When the 80-year old Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was brutally gunned down by a heavily armed mob of fanatical Christians on the fateful night of 23 August 2008, I wrote the next day that he is not Graham Staines. His death remained unmourned by our secular establishment of which the media is a massive organ.
Indeed, his death didn’t merely remain unmourned but was quickly made to fade away into obscurity. However, when communal riots erupted following his gruesome murder, the secular establishment swung into action and blamed the retaliating Hindus and Hindu groups for attacking Christians! Barely two days after his murder, Somini Sengupta wrote in the New York Times blaming, in not so many words, the Hindus for inviting this cruel plight upon themselves. The now-defunct Newsweek too carried a story titled ” “Christians fear attacks by Indian Hindus,” which basically painted a picture of Christians being terrorized by Hindus in India. This is not too different from the kind of reportage and oped writing that occurs whenever communal riots occur in India–the so-called minorities almost always instigate the violence and when the victims retaliate, they are blamed and branded. Indeed, this branding of late has found widespread reach in the international media.
Swami Laxmanananda, a Hindu monk came to Kandhamal in Orissa in 1968 and established an ashram in Chakapada there to work for the welfare and upliftment of the Dalits, tribals and the downtrodden. This selfless service also extended to combating the conversion activities of Christian missionaries who typically prey on these unfortunate souls in such areas. Rampant conversion activities result in violent damage of the social fabric leading in many instances to separatism: the most visible evidence of this is the North East, which remains part of India only in name. Indeed, in a cruel twist of fate, Swami Laxmanananda was himself the gory victim of this phenomenon–his murderers were erstwhile Hindus who had converted to Christianity and gunned him down precisely because of his efforts to prevent more Hindus from becoming like them.
Swami Laxmanananda stands vindicated posthumously too, because the Judge at the Phulbani court convicted seven people–all of them Hindus, converted to Christianity–who were part of the mob that bombed his ashram and opened gunfire indiscriminately, killing several people including the Swami. The judgment also reveals, yet again, the Missionary-Maoist nexus in Orissa.
A measure of how dangerously entrenched the conversion industry is in Orissa can also be traced back to the Justice Wadhwa report on the investigation into the murder of the Australian missionary Graham Staines in 1999 by Dara Singh. The high-decibel cry that was raised by the secular establishment including the media made him out to be a martyr whereas he was in fact a harvester of heathen souls, which in the Hindu context means the violent breakup of Hindu societal harmony. In less than years, the conversion tentacles had taken deeper roots and had spread farther. If a Hindu activist, fed up with Graham Staines’ brazen missionary activity had killed him, the tables were turned by the selfsame missionaries in less than 10 years by a commando-unit style operation on a Hindu saint and his followers.
And this time it was not just the missionaries. But first, the missionaries. The Odisha-government’s special investigation team found that all the major highways in the case led to an outfit called World Vision. Not coincidentally, World Vision happens to be the “world’s largest Christian church mission agency,” whose programmes, in third world countries, among others, include, something called an Area Development Programme (ADP), which “provide[s] access to clean drinking water, healthcare, education and setting up of income generating projects. But infused with such development works is the spiritual component – Bible classes.” [Emphasis added] In fact, World Vision in India projects itself as a “Christian relief and development agency,” and the United States’ Internal Revenue Service classifies it as a “Christian church ministry.” Additionally, its mission statement is itself the loudest advertisement of its intent and activities: “World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in working with the poor and oppressed, to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the Good News of the Kingdom of God.” In plain words: World Vision is a missionary organization one of whose aims is to convert non-Christians to Christianity.
The special investigation team also discovered that the Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha, Radhakanta Nayak was instrumental in encouraging if not instigating attacks against Swami Laxmanananda on several occasions. Again, not coincidentally, Radhakanta Nayak–a converted Christian–happened to be the chief of World Vision’s Odisha unit at the time. The police promptly put him under investigation, and as later investigations showed, the “net was closing in on him.” Indeed, when Laxmanananda Saraswati’s vehicle was attacked in December 2007–about eight months before the fatal shootout–Radhakanata Nayak’s name figured in the complaint made by the Swami. If that was not enough, the police had also arrested Pradesh Kumar Das, an employee of World Vision while he was trying to escape, a fact that bolsters the suspicion of the involvement of this missionary organization’s role in the Swami’s murder.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the Maoists had colluded with the missionaries in the murder. Soon after the news of the Swami’s murder broke, the Maoists denied that they had any hand in it, but later some of their cadre surrendered to the police claiming responsibility. Chargesheet has also been issued against Sabyasachi Panda, a dreaded CPI(Maoist) leader who is said to be the brain behind the Swami’s murder. Be that however it maybe, the Missionary-Maoist nexus operating behind the murder is pretty clear.
