Uvuyo Olubangelwa Kukuvuna Okwenziwa EIndiya

Ngokubaliswa nguF. E. Skinner

NDANDIPHANTSE ndingakukholelwa oko—iindibano ezingama-21 ezaziqhutywa ngeelwimi ezilishumi, kukho kuzo abantu abangaphezu kwe-15 000 ukuze bafunde oko kuthethwa kukuba sesikweni kukaThixo, kwaza kwabhaptizwa abangama-545 befuzisela uthando lwabo ngoThixo omkhulu wokusesikweni, uYehova! KumaNgqina kaYehova asondele kuma-9 000 aseIndiya, oku kwakuyinto ebalaseleyo ngowe-1989. Kodwa kum kwakungunobangela okhethekileyo wokuvuya. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba andizange ndizithelekelele izihlandlo ezizuke ngolo hlobo xa ndathi cakatha unyawo lwam okwesihlandlo sokuqala kumhlaba waseIndiya ngoJulayi 1926. Ngoko kwakukho abavakalisi besigidimi soBukumkani abangaphantsi kwama-70 kulo lonke elo lizwe. Esinjani sona isabelo esiye sabelwa ukusebenza kuso neqabane lam kwiminyaka engama-63 edluleyo!

Indlela Endeza Ngayo EIndiya

NgoMeyi 1926 ndaya kwindibano enkulu eyayiseLondon, eNgilani, ndaza kanye nje emva koko ndabuyela ekhaya eSheffield. Kwiintsuku ezimbalwa kamva, emva kokuba ndifikile ndivela kwinkonzo yasentsimini, ndafumanisa ukuba kwakukho ucingo olwalundilindele. Lwalufundeka ngolu hlobo: “UJudge Rutherford ufuna ukukubona.”

UMzalwan’ uRutherford, umongameli wesibini weWatch Tower Society, wayeze kwindibano eyayisandul’ ukubakho evela eNew York, ibe wayeseseLondon. Ngentsasa elandelayo xa ndandikuloliwe owayebuyela eLondon, ndandizibuza, ‘Makube undifunela ntoni bethu?’ Kwiofisi yesebe, ndasiwa kuMzalwan’ uRutherford, ibe wandibuza oku: “Ngaba ingakukhathaza into yokusebenza nakuwuphi na ummandla wehlabathi?”

Ndaphendula ndathi, “Akunjalo.”

“Ungakuthanda njani ukuya eIndiya?”

Ndingaphozisanga maseko ndaphendula ndisithi, “Ufuna ndiye nini?” Ngaloo ndlela, kwiiveki ezintathu kamva, mna noGeorge Wright sasikwisikhephe esasisinge eIndiya. Ndandineminyaka engama-31 ubudala, ibe kwakungekho mathandabuzo engqondweni nasentliziyweni yam mayela nento endandifuna ukuyenza ngobomi bam.

Ukugqiba Ngekhondo Lobomi

Ngowe-1918 kwaphela imfazwe yehlabathi yokuqala, ibe ndandisandul’ ukugqiba iminyaka emine ndikumkhosi waseBritani. Ndandinomdla kumsebenzi wokufota nokanomathotholo, ibe amathuba amahle amashishini ayendivulekele. Kwakhona, ndandilungiselela ukutshata. Ukanti, kwangaxeshanye, ndandisele ndiziqonda izinto ezaziguqula yonke imbono yam ngobomi.

Utata wayefumene iseti yeStudies in the Scriptures, ibe umthengisi weencwadi zonqulo, njengoko oovulindlela babebizwa njalo ngoko, waqalisa ukufundisisa iBhayibhile kunye nentsapho yakowethu. Eli bhinqa lalingumfundisi-ntsapho. Ngeli thuba, iqela labafana abaselula abangoontanga bam babesiya endlwini yakhe ngayo yonke iMigqibelo ukuze bafumane ikomityi yeti nesifundo seBhayibhile. Ngokuphindaphindiweyo wayesixelela ukuba sizenze sifumaneke kuYehova, esithi: “Ungaze usale isabelo.” Wakwandikhuthaza ukuba ndingatshati.

Kangangethuba elithile ingqondo yam yayibethabethana ndingazi ukuba ndenze ntoni na. Amazwi kaYesu awawathetha kumlawuli oselula owayesisityebi akuMateyu 19:21 andinceda: “Ukuba unga ungafezeka, hamba uye kuthengisa ngeempahla zakho, uphe amahlwempu; woba nobutyebi emazulwini; uze ke undilandele.” Ndafaka isicelo sokuyeka kumzi-mveliso endandisebenza kuwo, ibe kwithuba leenyanga ezintathu ndaba ngumthengisi weencwadi zonqulo. Oku, kwanesigqibo sokuhlala ndingatshatanga, kwandenza ndakufanelekela ukufumana eso sabelo sixabisekileyo sokuya eIndiya malunga neminyaka emine kamva.

