Shimla Notebook

By Prof Lal Dena, Senior Fellow (ICSSR)
Camp: New Delhi

My visit to Shimla with my close friend -Mr. R H Hminglien Hmar, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Defense, Govt of India on 19-20, July, 2014 has made me realized that Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh is another ‘Abode of the Clouds’ in north India. Located at an altitude of 2317 meters above sea level, her beautiful landscapes and beehive-like structures along the slope and steep terrains of her green mountains are not only enchanting but are also things of beauty and a joy forever.

Declared as the summer capital of British India since 1864, the British engineers soon embarked on the construction of the famous rail route connecting Kalka and Shimla with more than 806 bridges and 103 tunnels which is indeed an extraordinarily engineering feat. For this reason, Shimla came to be called as the “British Jewel of the Orient”. It is also befitting that the UNESCO has also recognized it as the World Heritage Site.

Though Himachal Pradesh is a Hindu majority state, Christianity and for that matter Christians are no strangers in the state. Of the pre-Independence structures such as the former Viceregal Lodge, Auckland House, Gordon Castle, and Shimla Town Hall, the Christ Church continues to be the cynosure of the historic mall. Few dedicated missionaries who worked in this hill state had left indelible marks on the state. Samuel Evan Stokes Jr, an American missionary, (16 August, 1882 – 14 May, 1946) was instrumental for the introduction of apple cultivation which is one of the major incomes of the state. Samuel Stokes, later known as Satyananda Stokes, was married to a local woman and said to have converted into Hinduism.

Another missionary couple, Wellesley and Alice Bailey established The Leprosy Mission (TLM) which was at Subathu, a few kilometers from Dharampur town. Surprisingly, TKM soon branched out in different parts of the world. In 1974, TLM had 40 branches in 14 different countries, mostly across Africa. What a wonderful achievement! The Leprosy Mission Centenary Year was also celebrated with thanksgiving in the same year.

William Anderson and his wife succeeded the Baileys to continue the medical ministry. However, as time passed by, independent India had also opened many leprosy colonies in different parts of the country. As a result the intake of leprosy patients into the centre had become less. Besides with financial constraints coupled with lack of dedicated doctors, the mission with all its buildings and land was converted into the Shantiniketan Children Home under the control and management of the Zoram Evangelical Fellowship (ZEF) with its headquarter at Aizawl, Mizoram since January, 1989.
On 6 May, 1972, 38 Mizo Christian leaders met in order to form the Zoram Evangelical Fellowship (ZEF) at Aizawl, Mizoram. This ZEF has appointed about 25 staff members headed by Pastor Mrs. Lalhmunliani (the second ordained woman pastor in the history of Mizo Church). How privileged we were to have met them and joined the worship service in Mizo at their centre! On the evening of the same day, we also attended the worship service in Hindi at the Wesleyan Methodist Church which was established way back in 1877 at Subathu. This church is also shepherded by Pastor Lalhmunliani. Even though I could not understand the medium of the service, but I really felt the spiritual warmth of the worship. Praise the Lord.

Brother Alexander, one of the founder members of the Apostolic Indian Mission, had kindly hosted us. He took us in and around Subathu town by his car. What a dedicated Christian brother we have in Alexander and his family! Brother Alexander’s son-in-law, Pastor Raju happens to be one of the most successful evangelist-pastors of the area. May God continue to bless their ministry more abundantly!
On the way to the Children Home, we came across a very simple yet solemn structure which still stands on the hillock of the road side. Here, it is said, Sadhu Sunder Singh, the great saint of God, used to stay and offered his daily prayers. Soon after his conversion, Sadhu Sunder Singh was actively involved in the leprosy mission working hand in glove with the missionaries at the centre for some time and later on got baptized in the parish church in Shimla, 1905. It will be befitting if the state government could convert the building into ‘Saint Sadhu Sunder Singh’s Museum’ and declare it as one of the national heritage sites.

Also the road beyond the 14 Gorkha Cantonment leading to the centre passes through the forest reserve area of the state. The road is very narrow and muddy during rainy season. Since the said area is under the jurisdiction of the state, may the state government be implored to do something towards the improvement of the road in reciprocation of the selfless services rendered by the leprosy mission for so many decades and also the educational ministry being taken by the Director of the Shantiniketan Children Home. Finally, so thoughtful are the Zoram Evangelical Fellowship leaders for having continued the work in the true spirit of Christ-like
compassion for the poor and orphans irrespective of caste and creed and may God continue to bless their ministry abundantly.

Acknowledgement: I am profoundly grateful to my friend R H Hminglien Hmar for having spared his valuable time to take me to Shimla, gave me relevant sources for this article and also made his car available for me whenever I required it during my stay at New Delhi.
The writer may be contacted at: laldenas@rediffmail.com