Hindu Hemraj accepts Jesus Christ and is baptized into the Catholic faith

Why Do I Believe in Jesus Christ?

I am a 2nd Year student of Carmel Teacher Training College, Pakyong, East Sikkim. Through this testimony I want to show the whole world that how Jesus has touched and transformed my life.

I was born into a Scheduled Caste Hindu family. Right from the beginning my religion was a big stigma to me as I had to suffer many indignities just because I belonged to a scheduled caste. I have been always wondering why a person should be stigmatised because of his religion, as he is born into it not because of his choice.

The moment of change came with my acquaintance with Sr. Irene Pariara, a sister of Apostolic Carmel of TTC. She told me about Jesus and his infinite love. My heart slowly began to fill with love of Christ. I began to pray earnestly and gradually I changed and I felt joy and satisfaction. 

I became a Christian. I am thankful to sister lrene for making me see the right Path. Today I live in dignity and I am filled with the peace of Christ. Many transformations have taken place in my life and I thank the Good Lord for them.

A personal testimony of Hemant as published by Vachanolsavam - a popular mission magazine in India, 

 

Hemraj Mothey,  

C.T.T.I, Pakyong, Sikkim

Religious Conversion an Act of Gratitude by the Poor
Kushvanth Singh

"I studied at St. Stephen's College. My two brothers and my wife also studied there. Before he went to Cambridge, my son studied at St. Columbus School and in St. Stephen's College. My daughter, too, studied at Jesus and Mary Convent School in Mussorie, before she left for Cambridge. My aged mother was operated on in the Holy Family Hospital. Not only the operation was comparatively cheaper, but she also received excellent post-operative care. 

The Shourie Family I know also sent its children to Christian Institutions. Mr. Arun Shoutie, who is against missionaries, studied at St. Stephen's in Delhi. His father Mr. H.D. Shourie was educated at the Christian college in Lahore.

There would be no exaggeration if I assert that amongst the modern people of India there would hardly be anybody who has not studied and who, otherwise, has not sought some service from Christian Institutions. 

In the villages and in the places where Adivasis live, there will definitely be some Christian presence especially in the educational and health care fields. If we put all the educational and health institutions established by the Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs together, the number will not equal to the number of such institutions established by Christians alone. And it should be remembered that Christians form less than 3 percent of the Indian population. When these are the facts, why so much of hue and cry was made in connection with the visit of the Pope?

The Poor have been neglected from centuries and there is no wonder if they feel close to those who take note of them and help them in various ways. There is not any use of force, but is simply an act of gratefulness. Not only the poor, but many Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and even some rich people that I know have become Christians. All these conversions were voluntary. There was no threat or force behind them. I don't know if there were threats or use of force in the ancient times. But these days it is not due to force by missionaries, but it is due to voluntary desire that conversions take place."

   

(From the column by Kushwanth Singh, in the 'Hindustan Times" of 10-11-1999)