And like in 2008, the secularists and the media have almost buried the news of the sentencing of Swami Laxmanananda’s murderers as if it were an incident of no consequence. Of course, if a figure like Graham Staines had died instead of this unfortunate Swami, the narrative would’ve been kept alive till date. Indeed, the 82-year old Swami lived and died a hero, fighting against unbridled fanaticism in order to protect the cultural and civilization threads that bind this land, and still keep it united instead of giving way to a hellhole like Pakistan or a Christian fundamentalist medieval Europe.
Of course nobody can bring him back to life. Yet, we can preserve his legacy by following his example. If even that is asking for too much, we can at least shed a drop of tear.
Sandeep Balakrishna is a columnist and author of Tipu Sultan: the Tyrant of Mysore. He has translated S.L. Bhyrappa’s “Aavarana: the Veil” from Kannada to English.
Sumathi Megavarnam
The Venomous soul rapers are lying lowly at the moment , but only for the moment, to raise their heads & sting ,they are doing a lot of Homework , i do know a lot of xtian/pislam converts who keep on ranting that this govt is trying to crush them , planning to crush them or rather wipe them blah blah blah …….in reality i wish that to happen but the sad part is still these traitors are being appeased with for no reasons…..the illegal inclusion of the word Secularism should be first removed , like how it was included criminally with an ulterior motive , Im proud of my Country it is my Holy land , these Converted rogues now have a different holy land in the form of the vatican, israel , mecca,medina,arabia & all other BS places on earth………where they swear their allegiances to………Let the Fire be kept Kindled so that all the traitors get engulfed into it …….
Suchitra
Let the Fire be kept Kindled so that all the traitors get engulfed into it.
Jai ho !
GR Vishwanath
Nice Article..Thank you
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Vijaya
This is exactly what Swami Lakshmanandaji was for & ‘fighting against’.
This video demonstrates the ‘cunning & utter deceit of these Christists’ to cheat & deprive & snatch from even the ‘converted’ their land which is the only way of survival for them.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ConvrtTohinduIM/status/387547034770624512?screen_name=ConvrtTohinduIM
How do we educate such ‘gullible poor who fall for this sweet poison’ that is destroying the fabric of Bharat?
Mahesh (@MagChennai)
Thanks for shedding light on this matter which is secretly hidden by Mainstream media.
TS M
many times over we hindus never seek to understand the powerplay dynamics and its consequences on our lives – this apathy can perhaps be explained by the need survive through several mini holocausts that accompanied the million mutinies through the brutal slave rule by all kinds of invaders! Even now, we dont bother to investigate the yearly (2012: USD 70 Billion approx) dollar inflow into the NGOs and charities (and such kind) into India – compare this amount with the big politics about the opening up of retail for FDI (of the order of USD 5 Billion per year).
We Hindus need to know – when monies flow, ordinary folks can change color to suit receiving it….. Poor HIndus need to wake up to this reality and play the game fairly to protect ones heritage
Sudhir (@sudhirakondi)
The fact that many of Indians know about Graham Staines and not about Swami, thanks to the Media coverage, is in itself a proof how Media distortion can really cause perspectives to change. To be truthful, I wasn’t aware of this. Thanks to you for putting it out.
I also recently got to know about the World Vision’s roots and how it has spread out in different parts of the world to prevail the word of Jesus Christ. I mean, no issue in they pursuing their own religion. But when they force conversions of poor people to Christianity by providing them money and shelter, it’s blasphemy.
Unfortunately, the caste System in Hinduism combined with economic disparities amongst the people of our country, makes it very vulnerable. And these Christian Missionaries make use of it, to lure the tribals and so-called lower caste folks to conversion.
