{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 187,
  "chapterName": "1956. The Niyogi Committee’s Enquiry into the Activities of Christian Missionaries in Madhya Pradesh",
  "pageFrom": 390,
  "pageTo": 394,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 390,
      "ocrText": "390\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n187. THE NIYOGI COMMITTEE'S ENQUIRY INTO THE\nACTIVITIES OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES IN MADHYA\nPRADESH (1956 A.D.)\nThe report of the Christian Missionary Activities Enquiry Com-\nmittee, popularly known as the Niyogi Committee after its Chairman,\nM. B. Niyogi, appointed by the Government of Madhya Pradesh under\ncircumstances described in the document itself caused extensive\ncontroversy and anxiety in India, among both Christians and non-\nChristians. In the face of this controversy the recommendations\nwere not implemented at the time, but the report nevertheless reflected\nthe attitude towards Christian missions held by a number of people\nin India. The portions reproduced here are from the first volume\nof the report (1) The Background, (2) The Findings, and (3) The\nRecommendations. Report of the Christian Missionary Activities\nEnquiry Committee, Madhya Pradesh, 1956, Vol. I, pp. 23, 131-132,\n163-165.\n1. The Background\nIt will thus be seen that whereas on the one hand an impression\nwas being created all over India at the instance of foreign Mission-\naries engaged in the Udaipur and Surguja States that the Madhya\nPradesh Government was following a policy of discrimination or\nharassment of the Christian population and Missionaries, on the\nother hand numerous complaints were being received of the objec-\ntionable activities of these foreign Missionaries, especially in the\ntribal areas and public resentment was mounting up. Government\nwas not clear whether the agitation was confined only to the newly-\nmerged State or whether other areas of Madhya Pradesh where the\nMissions were working were also affected. It must be noticed that\nabout 30 different Missions are working in Madhya Pradesh with\nvarying number of centres in each district. Almost the entire\nMadhya Pradesh is covered by Missionary activities and there is\nhardly any district where a Mission of one denomination or the\nother is not operating in some form or the other. More than half\nthe people of Madhya Pradesh (57.4 per cent) consists of members\nof the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward\nClasses and it is amongst these that the Missionary activities are\nmostly confined. The The background of Missionary activities in the\nold Madhya Pradesh and the merged States was repeatedly brought\nto the Government's notice as a warning to be taken notice of and\nthe almost similar methods adopted by the Roman Catholic and\nother Missions in the new areas of Surjuga and Udaipur States was\nreported to be of great significance. Missionaries had vehemently\ndenied allegations of proselytism and anti-national activities and\nhad levelled charges against local officials whenever enquiries were\nmade by such officers. In respect of authorities outside Madhya",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 391,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n391\nPradesh these Missionaries also complained against the attitude of\nthe Madhya Pradesh Government and vile propaganda against the\nGovernment was carried on in the foreign press. In these circum-\nstances, Government decided to get the matter examined thoroughly\nthrough an open public enquiry and our Committee came to be\nappointed.\n2. The Findings\nOn consideration of the material before us we arrive at the\nfollowing conclusions of fact:-\n1. Since the Constitution of India came into force there\nhas been an appreciable increase in the American personnel of the\nMissionary organizations operating in India. This increase is\nobviously due to the deliberate policy of the International Missionary\nCouncil to send evangelistic teams to areas of special opportunities\nopened to the Gospel by the Constitutional provision of religious\nfreedom in some of the newly independent nations, equipped with\nnew resources for mass evangelism through the press, film, radio\nand television.\n2. Enormous sums of foreign-money flow into the country\nfor Missionary work, comprising educational medical and evange-\nlistic activities. It was out of such funds received from abroad\nthat in Surguja the Lutherans and other proselytizing agencies were\nable to secure nearly 4,000 converts.\n3. Conversions are mostly brought about by undue influence,\nmisrepresentation, etc., or in other words not by conviction but by\nvarious inducements offered for proselytization in various forms.\nEducational facilities such as free gifts of books and education are\noffered to secure the conversion of minors in the primary and\nsecondary schools under the control of the Missions. Money\nlending is one of the various forms adopted as a mild form of pressure\nto induce proselytization. This is found very prominently in the\ncase of Roman Catholic Missions operating in the hill tracts of\nSurguja, Raigarh, Mandla, etc. Cases where coercion was reported\nto have been used are generally of those converts who wish other\nmembers of the family to join their Christian parents or to secure\ngirls in marriage.\n4. Missions are in some places used to serve extra-religious\nends. In spite of assurances given by foreign and national Mis-\nsionaries to authorities, instances of indirect political activities\nwere brought to the notice of the Committee.\n5. As conversion muddles the convert's sense of unity and\nsolidarity with his society, there is a danger of his loyalty to his\ncountry and State being undermined.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 392,