Intsimi Entsha Enkulu Ngokugqithiseleyo

Mna noGeorge Wright sabelwa ukuvelela umsebenzi wokushunyayelwa koBukumkani kungekuphela nje eIndiya kodwa kwanaseBurma (ngoku eyiMyanmar) naseCeylon (ngoku eyiSri Lanka). Kamva, kongezelelwa iPersia (ngoku eyi-Iran) neAfghanistan. Ummandla waseIndiya wawumncinane noko kunalowo waseUnited States, kodwa inani labemi laliliphindaphinda kaninzi ngobukhulu. Yayililizwe elalinokutya, amasiko neelwimi ezahlukeneyo, nabantu abaneenkolelo ezahlukahlukeneyo ezingokonqulo—amaHindu, amaSilamsi, amaParsi, amaJain, amaSikh namaBhuda, ndawonye namaKatolika namaProtestanti.

Umsebenzi wokushumayela waqala eIndiya ngowe-1905, ibe wenziwa ngomkhulu umfutho xa uCharles T. Russell, umongameli wokuqala weWatch Tower Society, watyelela apho ngowe-1912. Udliwano-ndlebe olwaluphakathi kukaRussell noA. J. Joseph, umfundi weBhayibhile oselula owayenenzondelelo, lwakhokelela kwilungiselelo elisisigxina lomsebenzi oqhubekayo wokushumayela. UJoseph waguqulela uncwadi lweBhayibhile kulwimi lwakhe lweenkobe lwesiMalayalam waza wahambahamba kulo lonke elo efundisa, ngokukodwa kumazantsi eIndiya. Namhlanje, phantse isiqingatha sabavakalisi baseIndiya sihlala kuloo mmandla apho kuthethwa isiMalayalam, nangona bemalunga nesithathu ekhulwini kuphela abemi baseIndiya abahlala apho. Lo mmandla, owawusakubizwa ngokuba yiTravancore neCochin, ngowe-1956 waba liLizwe laseKerala.

Mna noGeorge Wright sasitshintshisana ngokuya kwiofisi yaseBombay nokuhamba kulo lonke kwiphulo lokushumayela. Sakusebenzisa ngokupheleleyo ukuhamba ngololiwe, ngamahashe, nangeenqwelo ezitsalwa ziinkomo. Kamva sasebenzisa inqwelo-mafutha. Imbono esasinayo ngoko yayikukulushiya nje uncwadi size simeme abantu ukuba beze kwisifundo seqela kwindawo esasihlangana kuyo. Sanikela ingqalelo kubantu ababezibiza ngokuba bangamaKristu ababethetha isiNgesi.

Okokuqala, ndanikwa amagama nekhelingi zabo bonke ababerhumela IMboniselo. Inkoliso yaba yayingabantu abasebenza esiporweni okanye kwiingcingo. Ndatyelela ngamnye kubo ukuze ndiphande umdla wabo wokwenene. Kangangeminyaka emininzi ndandidla ngokuya ePunjab ekumantla eIndiya ngoJanuwari ndize ndihambe ndisuka eLahore ndiye eKarachi. Ekubeni inkitha yabantu yayingatyekelanga eBhayibhileni, iidolophana ezazinabantu ababengamaKristu ngegama zazimbalwa yaye ziqelelene.

Ndandidla ngokuhamba nomzalwana owayenditolikela, ibe sasihlala size sitye naba bantu. Abemi bezi dolophana babehlala kwizindlu ezenziwe ngodaka olugqatswe lilanga, ezazinophahla olwenziwe ngemizi okanye ngemithi. Babelala phezu kweecharpoy, iibhedi ezinemilenze emine ezenziwe ngomthi eziqanyangelwe ngentambo. Ngokufuthi abalimi babedla ngokuhlala phezu kweecharpoy zabo bephethe iBhayibhile, betshaya oozalipholile babo abanobude obususela kwisiqingatha semitha ukusa kwimitha enye, betyhila isibhalo nesibhalo njengoko sasibacacisela iinyaniso zikaThixo. Iintlanganiso ezaziqhutyelwa phandle zangqineka ziyimpumelelo, njengoko kangangethuba elide lonyaka kwakungani mvula. Ngoxa inkoliso yabantu baseYurophu yayiziphakamise gqitha ukuba iye kwiintlanganiso ezinjalo, amaIndiya ayehlanganisana naphi na.

