituality and prayer of the people of God in Tamil Nadu, south Kerala and northern Sri Lanka" leading to more religious conversion.(http://www.martyrdevasahayam.org/RELEVANCE-OF-MARTYRDOM.php)
But still the big HOW remains? And more still, WHICH footprints of tradition is the church scheming to destroy through the act of beatification? The puzzle has been unraveled by the Christians themselves on December the 2nd, 2012 at Nagercoil, where the beatification of Devasahaayam Pillai took place.
Cardinal Angelo Amato agreed to designate January 14 as the day to celebrate Devasahaayam Pillai Festival to mark the canonization of Devasahaayam Pillai. The date January 14 is significant. Januray 14 is Pongal, the joyous Hindu festival of harvest, celebrated with fervor in Tamil Nadu, Northern Sri Lanka and South Kerala. The Makara Jyothi of Sabarimala also appears on that day.
The website of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) announces that Devasahaayam Pillai was murdered on January 14 or January 15.(http://cbci.in/FullNews.aspx?ID=648)(Retrieved on 30.11.2012). The CBCI is keeping the date of the murder of the “historic” Devasahayam Pillai conveniently open and flexible for only one reason.
The reason for this "seeming vagary" is that the Thamizh month of THAI is sometimes born on January 15. The design behind this "seemingly innocent vagary" is very apparent - to link the Christian Devasahayam Pillai Festival to the Hindu festival Pongal so that Christians may celebrate both. The ignoble motive being – to appropriate Pongal sometime in the near future as also being a Christian festival.
This is typical Church modus operandi in Enculturation.
Many Christian festivals have been so "created" in line with the festivals of the local people. In the process, the reasons behind these festivals and the cultural identities in the minds of the locals have all but been annihilated, for which history bears testimony. By keeping the date of the death of Devasahayam Pillai conveniently open, it is amply clear that the 'Devasahaayam Pillai Festival' too has been craftily created by the Church to destroy the ancient tradition of celebrating Pongal.
Religious conversions notwithstanding, the website of Kottar Diocese clears all vestiges of doubts, if any, about the political motives that lurk behind.

During the talk of Bl. John Paul II quoted above, delivered at Lourdes, he spoke of “a new kind of religious persecution” spreading in the world today. It is very true in India today. There is an anti-Christian atmosphere being spread by Hindu fundamentalists, fully supported by certain political outfits for their own political motives. It is as if the Indian Church has already entered into “an era of persecution.
(Source:http://www.martyrdevasahayam.org/RELEVANCE-OF-MARTYRDOM.php retreived on 30.11.2012)

Not just politics, Christianity dons many caps, adapting itself with the belief systems of the local people in whose midst it plans to plant the church and the cross. Inculturation, which means to fraudulently convert the natives using their own native symbols, cultural and religious practices, severing them from their native religious and cultural roots and thus conspiring to bring them under the suzerainty of the Church. This goal shall be achieved through the beatification of 'martyr' Devasahaayam Pillai, states the website of Kottar Diocese:

Another point that makes this martyrdom relevant today is the role the laity have to play in the mission of the Church Ad Gentes. The laity are not simply “belonging to the Church”, indeed “they are the Church”.It is then only natural that one speaks of the mission ad gentes of the Laity, because “The Church on earth is by its very nature missionary” and the missionary activity of the Church flows immediately from the very nature of the Church.
(source:http://www.martyrdevasahayam.org/RELEVANCE-OF-MARTYRDOM.php retreived on 30.11.2012)

People may believe that such beatifications (that are designed for the very purpose of religious conversions) may be based upon strong historical foundations. More so, if such words like, 'son of the soil', 'laity' are suitably woven in, then the people of the regions would be overwhelmed and would never dream of investigating further to know the Truth. This is a fact that the Church knows only too well. However, on research, we stumble upon the fact that this fable of 'son of the soil' is contrary to the truth.

Renowned historian Sridhara Menon in an interview to the Pioneer dated 20.1.2004 asserts - "Leave alone execution, not even a single case of persecution was recorded in the history of Travancore in the name of religious conversion. It is a well-concocted story and a figment of the imagination." 
MGS Narayanan, former Chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research(ICHR), said that he had never come across any one named either Neelakantan Pillai or Devasahayam Pillai as the army chief of Martanda Varma in Kerala' s history.

