Views on Gospel Centenary Celebration

Maurice V Tusing *

(A belated Greeting to people of Churachandpur on 100 years of Christianity).

There had been quite a number of Gospel Centenary Celebrations in Churachandpur District this year. Some of them in the interior parts of the district while the majority of them happened in and around the township. Though most of the celebrations were denominational oriented the Southern Manipur Gospel Centenary Celebration (SMGCC), which was held at the Lamka Public Ground, was a conglomeration of about 22 denominations and could arguably be the largest celebration so far, measured by a certain parameter. Hence, emphasis on the Southern Manipur Gospel Centenary Celebration 2010.

At a personal level I have remained apolitical while being politically conscious. And while heartfully religious but living a secular way of life. It has a always been a subject of interest to me in making sense of what appears to be seemingly contradictory. And this type of things could be what Francis Scaeffer calls "point of tension" between what a person believes and the real world in which he has to live. I might have been the least favourable yet making use of the right enshrined in certain section of Article 19 of the Constitution, I jot down some of my views on the celebration.

To start with, it was a heartening sight on the evening of May 4, 2010 to see the multitudes of meira paibis and paibas (torch bearers) coming from the opposite direction of Tipaimukh road and converging at the Lamka Public Ground. While standing in front of my residence as an on looker, the sight of the passers-by reminds me of 'The Pied Piper of Hamlin'. After a short while, then came (her highness?) the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur in her 'lal-bati safed gari? The halogen emitted extra-bright fog-light mounted on the front vehicle piloted her way and another gypsy of riflemen took care of her security at the rear. While the red beacon on the top of her VIP car flashed as she was struggling to pass-through, a thought struck once again of the words of Lalu Prasad Yadav 'lal-bati gari main gumne se kya phaida hain!'
(And somebody told me that the ICIs were not a part of the celebration. Where were the ICIs hibernating?)

While the road was packed to its brim by the crowd, I was concerned about the security arrangements (vigilante ?), I walked down the road upto the Police Station only to find a handful of policemen on beat-which was grossly not in proportion to the congregation. However religious and peaceful the rally might have been, law-and-order or security concerns should not have been taken for granted.

But thanks to the Fire Service personnel who reached on time to douse a minor fire incident. Yet, had they still remembered the age-old adage 'Prevention is better than cure' somebody should not need to take the trouble in calling them. From a holistic point of view there were lapses with the law-enforcement agencies which could probably amount to dereliction of responsibility. Was the First-Aid department on duty that eventful evening? (Interestingly, gunshots were heard after a long gap on the concluding night of May 7, 2010 which could probably be a parting-shot.)

Then the service began and time was given to the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur Miss Jacintha Lazarus, IAS to say her greetings. As she affirmed herself as being Christian and felt fortunate to be here at this Gospel Centenary Celebration (somehow also echoed in her Republic Day's Speech), the people of Churachandpur in effect (I do believe) would equally feel fortunate to have a Christian and of course, the first lady Deputy Commissioner.

However it wonders me as to why she chose to attend some and skip other celebrations! The other celebrators might have equally appreciated her presence as well as her greetings. Does it in any way mean the other celebrations were less of a Gospel? (Nevertheless, it is not mandatory for a Deputy Commissioner, even of a Christian to attend all.) What a true Christian should always be mindful is that populism is not necessarily the defining character of Christianity.

And if this kind of happening(s) is what Joseph Joute, a Freelance Journalist would mean by 'And things turn out to be fairer!' [cf 'The Lady Commissioner (towards Gender Eqality),' Hmasawnna Thar, March 17, 2010 pr], then the people of Churanchanpur would need a Deputy Commissioner whose act of kindness could convey 'as if justice is said to have been done'. When the Women's Reservation Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha, a certain Trinamool Congress Kadar Kalyan Banerjee expressed his concern that men would be marginalised if the women's Bill was enacted. Congress President Sonia Gandhi quipped : 'Men will still be winners'. While dealing with the issue of fairness, it reminds me of the Italia '90 World Cup theme song : 'To be No.1 runnin' like a wind; Playin' hard all the plays fair...... You know lose is not the only thing; It's all in how we play the fairest game .... Time records the victory in our heart'.