Sazama ukupapasha uncwadi ngeelwimi ezininzi kangangoko kwakunokwenzeka. Incwadana ethi World Distress eyakhutshwa ngolwimi lwesiKanarese yaba yenempumelelo ngokukhethekileyo. Yashukumisela umhleli wephephancwadi lonqulo lwaseKanarese ukuba asimeme ukuze simnike amanqaku anokuwabhala ephepheni lakhe, ibe kangangexesha elithile, sasikhupha incwadi ethi Deliverance njengongcelele ngokuthe rhoqo kwiveki yesibini.

Ukususela kunyaka we-1926 ukuya kowe-1938 oovulindlela abanehlombe bashumayela kakhulu. Sasihamba iikhilomitha ezingamawaka, ibe sasasaza iincwadi ezininzi kakhulu, kodwa kwabakho ulwando oluncinane. Ngowe-1938 kwakukho oovulindlela abali-18 kuphela nabavakalisi abangama-273 kumabandla angama-24 awayesasazeke kulo lonke elaseIndiya.

Ebudeni Bemfazwe Yehlabathi II

Ngowe-1939 kwaqhambuka iMfazwe Yehlabathi II, ukanti thina saqhubeka nomsebenzi wethu wokushumayela. Enyanisweni, ekuqaleni kowe-1940 kongezeleleka umsebenzi wokunikela ubungqina esitratweni. Kwanoodade bethu bamaIndiya baba nenxaxheba, nto leyo ephawulekayo ngenxa yamasiko asekuhlaleni. Kwiminyaka kamva umfundi weBhayibhile waxelela iNgqina elamcelayo ukuba abe nesabelo kumsebenzi onjalo oku: “Ndingumfazi womIndiya, ibe andinako ukubonwa ndithetha nendoda esitratweni kuba oko kulihlazo kubantu bonke bale ngingqi. Andinako ukuthetha nendoda esitratweni kwanokuba isisalamane sam.” Sekunjalo, oodade bethu abangamaKristu eIndiya baye baba ngabalungiseleli basesidlangalaleni abanenzondelelo.

Kuloo minyaka yokuqala, kwakwalungiselelwa neendibano. Iintsasa zazisetyenziselwa inkonzo yasentsimini, eyayiquka ubukhulu becala ukuhamba iikhilomitha ezininzi sixelela abemi nabadlula ngendlela ngeentlanganiso eziqhutywa esidlangalaleni. Kwenye yezi kweza abangaphezu kwama-300, intetho iqhutyelwa phantsi komthunzi womthi woqalo nowesundu. Kodwa kwakungancedi nto kangako ukubekwa kwexesha lokuqalisa, ekubeni babembalwa abantu ababeneewotshi. Babesiza nje xa beziva befuna, ibe iintlanganiso zaziqalisa xa kufike abaphulaphuli abaneleyo. Abangakumbi babefika njengoko iintlanganiso zaziqhubeka.

Ngokuqhelekileyo ucwangciso lwaluqhubeka de kubethe intsimbi yeshumi ebusuku, ibe ke ngoko abaninzi kwakufuneka bahambe iikhilomitha eziliqela ukuya emakhaya. Xa kukho ukukhanya kwenyanga, izinto zazilunga; yayisiba bubusuku obupholileyo nobunandiphekayo. Xa inyanga ingekho, abantu babethabatha isebe lesundu baze balenze itotshi. Xa yayilunyekwa, le totshi yayiba nedangatye elibubomvurha. Xa kwakufunwa ukukhanya okongezelelekileyo, le totshi yayijiwuziswa emoyeni de ibe namalangatye. Oku kwakunikela ukukhanya okwaneleyo ukuze ubani afumane indlela kwindawo engagudanga.

Malunga neli xesha urhulumente wakuvala ukuthunyelwa koncwadi loMbutho eIndiya naseCeylon. Umatshini wethu omncinane wokushicilela owawuseTravancore wohluthwa, ibe urhulumente oyintloko wakhupha isaziso esalela ukushicilelwa koncwadi lwethu. Kamva, ngowe-1944, omnye wabazalwana bethu owayeqeqeshelwe ukunyanga amathambo wayenyanga uMhlekazi uSrivastava, umphathiswa weSigqeba Sombuso waseViceroy, ibe le mbambano ingokuvalwa komsebenzi yaziswa kuye.

