Vethamonickam: The Pioneer of Christianity in Travancore

MAHARASAN VETHAMONICKAM, born in 1763 in the village of Mylaudy in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district, is remembered as the first Christian convert in Travancore.

Raised in a Hindu family, his life changed dramatically when he chose to embrace Christianity -- a decision that shaped not only his own path but also left a lasting impact on Tamil Nadu’s religious landscape. Vethamonickam’s baptism in 1799, influenced by the work of missionary William Tobias Ringeltaube, marked a major turning point in his life.

Some sources mention his first baptism by Jesuit missionary Fr. Giovanni Battista Buttari on May 14, 1745, suggesting early Christian influences in his family. After his baptism, Vethamonickam dedicated himself to sharing the Gospel, first within his family and village, then across Tamil Nadu. His mission work laid the foundation for early Christian communities in a traditionally Hindu region, leaving a legacy that endures in Tamil Christianity today. He passed away in 1827, resting in the land he served, his work continuing to inspire generations.

Travancore, once a historic princely state in southwestern India, is now part of Kerala. Initially part of the ancient Kerala (Chera) kingdom, it became an important trading region. In the 11th century, it came under the Chola empire, and in the 16th century, it was held by the Vijayanagar empire. By the mid-18th century, Travancore became an independent state and allied with the British. In 1956, it joined with Cochin to form Kerala, known today for its high literacy rate and progressive history.

Had Vethamonickam not been born, this remarkable chapter in the history of Christianity in South India might never have been written. He laid the foundation for the spread of Christianity in South India.

This was my first time learning about this remarkable soul, and I felt truly fortunate to visit his tomb on 23 October 2024. There, we paid our respects and offered a prayer of thanksgiving for his extraordinary contributions and lasting impact.

Here are some photos of his tomb and the words he cherished...

By:-

Bruce K. Thangkhal

IFE-KKD 2024

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In a first, BJP forms Christian Missionary wing in Mizoram

The cell will run a 24X7 helpline for Mizoram missionaries

AIZAWL, JULY 25 (IANS) – To diminish its anti-Christian tag, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set up the country's first Christian Missionary wing in Mizoram, where the saffron party has one MLA in the 40-member House, party leaders said on Thursday.

Mizoram BJP President J.V. Hluna said a five-member committee of Christian Missionary wing was formed with Hriata Chhangte as Chairman and Julie Vanpari as Secretary.

Hluna said: "The Christian wing was formed as some political parties and churches are accusing the BJP to be an anti-Christian party."

The Christian Missionary wing was formally opened on Wednesday.

"Initially we will start social activities for the cause of Mizos and gradually expand our activities," the 54-year-old mining engineer-turned-politician told IANS.

Chhangte said that occasionally Mizo people were harassed in different parts of the country when they went for studies, professional work, medical treatment and other purposes. This missionary wing will help address such grievances.

The Christian Missionary wing will have a 24X7 helpline.

"As I worked in many parts parts of the country as a central government official including in Gujarat, Odisha, Karnataka, Assam, I feel that BJP is a most secular party."

Chhangte, who lost the Lok Sabha elections in Mizoram as an independent candidate, said: "That the BJP is anti-Christian is false, spread by the Congress because it did not want it to come to power in Mizoram".

Though the ruling Mizo National Front is a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), both the parties separately contested the Assembly and the Lok Sabha polls in the Christian dominated state.

With a population of 1,091,014 (according to the 2011 census), Mizoram is a closely knit society with a Christian majority (87 per cent).

*Pics via FB

TBC Mission khawmpi zou siang

LAMKA – Thangkhal Baptist Church Central Mission Department makaihna in Mulam Tanglian (M. Tanglian) khua ah a 28-veina Mission Department Khawmpi nei uhi. Khawmpi Thupi in “Lak sangin Piak khiatna in Gual jawlna ahau jaw hi.(Nasepte 20:35)” thupi pan san in, a 28-veina khawmpi, date 30th Nov 2018 in Pastor Thanglet, Thangkhal Baptist Church, Tuitha Area Pastor in honna nei hi.

Saturday in TBC Mission Department in, Vaihawmna nei uh ah, Khawmpi hun sungin, Laa Pawl leh Bible Action leh items tuamtuam ah, Pasian thu leh laa a kidenna kho tuamtuam apat in nei in om uh ah.

Indian Bishop decries mob violence

BJP leaders and workers burn an effigy of the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, in protest against the murder of a BJP worker, Trilochan Mahato, aged 20, in June. The BJP alleges that it was a political murder linked to the violent civic polls in the state, earlier the month

THE entire political class is to blame for the “polarisation and radicalisation” of India that has spawned mob violence, the Moderator of the Good Shepherd Church of India, the Rt Revd Joseph d’Souza, said this week.

After dozens of lynchings in recent months, people of all religions needed to join in countering the “mobocracy” he said.

The Telegraph reports that, in the past six months, 31 people have been killed across ten states, in most cases after being accused of kidnapping children in viral posts on Whatsapp and Facebook. Among them was Mohammad Azam Usmanseb, 32, an IT technician beaten to death by a mob of 200 last month.

Last month, the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, condemned “horrendous acts of mobocracy” and urged the government to take action to combat lynchings and stop the spread of internet rumours that fuelled the violence.