Shri. Nagam Aiyya, who recorded the history of Travancore princely state observes, "It is one evidently started by the later converts, from a habit of apotheosizing their ancestors or heroes; so common among the people. (Travancore Manual Vol II page 129-130, M.Nagam Aiya)

These fiction writers have gone to great lengths to establish that Christians were tortured under the reign of the king of Travancore. On the contrary, what does history offer evidence to?

The very Maharaja of Travancore, who is said to have persecuted Devasahaayam Pillai on account of Pillai converting to the Christian religion and for converting others to Christianity,has in fact extended tax exemption for the lands that he gifted to the Church at Varappuzha.(Travancore Manual, Vol-I page 16, T.K.Veluppillai)

Devasahaayam Pillai allegedly was drawn to Christianity by the Dutch general De Lannoy, according to this church authored fable."The Maharaja of Travancore, Kaarthigai Thirunaal met the expense of building Udayagiri church at the request of De Lannoy and granted a salary of 100 panams to the Vicar", records Shri. TK Velupillai, in the Travancore Manual, Vol-I, page 16.

Far from being religious bigots, these kings may in fact even be termed foolish for entrusting the administration of the Devoswom Board to Col.Munroe, a European Christian.
It is pertinent to recall here that in the times when Neelakantha Pillai converted to Christianity, there were bloody and violent clashes between Catholics and Protestants in Europe and in other parts of the world.
This catholic-protestant internecine war had its echo in India too. On capturing the Kochi Fort, the Holy Antonio Catholic Church where the mortal remains of Vasco da Gama were interned after his death was renamed 'Holy Francis Protestant Church". This Church is presently under the control of the Protestant Church of South India (CSI).
The Dutch De Lannoy was a Protestant Christian. His Church at Udaygiri Fort was a Protestant Church. Moreover, the Dutch in India were vested with the right to authorize baptism of the newly converted. Under such circumstances, why should De Lannoy send Neelakantha Pillai to a Catholic denomination for baptism into Christianity? Besides, would it not be 'profitable' to be baptized by the General of the Maharaja? What benefit would accrue to the upper caste Neelakantha Pillai, were he to be baptized by the Catholic Church, which had no political power then?

We have to conclude therefore that those who fabricated the fiction called "Devasahaayam Pillai", had neither any knowledge of the socio- political climate of the Travancore princely state, nor did they have any idea of the then prevalent situation in Europe.

During the times of Maarthaanda Varma Maharaja, the army of Travancore had Izhavas, Christians and Muslims, records Shri. T.K Velupillai in his Travancore Manual, Vol-IV, page 122, quoting Colonel Wilks.

Indian Historians would naturally be biased in favour of the Hindus; hence it is unacceptable to us, say the Christians but insist that the fiction that the Church peddles as history is the ultimate truth.

Let us take on their argument head on. Pope Clement XIV in his letter dated 2nd July 1774, to the Maharaja of Travancore expresses "his kindness towards the members of his church resident in Travancore". (Travancore Manual Vol-I, page 387, M. Nagam Aiya).

Is Pope Clement XIV lying? Or is Pope John Paul II lying? Or Is the Kottaar Diocese lying? Or is the incumbent pope, Pope Benedict lying? If the king gave grants of land to the church, if there were Christians in the king’s army, if the king entrusted the administration of the Devasvom to a foreigner, who was also a Christian, these self-contradictory ‘facts’ by subsequent popes cannot all be true. So who really is lying?

For the sake of the General De Lannoy who allegedly drew Devasahaayam Pillai to Christianity,De Lannoy,the Maharaja of Travancore Maarthaanda Varma waged war against the General of Anjango. Do you know the reason? De Lannoy fell in love with the daughter of the General of Anjango! (Travancore Manual Vol II page 130, M. Nagam Aiya)

If the fable, fiction and fraud scripted by the Church today to beatify ‘Martyr” Devasahayam Pillai is to be believed, then Maharaja, Maarthaanda Varma, who gladly waged war for a lovelorn Da Lannoy, ordered the torture and shooting this man whom De Lannoy converted to his faith.

