I went to 3 Christian schools. In two of which they tried to convert. The first, from Class 1-4, they made us buy these “Good News For You” books. I remember pressuring my parents at home to buy them and read them cover to cover.
Remember telling my parents that Father said If you have only one father and one mother, how can you have millions of Gods? Only one God is the right one. My parents seemed to laugh it off but I wonder now, if the Bal Bharati classes were a result of that.
The second Christian school was from 5-9th. Convent. Father Gales, a motorbike riding Luxembourg man was the principal. One of those gentle, saintly men you wish you could meet often. This was in Bengal. No conversion. Nothing. He would sing Rabindra Sangeet songs.
Our school group traced his whereabouts and I called him up when he turned 100 to wish him. He said, looks like God still has some work for me. He passed away a couple of months after that. If only all Christians were like him,the world would be a better place.
The last Christian school was from 11-12th. In Chennai. Conversion attempts with an evangelical zeal. Evangelista would often come in. Us hostel boys had to attend and listen to them wax eloquent about how they were “saved”. Books calling Shiva “satan” would be floating around 9th-10th.
Attend Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and I can tell you that it was the best. We used to chant mantras. We also recited Thirukkural. And Lead Kindly Light. And Abide with Me. But it just felt so genuinely Hindu. Welcoming of all thoughts. But grounded.
(This article has been compiled from the tweet thread posted by @ArunKrishnan_ on July 06, 2023, with minor edits to improve readability and conform to HinduPost style guide)
