Happy Climax to 80 Years of Gathering
INDIA! A land of many contrasts—in culture, religions, customs, and climate. It is a country different and mysterious to many, yet intriguing to everyone who visits her fascinating shores.
Throughout this vast subcontinent, teeming with 775 million people, lovers of Jehovah God were reflecting on a special event in the small town of Lonavla, high up in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra State. It was Sunday, January 20, 1985.
Why, on that particular day, were so many thoughts fixed on this one lovely hill station 70 miles (110 km) from the congested metropolis of Bombay? The answer lies with the 80 years of gathering of Jehovah’s precious things—his people—in India. It is a cause for rejoicing not only to the over 7,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses here but to the entire association of God’s people worldwide.
But to appreciate better the significance of this special event, let us briefly explore how the foundations of truth were made secure over the last eight decades.
Light of Truth Comes to India
In 1905 an Indian science student, S. P. Davey, visited the United States of America. While there, he attended a Bible lecture by C. T. Russell, then president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Davey became keenly interested in the truth, returned to his native Madras on India’s east coast, and eventually established 40 Bible study groups.
At about this same time, a young Indian man was seeking answers to questions on the Trinity doctrine and infant baptism. A. J. Joseph was then a member of the Church of England, but he received by mail a copy of Russell’s book At-One-Ment Between God and Men. This publication enabled Joseph to see the truth about Jehovah’s supremacy. Joseph, his father, and a cousin were soon spreading Bible truth through the rice-growing villages and coconut plantations of what is now the state of Kerala. Following a visit to India in 1912 by Brother Russell, Joseph became a full-time Kingdom proclaimer. In 1924 he single-handedly undertook a 3,600-mile (5,800-km) speaking tour of India, enabling many people to hear the truth. Brother Joseph was a zealous worker until his death in 1964.
The second president of the Watch Tower Society, J. F. Rutherford, visited England in 1926. While there, he asked Edwin Skinner, a colporteur (full-time preacher): “How would you like to go to India?” Without hesitation, Brother Skinner responded: “When do you want me to go?” Within three weeks he and his partner were headed for India!
For the next 50 years, Edwin Skinner served as branch servant, initially having oversight of India, Ceylon, Persia, Afghanistan, and Burma. He traveled through much of India by rail, alternating with his partner between office responsibilities and the traveling and preaching work. Later they acquired a “house car” and extended their witnessing to areas not accessible by train. At the age of 91, Brother Skinner is still an enthusiastic worker in the India branch office and an outstanding proclaimer of the good news.
Graduates of the Watch Tower Bible School of Gilead began to arrive in 1947. British-born Richard Cotterill was one of the first of these, and he is still active after 38 years. For some time now, government policy has prohibited the entry of any new foreign missionaries into India. But 17 brothers and sisters, with an average of 30 years each as missionaries, are faithfully serving in the country.
The Indian brothers themselves have made great spiritual advancement, and many now qualify as special pioneers and as traveling overseers. In 1983 two ten-week classes of the Watchtower Bible School were held at the branch office. The 46 special pioneers enrolled were encouraged and prepared better to meet the great demands of India’s gathering work. They have been instrumental in extending the work to new areas.
Fruitage Despite Obstacles
In spite of the diverse challenges of the sprawling Indian territory—large and overcrowded cities, entire communities of people on the fringes of survival, ingrained religious traditions governing daily activities from birth to death—the gathering goes on. Among India’s teeming millions, some are searching for the solution to mankind’s problems and desiring a deeper understanding of God.
One such person is Dadu. As a young man, Dadu had puzzled over the fact that countless numbers of people worship so many gods. He started to read the Bible, but much of it was not understandable to him. He then went to Hindu temples and began reading books of that religion.
“I was told that Lord Krishna was the controller of all religions and that each religion is represented in a bead of the necklace he wears around his neck,” Dadu recalls. “I thought that if that was so, then why was there hatred among the different religions, so often resulting in bloodshed?” Later investigation of the Muslim religion led Dadu into believing that he was in touch with several of his deceased ancestors. But from studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Dadu and his wife learned the origin of the world’s many religions and that the so-called good spirits they had communicated with were impostors, demons. “We are thankful to Jehovah God for the knowledge that freed us from their influence,” says Dadu. Now both he and his wife are full-time ministers.
Seven years ago, a mother obtained a Bible and Bible literature from Jehovah’s Witnesses. Although she and her family moved to areas where there were no Witnesses, she continued to study on her own. Recently contacted by the Witnesses again, she related: “During these past years, I could not forget about the truths I had learned from the Bible. It was impossible for me to turn back to my former ways of worship.”