In this Christian fable, the minister Raamaiyyan Dalavai is said to have disapproved of the close association of De Lannoy with Devasahaayam Pillai and this is also purportedly one of the reasons for the anger of Raamaaiyyan Dalavai against Devasahaayam Pillai. This closeness aggravated Dalavai’s vengeance or so goes the fraudulent narrative of the spin doctors fabricating the story of this ‘martyr’ who was tortured to death by the Maharaja of Travancore.

It is recorded by T.K.Velu Pillai in his Travancore manual Vol IV, page 77, that capital punishment is awarded to crimes (1) inciting or committing acts of insurrection, andpre-meditating or attempting the death of the Raja, (2) Murder, (3) Gang robbery

Based on these observations, we have to view the history of Travancore as recorded by Shri Nagam Aiya.
“Probably as a palace official, Nilakanda Pillai was detected tampering with political secrets, on the strength of which action must have been taken against him, years after he was converted to Christianity. Baptism could not have had anything to do with it....” (Travancore Manual Vol-II page 130, M.Nagam Aiya)

This fraudulent rendition of history does not stop with the religious conversion of Devasahayam Pillai; it flavors the narrative with a contemporary caste-conflict human interest element."Since, he mixed with the people of lower castes, the people of higher castes began hating him, hence he was killed". The Church has shamelessly inserted the caste factor into this fiction. Needless to say there is not even an iota of historical evidence of inter-caste conflict.

What is the past record of the "secular and holy" Catholic Church? If we are to understand the 'yeoman service' rendered by the Catholic Church to eradicate untouchability, then we may have to turn to the order of Pope Gregory XV, titled Bulla Romanae Sedis Antistitis, dated January 31, 1623,which accedes to the requests of the missionaries to accommodate themselves to certain caste practices and usages of the new converts.
(ref:http://indiainteracts.wordpress.com/tag/christian-caste-system/ )

This papal bull was issued 120 years before Neelakantha Pillai converted to Christianity. Until now, this proclamation has not been withdrawn or modified. As a result, untouchability against dalit Christians and segregation continues to rage with full force in Indian Churches till date.

Even in Vadakkan Kulam, where Devasahaayam Pillai is purported to have been converted to Christianity, did not the Vellala Christians and other caste Christians refuse to go to the same Church and when they did, did they not sit separately? How did Christianity which proclaims loudly that is against untouchability and caste itself, claim to have eradicated casteism, and permit this to happen in the times of Devasahayam Pillai and in the very Church of Devasahaayam Pillai? How can it explain the practice of untouchability and segregation in its churches even today?

A fictitious incident is given the colour of Truth, painted with the brush of social reform and to this gigantic fraud, the Vatican has extended its seal of approval and legitimacy.

Is it valour, is it piety to destroy the tradition of a country and the culture of its native populace by honoring these so called warriors or "martyrs" as the Church calls them, who in reality harvested the souls of Hindus and betrayed the trust of the people who welcomed them and allowed them to build their churches in their midst and generously allowed them to practice an alien religion?

There is no meaning in posing these queries to the Pope, his bishops, cardinals and his foot-soldiers. In the process of establishing the rule of the Pope, if a warrior of the Christian army dies, he becomes a martyr. The same warrior, if he butchers the people of the conquered lands, he becomes a "Saint". This is the history of Christianity and this is how Christianity expanded across continents and this is how Christianity became global.

A House of Inquisition should be established to torture those who refuse to convert to Christianity in India, wrote St. Francis Xavier. For this purpose, he wrote a letter to Pope John III in 1545(Source: Joseph Wicki,Documenta Indica, Vol. IV, Rome, 1956)and by establishing the House of Inquisition at Goa, Francis Xavier was instrumental in the genocide of the Hindus of Goa. Today, this Francis Xavier is a Saint! In his name, there is a Church at Kottaar in Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu! Besides, there are many such churches in other parts of Tamil Nadu and North Sri lanka!

Today, this same Kottar Diocese has beatified Devasahaayam. Not surprising because Kanyakumari has a very large Christian population and the man who killed for Jesus Christ and in the name of the Pope has converted significant numbers of Hindus in the coastal areas of Southern Tamil Nadu too. For converting the few remaining Hindus, the fiction of this Christian ‘warrior-cum-martyr’ who was tortured and killed by the Maharaja of Travancore has now been scripted by the Church.

