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January
1, 1977. Pandit Dharm Prakash Sharma, general secretary
of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress was at No 1 Safdarjang
Road, the residence of Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi,
to submit his resignation from the post.
'Where have you been all these days? 'the Prime Minister
asked.
'I was at Kalimpong Convocation with God's people'
'What is Sohanlalji's son doing in a Christian meeting?'
She questioned.
'I have received eternal life and peace in Christ. I
request you also to receive this life. Anything we
achieve in this world will not last, but life with God
is everlasting ' he replied.
'Have you become a Christian?' she inquired further.
'Yes, I have become a disciple of Jesus Christ' he
answered.
'How many times have you read through the Bible?'
'Not even once,' he confessed.
'Do you know I have read the Bible three times? I read it
when I was a student in Switzerland'
'Madam, if I have received without reading through the
Bible even once, I pray that you receive peace three
times more.'
'Are you making fun of me?
'No Madam, I care for you. I desire your safety in the
world and in after life. I wish you to have this eternal
life'
'Are you trying to teach me? You want to correct me? I
never thought a young man would dare talk to me like
this!'
'Madam, I love you and care for your welfare. I humbly
beg to say that this power and things achieved in this
world will not last. But life in Christ will remain
forever.'
'Do you want to make me a Christian?'
'No Madam, I want you to get eternal life.'
'Don't talk nonsense. Go and do your work for the
party.'
He put his resignation letter before her. She threw it
back in anger. 'Go and talk to Baruah. You young people
are deceiving me' she complained.
Dharm picked up the letter, put it in an envelope and
posted it. Then in great peace went back to Pushkar.
This take of a conversation from Tryst with God can be
typical of the way a man or woman in power will react to
a child of God who tries to communicate the truth of the
Cross. The preaching of the Cross is indeed foolishness
to those who do not believe. for its wisdom is not
evident to the naked eye.
His decision to appear before the Prime Minister to
press for his resignation has its own background. May
1976, He was proceeding to meet the chief minister of
Gujarat, Hitendra Desai on some political mission. In
Ahmedabad, he happened to see a banner announcing 'Holy
Convocation' along with a verse from the Bible, “ I am
the way, the Truth and the Life.” On inquiry he was told
that a sardarji by name Bakht Singh was speaking at the
meeting.
Bakht Singh! 'That name rang a bell in him. Years ago
while working in Calcutta, at the instance of his wife,
they had gone over to meet him, on a temporary visit, at
his place of stay. By the time they arrived, the
preacher had already left. To cut a long story short,
Panditji who was to meet the chief minister changed his
schedule and attended the meeting. For ten days, he
enjoyed the fellowship, love and God's presence. That
was the first time he had close contact with the
Christians who seemed different from all those he had
met at college or elsewhere. He was baptized by Bakht
Singh at his request.
He had dilly dallied for a while on the question of
serving God and serving people through politics. Love of
power, luxurious living, double dealing, cutting
corners, bitterness against opponents all these had
characterized the politics that he engaged in and felt
disgusted. These did not tally with the life he wanted
to lead as a follower of
Christ. He decided to resign his post.
Back home from the convention, he broke the news of his
becoming a Christian to his parents. They were taken
aback. Sohanlal, who was familiar with the Bible,
confronted his son. He asked him to read from Luke 14:
26.
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and
mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes,
and his own life also, he can not be my disciple.'
Stopping him Sohanlal asked: 'Now your mother, your
wife and children love you deeply. Will you be able to
forsake them?' He replied saying that he was willing to
give first place to Christ in his life.
You are going to have a good break in politics. You may
have a chance to become the chief minister of Rajasthan
.Are you ready to leave everything?' 'For my Lord I
could give up anything' was his reply.
Well, it was while after earning fame as a celebrated
actor, his mother applied the brake on his career
reminding that she had received him from God as a gift
on condition of his being made available for God's work.
Leaving the celluloid world he joined the Birlas for a
career in business and industry. His father's old
connections with Gandhi and K K Birla came in handy. But
his father, a freedom fighter, wanted him to serve the
country and that was how he sought a career in politics.
Malsawmi Jacob, it would seem, has succeeded in
capturing the salient features of the kaleidoscopic life
of this man of God. She has traced his journey of faith
so well that the book would serve as an excellent tool
of evangelism. I would share it with those who are
searching for truth and are inclined to look at the
whole question of life's meaning dispassionately.
The same Gospel draws the people from different
continents and races and ages to the feet of Christ. Yet
He deals with each person differently and His ways as
well as the response are unique and fascinating. The
VVIP of White House, Charles Colson, the Sikh youth,
Bakht Singh, who went to the UK for a career in
agricultural engineering, K N Namboodiripad, the doctor
from Kerala, who wanted to specialize in neurosurgery in
London are all drawn to the same God but in different
ways…
It is one thing to write their testimonies and quite
another to let the readers walk with them through all
the pathways they had covered showing them the
struggles, the doubts and the frustrations and
especially the alienation and rejection they suffered
just because they happened to break from tradition. At
present there are forces which are bent on denying the
people the religious freedom that is the birth right of
every one. The Freedom of Religion Act is one such
effect of vested interests actively campaigning against
the fundamental rights of the people to believe.
God moves in amazing ways. Precisely to make this plain
and to establish that one's own court of judgment is
sufficient forum to decide questions of faith and that
this brooks no interference from Government agents,
Pandit Dharma Prakash Sharma write his own biography to
produce something parallel to the famed 'Death of a
Guru' by Rabindra Maharaj. In fact Punditji's story has
more dramatic elements than what you find in the
Trinidad Hindu leader's U-turn pictured in his
autobiography.
- MPK Kutty
(This is the review of a book published by GLS
Publishing, Udyog Bhavan, Worli Colony , Mumbai. An
excellent book for those who are seeking to know the
Truth. Available with Christian book shops.)
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