A Journalist should be guided by Journalism Ethics.

Another incident which could probably invite a controversy is the press conference remark of Rev. L. Songate, Secretary SMGCC commenting Miss Lazarus as a typical Queen Esther for Lamka (cf. Manipur Express, April 29, 2010). May be he has his own reason(s) for the comment. No doubt that Biblical characters and stories are used even in dramas for teaching-learning purposes. For certain reasons, if there need be, it had quite often been used for representational purposes. In case it is used for appeasement purposes, then I am afraid it could lead to a theological blunder. However it is worth the title 'a typical Queen Esther' with Rs 3 lakhs!.

A clergy should be guided by Biblical Principles.

It pained and agonised a heart when an immediate brethrens, the HMARS would make such an exaggerated and unsubstantiable yet unfalsifiable comments on the recently posted Deputy Commissioner. May be due to this kind(s) of irresponsible remarks that the Government of Manipur fails to seriously consider the Hmar Students Association's proposal on the link language issue of AIR/CCPur. (But suppressing the true voices of the people may not help in making a better democratic society.)

[extended comment : On the link language issue of AIR/CCPur, if the emperical date provided by Prashar Bharati is the necessary and sufficient condition for choosing a particular language, then I could provide an equally reliable data as to why the honourable speaker of the Lok Sabha should conduct the proceedings of the House in HINDI.

However, the Honourable Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues will always be remembered for their bold decision (either way). It is true that there are complex numbers in Algebra as well. The best and quickest way to solve the problem is to learn and apply the formula.

The speech by the Honourable Minister, Elder Phungzathang Tonsing (in-charge of the district) on the main day of the event (ie May 7, 2010) drew my attention as he mentions the relationship between the Church and Politicians. With due respect and without any sense of enmity to Elder Tonsing, I would like to share my views on the issue. Relation between the Church and Politicians depend on how secularism is being interpreted. So long as the system of Government is secular and not theocratic, it would not be healthy to blend too much of politics and theology. And politicisation of theology may not be helpful in the expansion of the kingdom of Christ. However, there is no such prohibition in the Bible which forbids a politician to be a committed Christian neither a clergy from being politically aware. To demarcate it : 'let the political leaders take care of the State while the clergy that of the Church' so that there be no conflict of interests.

But neither of them is mutually exclusive.

As Churanchandpur District is celebrating 100 years of the Gospel, it would be quite worthwhile to know how many qualified theologians (esp. Doctor of Theology PhD) has it exactly produced, who can deliver the Word of God in the true light. So far, there are still no theologians who had concieved a truly acceptable doctrine, yet inter-denominational division is still the hallmark of Churachandpur's Christianity. What could have been the real reason(s)? In spite of the still lingering differences prevailing even wihin Christianity, Christians at the National level had allianced for a joint effort as All India Christian Association/United Christian Forum a conglomeration of Christian groups which includes Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Seventh-day Adventists and Pentecostal groups (cf. The Telegraph, December 29, 2009).

As Issac Newton has stated in his law : 'every action has a reaction' and like every bounching cheque, 'boomerang of a wrong deed is terrible and disastrous'. And it is the Law of Nature : we like things when it serves our purpose but hate it when it does not'. It is high time to be conscientious human beings even after 100 years of the advance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Will the Churanchandpur Students Union (SDSU) care enough to walk the extra-mile so that TRUTH may prevail in the society?

God may have endowed us with a wonderful life and 'life perhaps is not so bad but living a life of agony is terrible (with inspiration from CEM Joad) And it is not the number of mistakes that we commit in life that counts, rather what we learn out of it is what really matters. Life may be short but life is just unpredictable. Though Albert Einstein would have said, 'To ponder interminably over the reason for one's own existence or the meaning of life in general seems to me, from an objective point of view, to be a sheer folly'. But, what are we actually doing on this earth?

Axl Rose might have sung 'nothing lasts forever......' yet St Paul tells us, 'And now these three remain : faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'
'Ad majorem Dei gloriam'

*** The views expressed in this article are solely that of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the opinion od either the Editor or the newspaper as an organisation- Sangai Express Editor