What Motivated The Early Christian Health Missions Anatomy Of Transformation In India

What Motivated the Early Christian Health Missions? Anatomy of Transformation in India Dr.Vinod Shah Presented at CCIH Annual Conference, May 29, 2005

Factors that affected the health “caring” Culture. Time orientation Subjective Vs Objective cultures Supremacy Of family & Corruption Women’s Disempowered status Body soul dissociation Low trust versus High trust Role-modeling Caring & Relationship Health

Women’s disempowered status I

Pregnant women were not allowed access to high caste practitioners

Had to access low caste women traditional dais

Dais were illiterate women

The eldest son of the family pays his last respects to his deceased father before completing the customary rituals and putting torch to the funeral pyre.

Erotic sculptures abound & temple prostitution was one of the results

Decorated Sati from a Hero-stone (Mahasati Stone)

TBA

Donkey ride for pregnant women

Massaging/kneading the abdomen

Pulling on the cord

Cow dung as lubricant

Took responsibility for female-feticide and disposal of body

No “caring culture”

Lepers were burnt or buried alive

Sick in an “epidemic” were left to die

Female children were sold to buy food during an epidemic

Mentally retarded, handicapped were chained to trees

Sick had no recourse to help

Caring not role modeled: Religion sans caring-II If I am at prayer…I will not leave my prayer and go to help someone…I don’t think it is important. If I leave my god and my karma and help someone then my god will get angry…my karma will be lost…

Did god role model healing? There is no such example of God role modeling healing

IMPORTANCE OF THE BODY & THE BODY SOUL DISSOCIATION-III

THE JUDEO CHRISTIAN CONTEXT

The Judeo Christian view would think of the person as one “ whole ”

The body had intrinsic dignity however deformed or diseased. Even in death, the body needed to be respected

One of the most difficult austerities a practitioner can attempt is to hold his arm upright in the air for twelve years. It is said that if successfully completed, the practice results in the attainment of supernatural powers

Perhaps the most well known austerity is lying on a bed of sharp nails to overcome the limitations of the physical body.

Offerings are made to a mediator who is buried up to the neck in sand. He suppresses the sensations of the flesh while attempting to free his mind through meditation.

High and low trust societies SENSE OF COMMUNITY-IV IMPACT ON HEALTH/ ECONOMICS ACCORDING TO FRANCIS FUKUYOMA. Author of book on Trust

THE ORTHODOX INDIAN CONTEXT SOLITARY WORSHIP LOW TRUST SOCIETIES LESS SPONTANEOUS SOCIALIBILITY LESS SOCIAL CAPITAL FAMILY BUSINESS ONLY LESS WEALTH CREATION

Cont.

Subjective culture vs Objective Low O/S ratio-V

We believe that each organ of the body is influenced by some deity.

When we deviate from the path of religion …the gods leave our side.

This is why we fall sick .

Subjective cultures versus Objective cultures Subjective Objective Changing standards Absolutes Non-shared standards Widely shared standards Kings/Leaders above Standards Standards above Kings/Leaders Oral tradition; scripture not rooted in history Documentary tradition; rooted in history

Subjective cultures do not support scientific development because

Interpret reality subjectively

Access knowledge subjectively

Subjective attitudes in justice and gender

Indian religions…

In their fundamentals were subjective till Global influences reached them.

WASAV (Widely Accepted & Shared Absolute Values) characterize an objective culture and needed for development.

Polytheistic idolatry does not produce a WASAV culture.