Literature in Many Languages
Fifteen major languages are spoken throughout India, and nine separate character scripts are used. Providing spiritual food in all these languages has been a challenge. Even as early as 1912, Brother Russell arranged for booklets on Bible subjects to be translated into Hindustani, Gujarati, Malayalam, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil. Other vernacular languages were later included, with the bulk of this literature being printed overseas and shipped in. Then in the early 1960’s a government ruling prohibited the importation of any Indian vernacular publications.
Since it was not economically feasible for the branch to do its own printing, the Society contracted with commercial printers. Selected pioneers were taught to look after the publication in their locality. At present, there are 11 different printing locations, producing Bible literature in 16 languages, including 9 editions of the Watchtower magazine. Soon, with the installation of MEPS (the Society’s Multilanguage Electronic Phototypesetting System), the composition and layout of the publications will be done at the branch office, freeing many pioneers to spend more time in the gathering work.
Fruitage of 80 Years
As a nation with the second-largest population on earth, a tremendous work remains to be done in India. Only about 6.6 percent of the population have thus far been reached with the good news. Compared to that of most countries, the growth of Jehovah’s people in India has been slow. It took 53 years to reach just the 1,000-publisher mark. But the missionaries and local brothers have continued persistently and patiently in doing their Father’s will. (Isaiah 60:22) Now we rejoice to see a 10-percent increase over last year, and a new peak of 7,410 publishers in the country’s 340 congregations and isolated groups.
This steady growth signaled the need for larger branch quarters. However, expansion of India’s branch in Bombay was impossible. And land in that city was scarce and expensive. Bombay’s air quality, too, was said to reduce one’s life expectancy by ten years. Thus in 1978 a site was obtained in the hill resort of Lonavla, the first location south of the city of Bombay where road and rail meet. Situated at an elevation of 2,000 feet (610 m), the town has relatively unpolluted air.
Six Years of Work
Preliminary work involved building walls, reaching a height of 15 feet (4.6 m) in places, both to protect the land and to retain the soil of neighboring properties on the hilly slopes. Deep depressions needed to be filled in, and the land had to be cleared of heavy undergrowth that was full of poisonous snakes, such as cobras and vipers. Several bungalows and other existing buildings required extensive renovation to serve as living accommodations and temporary office space.
Commercial contractors were hired, but qualified brothers supervised every stage of the construction, and many others rendered assistance wherever they could. One contractor, employed to pave the road inside the property, decided that work should be delayed six months, as necessary watering of the rough road surface could not be arranged. What a sight it was as the entire branch family hauled buckets of water to the road evening after evening so that work could be done on schedule!
The sound of bulldozers was never heard, as most work in India is done manually. Thus work proceeded smoothly up to completion of the first floor of the main building. Just at this time, there was a serious cement shortage. But, happily, the Korea branch of the Watch Tower Society arranged for the shipment of 10,000 bags, allowing for all construction to be finished as planned. So in 1984 the beautiful new branch building stood completed—to Jehovah’s praise.
The Final Results
Eight structures now stand within the Society’s 4.6-acre (1.9-ha) compound, which is landscaped with banana, mango, fig, and papaya trees, along with many flowering plants and shrubs.
The main building of the branch has two floors and a basement, which houses a garage and a laundry. Factory space on the ground floor has room for three small printing presses, as well as cutting, folding, and stitching (stapling) machines. On this floor also are the MEPS computer rooms and the shipping area, from which literature produced locally is mailed to 56 other countries. Offices, library, and bedrooms fill the second floor.
The new Kingdom Hall is on the front edge of the property. A corner stage, paneled with hand-carved teakwood, faces an auditorium that can seat 250. Nearby, renovated buildings offer residence, kitchen, and dining-room space for the branch family of 31 people. Some vacant land also exists if further expansion is needed.
A Special Event
So it was, after 80 years of the gathering in of Jehovah’s precious things, attention was focused that delightful January day on the dedication of India’s new branch facilities.
These 80 years of preaching were traced during the dedication program. Highlights of the construction work were given. Zone overseer Günter Künz noted in his dedication talk that there has been a 30-percent increase of Jehovah’s people worldwide in the past five years. But he was glad to report that India had surpassed that with a 34-percent increase, and he reminded listeners that with much hard work India would continue to move forward.
All present were thrilled with this evidence of Jehovah’s blessing. The brothers in India are determined to work diligently so that many more can be helped to respond to the Kingdom good news.
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Edwin Skinner (second from right) with “house car”
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New branch headquarters south of Bombay