Umzalwana wethu waxelelwa oku, “Ungakhathazeki.” UMhlekazi uSrivastava wamcacisela ukuba uMnu. Jenkins (umphathiswa owayengawuthandi lo msebenzi wethu) wayeza kudla umhlala-phantsi kungekudala ibe umhlobo olungileyo kaMhlekazi uSrivastava wayeza kungena ezihlangwini zakhe. Umhlekazi uSrivastava wanikela ukhuthazo esithi, “Mcele uMnu. Skinner ukuba eze apha, ibe ndiya kumazisa kuMhlekazi uFrancis Mudie,” oza kungena esikhundleni sikaJenkins. Ekugqibeleni, ndabizwa; ndathetha noMnu. Mudie, ibe ukuvalwa komsebenzi kwashenxiswa ngokusisigxina ngoDisemba 9, 1944.

Izizathu Zokuvuya

Kwabakho unobangela omkhulu wokuvuya ngowe-1947 xa abavangeli basemazweni bokuqala ababeqeqeshwe eGiliyadi bafikayo eIndiya. Ukufika kwabo kwangqamana nexesha elibalulekileyo kwimbali yaseIndiya, njengoko kwathi kanye kuloo nyaka, ngoAgasti 15, elo lizwe lafumana inkululeko kulawulo lwaseBritani. Xa uhlanga lwahlukana lusiba ngamaHindu aseIndiya namaSilamsi asePakistan, kwaphalala igazi ngenxa yokubulawa kwabantu. Phezu kwako nje oku, ababini ababephumelele kwisikolo saseGiliyadi bathunyelwa ePakistan, eyathi yaba lilizwe elizimele geqe ngoAgasti 14. Kungekudala abavangeli basemazweni abangakumbi abalishumi babesebenza kanye phakathi eIndiya, ibe abaninzi abangakumbi bafika ukuza kunceda kwiminyaka eyalandelayo.

Ndavuya ngakumbi njengoko kwakumiselwa iinkqubo zentlangano. Ngowe-1955 kwaqalisa umsebenzi wesiphaluka xa umzalwana uDick Cotterill, owayephumelele kwisikolo saseGiliyadi, wanyulwayo ukuba abe ngumveleli wesiphaluka wokuqala. Wakhonza ngokuthembekileyo de wafa ngowe-1988. Kwandula ke, ngowe-1960, saba nelungiselelo elithe rhoqo lokuqala lomveleli wesithili, nto leyo eyaba negalelo elikhulu ekuncedeni iziphaluka. Emva kowe-1966 akuzange kuphinde kuvunyelwe abavangeli basemazweni bangaphandle ukuba beze elizweni. Kodwa kungekudala kwavulwa umsebenzi wobuvulindlela obukhethekileyo, ibe oovulindlela abangamaIndiya ababefaneleka bathunyelwa kwimimandla emininzi yaseIndiya. Namhlanje, kukho abamalunga nama-300 abakulo msebenzi.

Ekugqibeleni ngowe-1958 saba nabavakalisi boBukumkani abali-1 000. Kodwa kwabakho uchatha kwisantya, ibe ngoku sinabangaphezu kwama-9 000. Ngaphezu koko, inani elingama-24 144 labezayo kwiSikhumbuzo sethu sowe-1989 libonisa ukuba abaninzi ngakumbi abanomdla bafuna uncedo. Ngoku iSri Lanka ilisebe elizimeleyo. Olunjani lona uvuyo ukubona ukuba baye banda ukusuka nje kubavakalisi ababini ngowe-1944 ukuya kwabangaphezu kwe-1 000 namhlanje, phezu kwalo nje idabi eliqhubekayo kwilizwe labo.

Ukwanda kwenani labavakalisi kuye kwathetha ulwando nakwisebe lethu. Emva kweminyaka engama-52 yokusebenza eBombay, ikomkhulu lethu lafudukela kwidolophu ekufutshane yaseLonavla ngowe-1978. Andizange ndiyithelekelele into yokuba sasiya kuba nezixhobo zodidi oluphezulu ezinjengekhompyutha zeMEPS nomatshini omkhulu wemibala emibini oshicelela uncwadi ngeelwimi ezininzi zaseIndiya. Namhlanje, sivelisa IMboniselo ngeelwimi ezisithoba kwanolunye uncwadi ngeelwimi ezahlukeneyo ezingama-20.

Kambe ke, iintsuku zokuba kusebenze amadoda amabini kwisebe lethu zadlula kudala. Ngoku sinentsapho yaseBheteli enamalungu angaphezu kwama-60! Ndineminyaka engama-95 ubudala, ndisavuyiswa kukuba kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo kwiofisi yesebe nokukhonza njengelungu leKomiti yeSebe laseIndiya. Ibe ndichwayitiswa ngokukodwa kukunikela ubungqina ngomsebenzi wokuvuna kule mihla yokugqibela. Ngokwenyaniso, oku kungunobangela wovuyo.

[Picture of F. E. Skinner on page 28]