India: RSS relaunches Hindutva book on Christ

According to a report dated 23 February 2016 in the Times of India, the Hindu radical movement Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is republishing a book entitled "Christ Parichay," originally written in 1946 by Ganesh Savarkar. The book is controversial because it makes a series of non-biblical claims about Christ and Christianity. The book explains how Christ's real name was Keshao Krishna, that he was a "Vishwakarma Brahmin" by birth, that Tamil was his mother tongue and that his complexion was dark. It claims that people from the Essene cult rescued the crucified Christ and revived him with medicinal plants and herbs from the Himalayas and that Jesus died in Kashmir. Christianity began therefore initially as a Hindu cult.

Rolf Zeegers, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, points out that the publication of this book can be seen in the same light as RSS"s attempt to establish Christian branches within its Hindu organization (see the two previous WWR bimonthlies). He states: "If the RSS regards Christianity as a Hindu sect then it is logical that they believe Christians belong to them. But if this is the case, it is surely strange that the RSS has been attacking Christians as fiercely as they have done over the past years. Why would they attack churches and destroy them? Why would they beat up Christians and even kill them if they are essentially one of their own? It simply doesn"t make sense. The only credible explanation seems to be that the RSS is grabbing anything they can use to attack Christianity in their country. More is to be expected."