Recent intelligence reports have raised significant concerns about the potential use of the Andhra Baptist Church as a tool to influence political realignments in India, specifically targeting Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu (CBN). These reports suggest that the church, under the patronage and financial backing of the American Baptist Church, could be leveraged in diplomatic efforts to pressure Naidu into shifting his political stance, potentially destabilizing the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
The Andhra Baptist Church, a prominent religious institution in Andhra Pradesh, has long-standing ties with the American Baptist Church, receiving both financial and spiritual support. However, the close relationship between these religious bodies has now come under scrutiny from Indian intelligence agencies, which reportedly see the church as a potential instrument in the broader strategy of foreign influence within India’s domestic political landscape. Indian intelligence sources have alarmingly described the church as the “biggest tool in the CIA’s pocket,” reflecting deep concerns that the institution could be co-opted to sway political dynamics in the region.
These concerns are not entirely unfounded, considering the history of the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) covert operations involving religious institutions. For decades, the CIA has utilized missionaries and religious figures for espionage, exploiting their access to remote areas and their ability to operate under the guise of spiritual work. A notable acknowledgment of this practice came from President Gerald Ford, who revealed that the CIA had employed missionaries as operatives overseas, a revelation that underscored the blending of religious service with statecraft in the intelligence community’s operations.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, tasked with overseeing the activities of the CIA and other intelligence agencies, has also shed light on this issue. The committee’s reports have confirmed that the CIA employed 21 missionaries and religious personnel for intelligence work abroad, highlighting a systematic approach to using religious figures in clandestine operations. This practice has often blurred the lines between faith and national security, raising ethical concerns about the use of religion in matters of espionage.
The idea of the Andhra Baptist Church being used as a political tool is further complicated by the recent diplomatic activities of US Consul General Jennifer Larson, who heads the American mission in Hyderabad. Larson’s meetings with Indian opposition leaders, including Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and Chandrababu Naidu, have drawn significant attention. Additionally, her meetings with Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), have fueled speculation about the motives behind such frequent interactions, particularly given Owaisi’s vocal opposition to the Modi government.
These meetings have sparked widespread debate on Indian social media, with many questioning the underlying intentions of Larson’s diplomatic engagements. The concern is that these interactions could be part of a broader strategy to influence political alignments in India, with religious institutions like the Andhra Baptist Church playing a crucial role in this effort.
The notion that a church could be used as a tool of foreign influence is not merely speculative. Historical examples demonstrate the CIA’s ability to blend “Soul Craft” with “Spy Craft,” leveraging the unique positions of religious figures for intelligence purposes. A book by Washington State Professor Matthew Avery Sutton, titled Double Crossed: The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States During the Second World War, provides a detailed account of how Christian missionaries were used as spies during World War II. These missionaries, while ostensibly spreading the gospel, also gathered critical intelligence that contributed to the Allied victory, illustrating the complex roles they played.
CIA using ‘Soul Craft’ to back its ‘Spy Craft’ was revealed by the now-ousted Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina. Recent revelations by her have brought a startling dimension to the geopolitical landscape of South Asia. Addressing her 14-party coalition in Dhaka, Hasina disclosed that a foreign agent had offered to help her secure an easy victory in the upcoming January 7 elections in exchange for permitting a foreign country to establish a military airbase in Bangladesh. She further revealed that this proposition was part of a broader plan to carve out an East Timor-like Christian nation from parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar, sparking immediate speculation about American involvement, in particular its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The plan, as described by Hasina, suggests the creation of a Christian nation incorporating the Chin, Kuki, and Zo tribes, who span across Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India’s northeastern states. This would resemble the establishment of East Timor, which gained independence from Indonesia with substantial international support, including that of the US.
The notion of carving out a Christian nation from the ethnically diverse regions of Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Northeast India, specifically centered around the Chin-Kuki-Zo ethnic groups, raises intriguing questions about potential strategic benefits, particularly from the perspective of intelligence agencies like the CIA. Establishing a Christian-majority nation in a region dominated by Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim-majority countries could serve as a strategic foothold for Western influence, particularly in Southeast Asia and South Asia. The CIA, tasked with safeguarding American interests abroad, may see the creation of such a nation as an opportunity to extend political, economic, and cultural influence in the region.
As scrutiny over this issue intensifies, it remains to be seen how the Indian government will respond to these potential threats to its political sovereignty with the CIA using ‘Soul Craft’ to back its ‘Spy Craft’ intentions.