      "ocrText": "392\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n6. A vile propaganda against the religion of the majority\ncommunity is being systematically and deliberately carried on so as\nto create an apprehension of breach of public peace.\n7. Evangelization in India appears to be part of the uniform\nworld policy to revive Christendom for re-establishing Western\nsupremacy and is not prompted by spiritual motives. The objective\nis apparently to create a Christian minority with a view to disrupt\nthe solidarity of the non-Christian societies, and the mass conver-\nsions of a considerable section of Adivasis with this ulterior motive\nis fraught with danger to the security of the State.\n8. Schools, hospitals and orphanages are used as a means to\nfacilitate proselytization.\n9. Tribals and Harijans are the special targets of aggressive\nevangelization for the reason that there is no adequate provision of\nhospitals, schools, orphanages and other social welfare services in\nthe scheduled or specified areas.\n10. The Government of Madhya Pradesh have throughout\nfollowed a policy of absolute neutrality and non-interference in\nmatters concerning religion and allegations of discrimination against\nChristians and harassment of them by Government officials have\nnot been established. Such allegations have been part of the old\nestablished policy of the Missions to overawe local authority and\nto carry on propaganda in foreign countries.\n3. The Recommendations\nThe following is a summary of the recommendations which we\nhave made :-\n1. Those Missionaries whose primary object is proselyti-\nzation should be asked to withdraw. The large influx of foreign\nMissionaries is undesirable and should be checked.\n2. The best course for the Indian Churches to follow is to\nestablish a United Independent Christian Church in India without\nbeing dependent on foreign support.\n3. The use of medical or other professional services as a\ndirect means of making conversions should be prohibited by law.\n4. To implement the provision in the Constitution of India\nprohibiting the imparting of religious education to children without\nthe explicit consent of parents and guardians. The Department of\nEducation should see that proper forms are prescribed and made\navailable to all schools.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 393,
      "ocrText": "SOUR CE MATERIALS\n393\n5. Any attempt by force or fraud, or threats of illicit means\nor by moral and material assistance, or by taking advantage of any\nperson's inexperience or confidence, or by exploiting any person's\nnecessity, spiritual (mental) weakness or thoughtlessness, or, in\ngeneral, any attempt or effort (whether successful or not), directly\nor indirectly to penetrate into the religious conscience of persons\n(whether of age or underage) of another faith, for the purpose of\nconsciously altering their religious conscience or faith, so as to\nagree with the ideas or convictions of the proselytizing party should\nbe absolutely prohibited.\n6. Religious institutions should not be permitted to engage\nin occupations like recruitment of labour for tea gardens.\n7. It is the primary duty of Government to conduct orpha-\nnages, as the State is the legal guardian of all minors who have no\nparents or natural guardians.\n8. Government should issue an appeal to authoritative and\nrepresentative Christian Missionary Organisations and to Christians\nin general to come together and to form an authoritative organi-\nsation which should lay down and inform Government in clear\nterms the policy which the Missions and Christians in general will\nfollow in respect of propagating their religion, the methods to be\nfollowed in conversions, the type of propaganda which will be\npromoted and the attempts which will be made to confine their\nevangelistic activities within the limits of public order, morality and\nhealth.\n9. An amendment of the Constitution of India may be\nsought, firstly to clarify that the right of propagation has been given\nonly to the citizens of India and secondly that it does not include\nconversion brought about by force, fraud or illicit means.\n10. Suitable control on conversions brought about through\nillegal means should be imposed. If necessary legislative measures\nshould be enacted.\n11. Advisory Boards at State level, regional level and district\nlevel should be constituted of non-officials, minority communities\nlike Tribals and Harijans being in a majority on these boards.\n12. Rules relating to the registration of Doctors, Nurses\nand other personnel employed in hospitals should be suitably\namended to provide a condition against evangelistic activities\nduring professional services.\n13. Circulation of literature meant for religious propaganda\nwithout the approval of the State Government should be prohibited.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 394,
      "ocrText": "394\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n14. Institutions in receipt of grants-in-aid or recognition\nfrom Government should be compulsorily inspected every quarter\nby officers of Government.\n15. Government should lay down a policy that the responsi-\nbility of providing social services like education, health, medicine,\nresponsi-\netc., to members of scheduled tribes, castes and other backward\nclasses will be solely of the State Government, and adequate services\nshould be provided as early as possible, non-official organizations\nbeing permitted to run institutions only for members of their own\nreligious faith.\n16. A separate department of cultural and religious affairs\nshould be constituted at the State level to deal with these matters\nwhich should be in charge of a Minister belonging to a scheduled\ncaste, tribe, or other backward classes and should have specially\ntrained personnel at the various levels.\n17. No non-official agency should be permitted to secure\nforeign assistance except through Government channels.\n18. No foreigner should be allowed to function in a scheduled\nor a specified area either independently or as a member of a reli-\ngious institution unless he has given a declaration in writing that\nhe will not take part in politics.\n19. Programmes of social and economic uplift by non-official\nor religious bodies should receive prior approval of the State.\n(B. P. PATHAK)\n(M. B. NIYOGI)\nMember-Secretary\nChairman\n(Members)\n1. Ghanshyam Singh Gupta.\n2. S. K. George.\n3. Ratanlal Malavya.\n4. Bhanu Pratap Singh.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}