The self-serving ungrateful Church, with this fraudulent rendition of history has made a murderer of a noble and generous Hindu king and Hindu society has been portrayed as a regressive society. The Hindus have been painted as a barbaric race. Indeed, a fraud has been committed.

What is the net result?The son of the soil is a martyr and a saint- through such enticing proclamations, the Christian laity is instigated to do more to convert Hindus and to plant the cross in every village .

Weaving such fiction and selling fables as facts is nothing new to the Church and they are past masters in this craft. The fable of St. Thomas, who supposedly landed on the shores of Mylapore Beach, in Chennai is one such fable. This fictitious "Thomas" (doubt not) was created, was 'made' to stay at Chennai and was 'made' to be murdered by a Brahmin priest and in an attempt to package the fiction as fact, the Church continues to maintain that the skeletal remains of the 'fictitious' Thomas is interned in the Santhome Basilica. Worshipping relics is a calculated Abrahamic tactic.

Just like the St. Thomas fairy tale is the "Devasahaayam fairy tale. To put it bluntly, the Church does not have a shred of evidence even for the historicity of Jesus Christ. It does not matter to Hindus at all but to Christians who dismiss the Hindu religion as myth and pass off their religion as history, it should matter that they cannot prove the historicity of Jesus Christ.

And that is precisely the reason why, the present Pope observed that, Jesus Christ may have been actually born 200 to 500 years before the officially accepted date and year of his birth. If that be so, then the fundamentals of Christianity are on shaky ‘historical’ foundation.

Secular intellectuals and politicians should tell us if this beatification of the Soldiers of Christ who want to conquer our land and reduce to rubble the land of the Cheras, Cholas and the Pandyas is moral, ethical and in the real interest of communal harmony.

A fraud is a fraud is a fraud.

http://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/the-fable-of-martyr-devasahayam-pillai-churchs-lies-stand-exposed-b-r-gauthaman/

Friday, September 16, 2011

Maoists supporting Christian Missionaries in forced conversion

National Tribunal and Workshop on Evangelism: Impact on Faith, Culture, Economy and Life of Vanvasis 

FOC

ARCHANA Bhagat, a 21-year old Vanvasi woman from Jashpur Nagar district of Chhattisgarh, made her way to Delhi to give her testimony before a Tribunal comprising of eminent bureaucrats, retired judges, ambassadors, academicians and journalists on September 5. Her husband was brutally assassinated by missionaries for resisting an onslaught on his Vanvasi culture two years ago, leaving Archana to fend for herself and her ten months baby. 

The proceedings of the Tribunal were conducted under the banner of Forum for Social Justice. The Tribunal comprised of eminent people like former DG of Punjab Police Shri KPS Gill, senior writer Bhavdeep Kang, former IPS Shri PC Dogra, Air Marshal (retd) Shri RS Bedi, Swami Shantatmananda, Justice (retd) Shri Suresh Soni, Justice (retd) Shri BK Gupta, Justice (retd) Shri DS Tewatia, former Ambassador Shri Prabhat Shukla, director of Centre for Policy Studies Dr JK Bajaj, Smt Usha Goel, Shri Vinod Bawari, Shri Shaurya Doval and Col. (retd) Shri PK Panda. The Tribunal, after preparing a detailed report, will present it the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, different Commissions and authorities with a memorandum within one month. 

Archana Bhagat’s heartbreaking story is not in isolation. More than 100 Vanvasis from different parts of India were in Delhi from September 5 to 6 to appeal to the government authorities to take preventive measures to save their culture, economy and the distinguished way of life. 

The impact, extent and penetration of evangelic activities today came clear to an extent to everybody when a Jamatia Vanvasi student of Law (final year) in Delhi University informed about the conversion of his fellow 17 students in the national capital itself, by funds provided by Tripura Christian Fellow Organisation. One Vanvasi named Nikhil pointed out that now the Christian missionaries are taking help of Maoists to pressurise the Hindu Vanvasis for conversion. He also told that there is a clear nexus between Maoists and Christian Missionaries. Maoists are appointing Christians as their commander in the area. 

