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'My husband never baptised a single person in India'

Arup Chanda in Baripada

Graham Stewart Stains, the Australian missionary torched alive with his two sons at Monoharpur village in Orissa, had never converted a single person to Christianity in India.

The statement comes from Gladys, Graham's 47-year-old widow.

"My husband never baptised a single person in India. He was more of a preacher and social worker. He spread the message of Jesus Christ among the poor and helped in the rehabilitation of those suffering from leprosy," she told Rediff On The NeT.

Since Stains was not a priest he did not even possess the authority to baptise anyone, she added.

There was total misconception about conversion. "None is asked to embrace Christianity by us," Gladys continued, "We spread Christ's message and those who accept it and believe in Christ themselves express their eagerness to embrace Christianity."

Even then the process is not that easy. "Before one is baptised, the person is asked many questions regarding his belief in Christ and only when the priests are satisfied, it is done," she said.

Gladys' response to the allegation of "forcible conversions of poor tribals" was, "Baptism is performed by the priests of local churches only after the person expresses his willingness in writing. It is then attested by three local villagers who are not Christians. So the question of force does not arise."

"We never tell anybody to become a Christian. We spread the message of love and peace as Christ had done. If people accept it and embrace Christianity, are we to blame?" she asked.

Gladys does not blame or accuse anyone. "I do not condemn the people who did it. Who am I to condemn? They did not know what they were doing? It is up to God to decide. God had his own plans."

Does it mean God wanted her three dear ones to die in such a brutal manner?

"No, I do not have such a fatalistic attitude. At times God allows some things to happen and through the death of some person good things also happen. Life is not in our hands and none is indispensable," she responded.

Gladys is coping with the loss of Graham, Phillip and Timothy with remarkable composure. "It has been a tremendous shock for all of us. Their loss can never be filled," she said bravely smiling. But her eyes moistened when she spoke about her younger son, Timothy. "I used to teach him at home through a correspondence course from Australia. He was a brilliant child..."

For her 13-year-old daughter, Esther, things will never be the same. She has not been able to accept that she would no more be able to play with her brothers. She remained quiet as her mother attended visitors and did the talking.

"I have not had much time since that day to talk to her. I have to explain to her and send her back to her school in Ootty as soon as possible," said Gladys.

Her future plans?

"I would like to stay here and carry on my husband's work among the poor and run the Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home," came the answer.

The Brisbane-born Graham came to India in 1965 to work among the tribals. He was part of the Evangelical Missionary Society that had been present in Mayurbhanj since 1895.

Stains not only spoke Oriya fluently but could even converse with the tribals in their own dialect.

"We got married in 1983. The next year, I came here and started working with my husband," recalled Gladys, who too can speak Oriya. "We love this place, the language and culture. All my children were born here and know the language."

Will she ever dare to visit Monoharpur?

"I have been to Monoharpur village a few years ago. I have no plan to go just now but if work needs I will always go. The incident had nothing to do with the villagers and they love us," she responded.

Then why a police camp within the church premises outside her home which is a rare sight anywhere in the world?

Such was the Stains popularity that thousands of people are still coming each day and their entry into the Stains home cannot be prevented. Moreover, following the alleged involvement of the Bajrang Dal, the district administration did not take any chances and posted police guards the very next day.

A rare sight was Gladys consoling and comforting others when it was she who needed it more than the others.

Inmates of the Leprosy Home are yet to recover from the shock and are continuously weeping at the loss of their "beloved Dada".

As the issue has been politicised, Gladys received messages from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Orissa Chief Minister J B Patnaik.

"I have total faith in Christ and believe God will forgive the sinners who committed a wrong act," the widow said.

The flow of local people at Stains' funeral and later at his home indicated that Graham became even more popular in his death -- many who did not know about him are now aware of his activities.

The Christian Attacks Row

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