Family versus truth-VI A father and a husband is like a God

Country Rank Country 2004 CPI Score* Confidence Range** Surveys Used*** 1 Finland 9,7 9.5 - 9.8 9 2 New Zealand 9,6 9.4 - 9.6 9 3 Denmark 9,5 9.3 - 9.7 10 Iceland 9,5 9.4 - 9.7 8 5 Singapore 9,3 9.2 - 9.4 13 6 Sweden 9,2 9.1 - 9.3 11 7 Switzerland 9,1 8.9 - 9.2 10 8 Norway 8,9 8.6 - 9.1 9 9 Australia 8,8 8.4 - 9.1 15 10 Netherlands 8,7 8.5 - 8.9 10 11 United Kingdom 8,6 8.4 - 8.8 12 12 Canada 8,5 8.1 - 8.9 12 13 Austria 8,4 8.1 - 8.8 10 Luxembourg 8,4 8.0 - 8.9 7 15 Germany 8,2 8.0 - 8.5 11 16 Hong Kong 8,0 7.1 - 8.5 13

Family values & corruption

Scale of familism (World Values survey code book 1994 & World Bank statistics)

Correlates well with the CPI .(Regression analysis)

Tribalism- Africa and India

Women’s transformation Transformation of Ritualistic Hinduism & Jainism Role Modeling of care Sustainability of transformation What did the Christian Medical missionaries do?

Women’s health

Women medical missionaries ushered in “caring” for women

Women in India did not access hospitals

Only home visits allowed and that only by women doctors

Maharani’s locket

Elizabeth Bielby-1880

Maharani of Panna

Locket message to

The Queen

“ The women of India

Suffer greatly”

SOME POINEER WOMEN MEDICAL MISSIONARIES IN INDIA During the late 19th Century and early part of 20th Century Name of Women Year of Affiliation to Mission Place of work Arrival 1. Clara Swain 1870 American Methodist Mission Bareilly, UP. 2. Sara Seward 1871 American Presbyterian Allahabad, UP Mission 3. Seeyle 1871 Women’s Missionary Calcutta, WB Society of America 4. Sarah Norriss 1873 American Board of Medical Women --- 5. Rose Greenfield 1875 Society for female Education in the east, UK Ludhiana, Punjab 6. Elizebeth Bielby 1876 Zenana Bible and Medical Mission UK. Lucknow, UP

7. Ms Hewlett 1877 England Zenana Mission Punjab 8. Ellen Mitchell 1878 American Baptist Board Burma 9. Fanny Butler 1880 Church of England Jabalpur, Mp. 10. Ida Faye 1881 American Baptist Mission Nellore, AP. 11. Anna Kugler 1883 Lutheran Mission, US Guntur, AP. 12. Elizabeth Beatty 1884 United Church of Canadian Mission Indore, MP. 13. Mana White 1886 United Presbyterian Church of America Siakot, (Jammu Border) 14. Jessie Carelton 1887 American Presbyterian Board Ambala, Punjab. 15. Matilda Machphail 1887 Free Church of Scotland Madras, TN 16. Ottoman 1890 Baptist Missionary Society Ganjam, Orissa Name of Women Year of Affiliation to Mission Place of work Arrival

Name of Women Year of Affiliation to Mission Place of work Arrival 17. Edith Brown 1893 Society for Female Education in the East, UK Ludhiana, Punjab 18. Alene Calkins 1895 American Friends Mission Chhatrapur, UP. 19. Pearl Chute 1896 Canadian Baptist Mission Akkividu, AP. 20. Ida S Scudder 1900 Arcot American Mission Vellore, TN. 21. Gertude Hulet 1904 Canadian Baptist Mission Vuyyuru, AP. 22. Charlotte Pring 1915 Godavari Delta Mission Narsapur, AP. 23. Catherine ? American Methodist Episc. Board Jagadalpur, MP. 24. Annie Mackay 1926 Free Church of Scotland Lakhnadon, MP. 25. Katherine Lehmann 1928 ? Renigunta, AP.

Ida Scudder

Not a medical college but the kingdom of God

(1918)

Catherine-Methodist church- redefined access

One Dr Catherine from the Methodist church in the US travelled by

Ship for 6 months to Bombay

To Raipur by train for a week

Horse by several days to access the mission station called Bastar

Methodist hospital built in 1892.

Largest Methodist congregation in India

Transformation of women

The highest number of women doctors in the world

India is a huge “nurse factory”

1947-95% of all nurses were Christian!