Gadadhar Pradhan from Kandhmal district of Orissa informed the Tribunal how the land of his family members and other villagers was forcibly garbed by the Christians. Nandini Pradhan from same Kandhmal district pointed out that Christians intimidate the women against using Hindu symbols like bindi, sindoor, etc. They even torture the Hindu farmers visiting the market to sell their agriculture produces. The local administration do not listen to such complaints of the people and many times they even support the church people. 

Pawitra Kanhal, who is a teacher in Kandhmal district of Orissa explained how he was framed in a false case by the missionaries and he had to remain in jail for 50 days. His only crime was that he had opposed the cow slaughter. Passing Golmai from Imphal said he was himself allured to get married with a beautiful and working Christian girl if I became a Christian, but he refused. He said 64 villages in his region are facing direct onslaughts from the missionaries and the identity and traditions of the Hindus are in danger in the entire region. Bhaikabhai Pawar from the Dangs, Gujarat, informed the Tribunal how the gochar land of his village was garbed for constructing a church. “Once a group of church people caught me and intimidated to stop doing bhajan keertan in the region. They set me free with the threat to face dire consequences if I did not stop doing bhajan keertan. They also create troubles in the celebration of Hindu festivals, he said pointing out that over 200 of the total 311 villages in his region have now churches. 

Sunil from Golaghat (North East) informed how he was converted into Christianity for just Rs 500 and when he returned Hinduism after sometime he was forced to return the amount with interest. Rameshwar Rathia from Korba district of Chhattisgarh said church-supported people come from Jharkhand side and forcefully settle on the vacant land of their village. He said the land that they once occupy is not vacant at any cost. Jamdari Reang who was forced to leave Mizoram with his family some years back and now lives in Tripura, informed how all his family members converted into Christianity but he refused despite repeated pressure. He pointed out that with the change of religion the thinking of the entire family changed towards him and Hindu customs. 

In their testimonies these Vanvasis clearly stated that evangelical Christian missionaries are forcing them to convert into their religion. They clearly stated that there was an increase in the nexus between Maoists and these Evangelist forces and the leaders. 

After the testimony before the Tribunal for two days, these Vanvasis who had come from more than 14 states of the country, assembled at Jantar Mantar on September 6 to register their protest against various challenges posing a threat to their traditional life. They said evangelical missionaries are very much involved in these kinds of activities. In the demonstration, five Members of Parliament (MPs) also participated and lent their support to the demands raised by the Vanvasis. The MPs who attended the demonstration were Smt Jyoti Dhurve from Madhya Pradesh, Shri Murali Lal from Chhattisgarh, Shri Kanjibhai Patel from Gujarat and Shri Sudarshan Bhagat from Jharkhand. They all assured them to raise the issues of atrocities on Vanvasis in the Parliament and at other important forums. 

Earlier, inaugurating the proceedings of the Tribuanl on September 5, former DG of Punjab Police Shri KPS Gill said the Vanvasis have been facing a threat to their culture, economy and way of life since the British period and it must stop now. 

President of the Forum for Social Justice Shri PC Dogra said the Vanvasis are in grave danger and it is our duty to help our Vanvasi brothers and sisters living in remote areas. He said the number of Christians in census is less than 50 per cent of actual numbers. Most of the Christian don’t reveal their identity because they fear that they will lose the benefit of reservation. He also said that Christian missionaries are not just alluring poor and innocent Vanvasis but they are also forcing them and providing support to Maoists to pressurise Vanvasis to convert to Christianity. 

Swami Shantatmananad Maharaj of Ramakrishna Math, Delhi, said conversions are taking place because there is no development in Vanvasi areas. Christian Missionaries are destroying Vanvasi culture. He said those who are capable enough should economically support and do some sewa in the Vanvasi areas. 

The Tribunal took note of the actual distressing situation on grounds by interacting straight with the affected Vanvasis. For this purpose a variety of individuals from distinct Vanvasi cultures of India commonly affected by this phenomenon were brought on a single platform by Forum for Social Justice and India Foundation, New Delhi. This direct interaction with the blighted individuals proved to be very helpful for the jury in making an impact assessment of the detrimental effects of evangelism upon the life and culture of the Vanvasis in India. This was amply reflected in the panel observation and adjudications.(FOC)

http://lokayat3.blogspot.in/2011/09/maoists-supporting-christian.html