'What Will the Pinstripe Suit Say to the Khaki Shorts on Mother Teresa?'

NEW DELHI: “Now what will the pinstripe suit say to the khaki shorts about his views on Mother Teresa” was perhaps the tweet of the day from Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien. He was responding as was the entire Opposition to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat’s aspersions on Mother Teresa for using her work with the poor to convert them to Christianity.

“Mother Teresa’s service would have been good. But it used to have one objective, to convert the person, who was being served, into a Christian,” he said while speaking at a function organised near Bharatpur by NGO Apna Ghar.

“The question is not about conversion but if this [conversion] is done in the name of service, then that service gets devalued,” he said. “But here [at the NGO], the objective is purely service of poor and helpless people,” the RSS chief claimed.

This comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement just recently that religious intolerance was not acceptable. “My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly.” These words had drawn appreciation from US President Barack Obama, more so after his open criticism of communal violence in India.

PM Modi had drawn considerable flak even for these benign remarks from sections of his supporters who tweeted and posted all over the social media, criticising him for “succumbing to the seculars.”

Bhagwat is clearly not impressed by the Prime Minister’s assertions at a function organised by the Church, and this time has attacked another world figure Mother Teresa. This is being picked up by the international media, with Mother Teresa’s work amongst the Indian poor legendary to say the least. The international media clearly links PM Modi with the RSS chief as part of what they loosely term “Hindu nationalists.” However, the attack on Mother Teresa has ensured the global spotlights for the Prime Minister and his government.

So far he has maintained a grim silence although the Opposition has gone ballistic in its response. The Sisters of Charity who have been carrying on Mother Teresa’s legacy here issued a dignified statement, "Sadly, Mr Bhagwat is misinformed. Mother believed in all faith, there was never any attempt to convert, the tradition continues even today. We are not worried with about the RSS chief's comment, we have nothing to hide, we live in peace."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "I worked with Mother Teresa for a few months at Nirmal Hriday ashram in Kolkata. She was a noble soul. Please spare her."

With this statement the RSS has clearly distanced itself from PM Modi’s seemingly conciliatory remarks, and made it clear that its ghar wapsi program will continue, as will the targeting of minorities for ‘conversions.” Several churches had been attacked and vandalised in and around Delhi bringing the Christians on to the streets, with nuns and priests protesting against the violence and asking the government to ensure their security.