Aroup Chatterjee
Encyclopedia
Aroup Chatterjee is the author of the book Mother Teresa: The Final Verdict, a work which challenges the widespread regard of Mother Teresa
as a symbol of philanthropy and selflessness.
Chatterjee is a physician
working in England
. He has accused Mother Teresa of unfairly damaging the reputation of the city of Kolkata
(formerly Calcutta). In his book Chatterjee claims that Mother Teresa exaggerated the work she did among the poor, that she failed to use the very large amount of money donated to her on helping the poor and that the medical care given to people in homes run by Missionaries of Charity was grossly inadequate.
Chatterjee's criticism inspired a documentary named Hell's Angel
that was shown on Channel 4
, a British
television channel
. The documentary was written by a well-known critic of Mother Teresa, Christopher Hitchens
, who co-produced it with Tariq Ali
. Chatterjee and Hitchens were the only two official hostile witnesses to Church
procedures for the beatification
of Mother Teresa in 2003.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
as a symbol of philanthropy and selflessness.
Chatterjee is a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
working in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He has accused Mother Teresa of unfairly damaging the reputation of the city of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
(formerly Calcutta). In his book Chatterjee claims that Mother Teresa exaggerated the work she did among the poor, that she failed to use the very large amount of money donated to her on helping the poor and that the medical care given to people in homes run by Missionaries of Charity was grossly inadequate.
Chatterjee's criticism inspired a documentary named Hell's Angel
Hell's Angel
Hell's Angel is a 1994 Channel 4 television documentary about Mother Teresa by Christopher Hitchens, a precursor to his book, The Missionary Position. The film claims that she urged the poor to accept their fate, while the rich are portrayed as being favored by God. Hitchens and Tariq Ali wrote...
that was shown on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
. The documentary was written by a well-known critic of Mother Teresa, Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens is an Anglo-American author and journalist whose books, essays, and journalistic career span more than four decades. He has been a columnist and literary critic at The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate, World Affairs, The Nation, Free Inquiry, and became a media fellow at the...
, who co-produced it with Tariq Ali
Tariq Ali
Tariq Ali , , is a British Pakistani military historian, novelist, journalist, filmmaker, public intellectual, political campaigner, activist, and commentator...
. Chatterjee and Hitchens were the only two official hostile witnesses to Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
procedures for the beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
of Mother Teresa in 2003.
Personal life
His wife, Zelpha Kittler, is a psychiatrist. He also has two daughters: Allegra, 16, and Ophelia, 19. He also has a son: Orion, 5.External links
- Mother Teresa:The Final Verdict The Introduction and the first three chapters of Chatterjee's book are available here.
- Review of Chatterjee book in the Socialist ReviewSocialist ReviewThe Socialist Review is the monthly magazine of the British Socialist Workers Party. As well as being printed it is also published online.-Original publication: 1950-1962:...
- Maternal Neglect Review of 'Mother Teresa:The Final Verdict' by Latha Menon
See also
- The Missionary Position (book)The Missionary Position (book)The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice is a book by Christopher Hitchens about Mother Teresa's life and work. The book criticizes Teresa as a political opportunist who adopted the guise of a saint in order to raise money and spread an extreme religious ideology...