Daana - Charity - Part III

All the major religions of the world emphasise the importance of charity since many religious activities can be supported only through voluntary contributions made by individuals or corporates. Therefore, one finds that Charity is considered as a very important communal value in Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism alike.

A friend of mine recently circulated some important information posted on the website of Ministry of the Home Affairs of the Govt of India. It is the annual report of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA wing) dealing with foreign contributions received by voluntary associations and NGOs in India.

A majority of the top 25 organisations receiving the highest of foreign contributions are Christian charities and missions. A large number of foreigners donate money to Christian missions in India, particularly during the Christmas season, carried away by the propaganda and appeals of such missions which portray a grim picture of poverty, destitution and social abuse in India.

Unfortunately, a large portion of the money received by these missions is spent for religious conversions and spreading Christianity and not merely for social service. Only a very minuscule portion is actually spent on genuine selfless service.

Mother Teresa"s Missionaries of Charity was also similarly embroiled in serious controversies on the sources of its funding and distribution. I personally witnessed the case of a missionary in Coimbatore who had applied to a foreign charity under the pretext of teaching 'stitching, weaving and other vocational skills" to unemployed women.

Similarly, the Arabs and other foreign Muslims who wish to express their solidarity with the international Muslim brotherhood or Ummah consciously or unconsciously fund Jehadi terror networks in India. Therefore, one has to verify the credentials of such organisations before offering any contributions to them. We must not become a party to terror or religious divisions by funding such organisations.

Amongst the Indian religions, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism continue to retain a strong tradition of community sharing and charity. The Jains are particularly known for extending their charity to animals, there are many Jain hospitals in India which exclusively cater to sick birds and animals.

However, the modern English educated Hindus have forgotten their tradition of charity because of the acute poverty we suffered under the British and now because of excessive indulgence and leaning towards capitalism.

Many of these modern Hindus though being well placed in the software industry or otherwise, seldom do they donate liberally or consistently to a deserving social or national cause. Some of them give in charity to temples for making new jewels and crowns for the deities with the intention of striking a deal with God for redemption from their dubious karma! While such ornate rituals and forms are a valid part of every religious tradition, it must not become an obsession at the expense of other more deserving social or national projects.

Every Hindu must introspect along these lines and make a commitment to give in charity to a deserving cause, consistently and according to one"s capacity. Our spiritual leaders must try and revive the noble tradition of Daanam by driving its significance home to all spiritual aspirants through their discourses and personal example. True prosperity and abundance can be felt only by a generous being. A poor person who donates out of a sense of fullness of the heart is richer than a millionaire scrooge.