“The people involved in mob violence believe that they have their own people in power, and the police don’t act when they should act,” Bishop d’Souza said on Tuesday.

Dalits, Muslims, churches, and Hindu leaders had all been targeted, he said.

“You cannot say directly that Modi and his government is involved in this, because no sane government can back this. But, you can trace it to the radicalisation of groups along very radical interpretations of Hinduism, which most Hindus do not subscribe to. So there are many moderate Hindus now fighting this. . .

“The political class as a whole, in my opinion, not just the BJP, is to be blamed for the polarisation and radicalisation of Indian society along caste and religious lines. In an attempt to get votes during an election they appeal to the narrow identities of people and their insecurities.”

The All India Christian Council — of which he is President — was leading efforts to find “fraternal partners between religious communities across the world to address these issues”. This would entail work to “challenge the lies that are being spread”, from claims that Christians were involved in forced conversions to the “demonisation” of Muslims, accused of being “terrorists and anti-national”, to reports that Dalits seeking rights were “Maoists”.

Social media was a “huge problem”, he confirmed. India had 600 million mobile-phone users, and “probably the largest Whatsapp community in the world. . . It’s a very effective tool now if you want to galvanise your friends and colleagues.” It had been used, he reported, to recruit the perpetrators of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old Kashmiri girl.

As President of the Dignity Freedom Network (formerly the Dalit Freedom Network), Bishop d’Souza said that the situation of Dalits was “both hopeful and also very challenging”. He highlighted the affirmative-action benefits granted to Dalits, and the success of the Network’s 104 centres and schools, currently educating 27,000 children. Seventy per cent of the 2300 graduates had entered higher education, and one young woman had secured a doctorate in pharmacology.

But Dalit and tribal women remained the primary victims of the country’s sex trade, and gender-selective abortions and female foeticide had resulted in the loss of almost 20 million girls.

“The mindset of Indians towards women is going to take some time to change across the caste system,” he said. “A woman is a burden while a male child is a blessing. . . We are combating that . . . across faith lines.”

The caste system “poisons all of society”, and as Dalits began to assert themselves, violence had been unleashed, he said. He cited the case of Rohith Chakravarti Vemula, a PhD student at the University of Hyderabad who committed suicide in 2016. He was a member of the Ambedkar Students’ Association, which fights for the rights of Dalit students.

“The societal mindset of caste has permeated all of the religions including Christianity, it is shameful to say, in the South where there is so much of caste in the Church,” he said.

Born into a middle-class Christian family, he had been “blind” to their cause, growing up. But after marrying a Christian woman from a tribal background, and witnessing the caste protests of the 1990s, he had “had to wake up”.

“Now, of course, it completely dominates me,” he said. “I don’t think you can really do the full gospel if you ignore the issue of justice and righteousness and reconciliation.” ~ https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2018/17-august/news/world/indian-bishop-decries-mob-violence

2 North-East dead bodies buried in Delhi

NEW DELHI, 30 JULY 2015 — A 20-year-old Manipuri youth identified as Soibam Akash S/o (L) S Samananda of Guwahati Basti Raj Bari has reportedly died in New Delhi on 29 July 2015.

Sources said the deceased body could not be sent home due to high cost of transportation of body. The body was buried in West Delhi Cremation, Punjabi Bagh.

"After my personal request Punjabi Bagh, West Delhi Cremation ground incharge Mr Kuldip Chana has agreed to cremate his dead body free of cost. I have expressed heartfelt thanks on behalf of North-East people at Delhi," said Mr Robin Hibu IPS, Nodal Officer for North East Region, Delhi Police.

Mr Chana further agreed for future free cremation of poor and helpless north-east people in Delhi. Christian burial ground in Burari and Dwarka has also agreed to bury free-of-cost for poor and helpless people from north-east.

Last time one Assamese woman was buried with the help which comes through contributions from Delhi Police for North-Eastern Region (DPNER) and other few kindhearted people.

In an exemplary voluntary service, Assam representative of DPNER Mr Saranjay has sacrificed the whole day and night to give a decent burial of the deceased woman, whose dead body was lying at DDU Hospital.

Another 20-year-old woman Dhunita Munda D/o Kariya Munda of Akul line, Chapor, Dhubri district, Assam who works as domestic maid in Kirti Nagar, New Delhi died on 28 July 2015. The dead body was buried in Burari today.

In today's burial, Manipur representative of DPNER Mr Raju Singh is with the dead body for her last journey at the crematorium.

On behalf of the North-East people in Delhi, Mr Robin Hibu, the Nodal Officer for North-East People expressed his gratitude to Mr Saranjay, Mr Raju Singh, Mr Kuldip Chana, and the Parish Priest of Burari, Dwarka.

Dead body of an Assamese woman cremated in Delhi . Pi:- Raju Singh (MYMAD)

"Wish we had some emergency fund as recommended by the Bezbaruah Committee for such social works, atleast give our North-East poor decent burial, away from their loved ones, away from their home...buried in the midst of strangers.....but for few DPNER Representatives accompanying in their last journey on earth," asserted Mr Robin Hibu.

Courtesy:~ DPNE / Lalbruce