StopConversions
Can IndiaFacts or Sandeep do a piece on WorldVision? They flood mailboxes of gullible Indians and advertise aggressively.
Anil Kumar Majhi
Had Saraswati been an English-speaking evangelist like Christians, media would have mourned his death. But he was a vernacular inarticulate baba who popularised an unsexy language Sanskrit among tribals. How many mediapersons knew of Saraswati and his massive fan following in Kandhamal before his death? I suspect no one. Mind it, it was Saraswati who acted as a wall between Maoists and tribals. The Maoists wanted to recruit tribals, but found Saraswati the main obstacle. So he had to be killed. It’s another matter that the Maoists’ plan to get the tribals into their ranks backfired. Even Sabyasachi Panda, who had masterminded his killing at the behest of missionaries, later admitted that killing Saraswati was a mistake.
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Vijaya
Sandeep ji more courage to your spirit & power to your pen!
Yes it is indeed tragic that in our Bharat Swami Lakshmananda Ji is an unsung hero.
A venerable soul who fought for our Dharma and people of our Dharma!
Such proselytizing agencies are ominously growing day by day in numbers and continuing their brazen underhand activities with encouragement directly from the center.
This government along with MSM is hand-in-glove with this diabolical foreign woman heading the UPA who is playing her dirty game to the hilt with our own ‘collaborators’ worse than decomposing muck!
Let us hope and pray that with the soon to come Navaratri the Devi will descend on to our land and destroy these monsters who are worse than even the ‘rakshasas’ for whom SHAKTI took the form of Mahishasuramardini.
We are praying for these ‘living demons in power’ to be destroyed once and for all so that righteous people to come to power and re-establish Dharma and once again Bharat becomes glorious.
Vande Mataram!
Aparna
Very well written article. The missionaries play on the gullibility and innocence of the adivasis/villagers and that is what is so distressing. Often it is the poverty, no sustainable livelihood and lack of health services in remote areas that missionaries cash in on. Just the fact that a person’s weakness is made the basis of conversion is repugnant. This is poignantly shown in a Marathi film Tuhya Dharma Koncha (What is your religion). I feel the first step to reduce conversions is to tackle this and members of the RSS/VHP etc are working tirelessly in such regions. Obviously, a lot more needs to be done. And your site is doing good work to bring all this out in the public domain. Wishing you more success.
Sujata Srinath (@Susri1210)
May Swami Lakshmananda’s atma find peace and may his followers carry on his good work if that is possible. Thank you for writing about this. Our so-called main stream media is actually a cartel of biased anti-Hindus who think only they know what secularism is. They cannot even smell a story let alone report it honestly…all they do is behave like a pack of slave wolves doing their master’s bidding. It is heartening that there is an alternate media that can bring all these important events to light. Kudos to you, Sandeep!
vinod
Great article
Vinay
Thanks for the article……. Knowing about this great person now & even the reason behind odisha riots………
Nitin Joshi, CFA (@nitinjoshi20)
great piece sandeep.
baacharaju
just to add.. Rajdeep Sardesai is a “proud” donor for World Vision..
chandra
thank you for bringing the truth out. We need 1000 such swami’s to save our country.
Amit Anirudha Sahu
Sir,Very well written which is very true that media can’t tell us.Whole Odisha knows who r behind swamiji murder case.Recently those 7 convicted in this case,those who r implemented it.Bt question is why they want to kill Swamiji?Who planned it?Obviously some christian organisation specially World Vision is behind this,bt Radhakant Nayak is nt the main culprit.It is planned in national stage&task given to Radhakant.Read this for some more information abt Swamiji case&role of John Doyal. http://hindutva97.blogspot.in/2008/08/christist-terrorists-murdered-swami.html
Prem Kumar
Thanks Sandeep. Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was a hero, who fought for Hinduism.
If this judicial conviction is not enough grounds to ban World Vision in India, I dont know what is.
H Rao
Hindustan me rehna hoga to Hindu Hindu kehna hoga…
dee bee
Nice article which brings out the truth. I think the only fitting tribute we can pay Swamiji for his selfless work is to prevent such fraud conversions and chicanery around us.