Hindu Leader Under Fire for Criticism of Mother Theresa

By Alison Lesley --
03 Mar 2015 --

Mother Theresa, a Christian known for her incredible dedication to helping the world’s poor, had her motives questioned by the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Mohan Bhagwat insinuated that her services that brought her a Nobel award were merely motivated by the possibility of converting people to her religion. Now, many other leaders are criticizing his comments saying that they were out of line and do not do her works justice.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Comments

Mr. Bhagwat> was attending the ceremonial opening of an orphanage and home for impoverished when he made the controversial comments. He said that “There are no services like Mother Theresa here,” before adding “there was a motive behind it – that those who are rendered the service should become Christian.” His comments come only a week after the Prime Minister spoke out against religious fighting and violence.

These statements were taken seriously by members of the government who referenced them during a parliament gathering soon after they were televised.

Speaking Out Against Misunderstandings

Many people were quick to denounce the comments, especially those from the parties in opposition to Mr. Bhagwat’s. A spokesperson from the Missionaries of Charity countered his claims on a news program, saying that Mr. Sangh was obviously ill-informed and that her only motive was “to serve the poor and give them love and care.”

The head of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh responded the next day, saying that his comments came after another person had commented on her desire to convert people through her service. He then added that his group does good work without expecting anything in return in terms of religious conversions.

#MotherTeresa : Social worker or Evangalist ? #ShankhNaad pic.twitter.com/6FaI52NWeV
— ShankhNaad (@TheShankhNaad) February 26, 2015

Others have said that these comments are nothing new coming from the RSS. They have criticized Mother Theresa even during her life, a time when the government was trying to rein in missionary work in the country.

Mother Theresa’s Life And Works

Mother Theresa was a famous missionary who founded the Missionaries of Charity, a group that serves the impoverished and ill in hospices. She worked for years, facing illness and criticism, until she died in 1997. In 1979 she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her works throughout India. Then, in 2003, she was beatified and became known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, the first step towards being recognized as a saint within the Catholic Church.