All traceable to the women’s medical colleges and nursing schools established by the missionaries

Ancient India did not have a culture of “care”

By a “caring culture” I mean formalized caring eg. Orphanages/hospitals

Religion was divorced from “loving your neighbor”

No hospitals existed except during the time of King Asoka in 2 nd century BC

Arya Vaidya Shalas existed for outpatient care for the privileged

In what was a caring “void”

Christian Medical missionaries ushered in a culture of care

The first hospital (Royal hospital,Goa)in 1514 AD and then thousands afterwards..

Orphanages…home for widows…

Sanatoria for TB, leprosy homes and hospitals

Programs for epidemic care

Social work in India…

The kind of missionary work which we see in Christianity …that kind of this did not exist in India for a very long time.

Now the social work being done in India…those going out to help and serve others is all because of missionary & global influences.

By 1940 AD….

There were 2000 Christian hospitals in India

Close to 40% of all beds were made up of Christian hospitals

TB sanatoria and leprosy institutions were predominantly Christian

Dr. Alexander Duff 1806-78

Pioneer missionary educationist

English education can have a transformative effect on the Indian society

Scripture education introduced but made optional

“ Downward filter theory”-working with High castes

Schools and colleges -Calcutta, Madras and Bombay

Christians ushered in a culture of “care”

Started many NGO’s that looked at specific needs of the poor and provided succor

Role modeled caring

Taught “caring”

Welfare-Social capital did not exist

The only safety net for the poor was

The joint family

Individual philanthropy and

The caste system

The concept of the voluntary sector….

Indian culture did not have this concept of “volunteerism”

“ Activism” for change was also not a part of Indian culture. (Barring a few exceptions no activists for social change)

The concept of the ”voluntary” sector…..

Christian missionaries pioneered the NPO and NGO sector (Pande 1967,Terry 1983)

1810-1947 This time saw the emergence of major Christian voluntary sector church based and non-church based. (NGO’s)

Hospitals, Schools, Orphanages and other welfare institutions flourished.

As a result …1825 onwards

Many Hindu bourgeoisie who studied in English medium schools

Started social reform organizations for the purpose of “caring”

Care of widows & remarriage

Care of orphans & preventing child marriage

The many champions of “caring”

Some were Christians

Some liked “Christian” values but were not Christians

Most were provoked by the Christian gospel to “care” but remained Hindus

Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1774-1833) founder of “Brahmo Samaj” A Hindu reformer and visionary, Roy is considered by many as the father of modern India. Oil Painting by Atul Bose Raja Ram drew inspiration from William Carey “ The first feminist ”

Rishi Dayanand Saraswati 1824-83

Founded Arya Samaj

Spoke against idol-worship, casteism and female subjugation

Assassinated in 1883 AD

The prime object of the arya samaj is to do good; that is to promote physical, social &spiritual good for everyone

Satyasodhak Samaj- Jyotirao Phule-1875

Educated in “The Scottish mission school”

Became a great educationist

Started “caring”institutions

Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar

From 1854-55 he single-handedly wedged a battle against the extremist of the Hindu society and insisted in the implementation of the Widow-Remarriage Act in 1856.

As a result Indian religions were challenged to reform Vivekananda brought in a new understanding of Hinduism

Indian reformer

Vivekananda 1863-1902

Father was given to reciting from the Bible-for amusement!

Studied in Presidency college-Calcutta

Later in Scottish church college studied English literature and western logic which brought into sharp focus the short comings of Indian society

Was influenced by Raja Ram Mohan Roy also.

Vivekananda

He elevated the status of the service of fellow beings to the level of real worship of God. (PS Kamanant)

Established Ramakrishna mission which began caring

Ramakrishna mission was a reformist reaction to the Christian “caring”

Calcutta Ramakrishna M. Institute of Culture Advaita Advaita Ashram Calcutta SRM Sri Ramakrishna Math Calcutta Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission College Udbodhan Mother's House Vidyapith Ramakrishna Vidyapith New Delhi Ramakrishna Mission Rajkot/Gujarat Ramakrishna Mission Ashram Chennai Ramakrishna Math Mylapore Chennai Ramakrishna Mission Ashram Itanagar Ramakrishna Mission Hospital AP Vidyapith Ramakrishna Vidyapith Chennai Chengalpattu Ramakrishna Mission Tamil Nadu Madurai Ramakrishna Math Coimbatore Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya

Ramakrishna mission locale

Bangalore Vivekananda Ashram Kochi Ramakrishna Math, Kerala Ranchi Ramakrishna Mission Kaladi Ramakrishna Advaita Ashram Kerala Pune Ramakrishna Math and Mission Hydrabad Ramakrishna Math Varanasi Ramakrishna M.- Home of Service RKM Ramakrishna Vidyashala Kayamkulam Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, Kerala Jharkhand TB Sanatorium - Ranchi Mangalore Ramakrishna Mission Ashram

Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda wrote in one of his letters :

A hundred thousand men and women, will go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the Gospel of salvation, the Gospel of help, the Gospel of social raising-up -- the Gospel of equality .

Karsondas Mulji-1832-71

Social Reformer, Educationist, Writer, Pamphleteer

While in Elphinstone college…. influenced by missionary John Wilson

The Primitive Religion of the Hindus and the Present Heterodox Opinions in his journal led to the famous Maharaja Libel

Widow remarriage-helped many

Micheal Madusudandas English and Bengali writer

1824-1876 AD- became a Christian

Both ‘The Captive Lady’ and ‘Visions of the Past’ were written under the pen name Timothy.

Editor of “The Hindu Patriot”. He composed Bengali plays such as ‘Sharmistha’, ‘Ekey Bole Savyata’, ‘Buro Shaliker Ghare Ro’, ‘Krishnakumari’ and ‘Padmabati’.

In most of his plays, he criticized the lack of “caring” present in the society.

Dadabhai Naoroji 1824-1917

Grand Old Man of India

Studied in Elphinstone college-influenced by Dr Wilson

Went from door to door recruiting girl students

Freedom fighter-concerned

for women

Member of the house of commons

Initially Jains were into hospitals for birds and animals only

Jain Bird hospital in Old Delhi

Gaushalas are “old age homes” for cows

Jains now have many hospitals

Bombay- Nanavati hospital, Sarvoday hospital, Matunga hospital, Lilavati hospital, Cardiac hospital in Matunga are all Jain.

Surat Mahavir hospital is Jain

Ahmedabad Vadilal Sarabhai hospital is Jain.

Sri AmarJain hospital- Jaipur

Bhagwan MahavirJain Hospital-Bangalore

In personal conversation with Jains

We (Jains) will not survive as a religion unless we begin to care like the missionaries..

Now Jains go abroad and raise money from the US and the UK for their hospitals and projects

Emergence of Gandhian NGO’s

From 1947 to 1960 onwards many new Gandhian NGO’s were started Hindu Kusht Nivaran Sangh was started at the behest of Gandhi.

“ Shame on us…why should missionaries… (Gandhi)

Mushrooming of NGO’s…

Church related and Christian voluntary organizations led the way for the mushrooming of NGO’s

Though not all the NGO’s are into welfare more than 100,000 NGO’s are into some form of caring

Ripple effect Non-Xian hospitals Other caring NGO’s Advocacy Doctors & Nurses Man power for mission Activists Women’s status Training Christian Hospitals Restructured Hinduism Xian NGO’s Transformation

Disaster 1947 onwards..

700 Protestant hospitals in India

Many Indian trained D & N

No visionary leaders!!

400 Xian hospitals closed in 40 years

Missionary failure- Developed programs but not people Paradigm shift 1 RUNNING PROGRAMS PEOPLE BUILDING 2 Programs produces visible quick impact Harder and longer process involving several years 3 Anyone with skill can run programs Requires rapport with people and will not happen unless you are a authentic human being 4 Requires lot of capital for infrastructure specially in the healing ministry Does not require large capital for infrastructure 5 Not sustainable after the pioneer has retired Long term – very sustainable & greater impact 6 All about performing tasks or a task All about creating a visionary

Programme Development to People Development - 2