Scientology Volunteer Ministers’ India Goodwill Tour Leader interview—Part I

| India 25 November 2009 |

Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour Leader, Ms. Marion Whitta, a native of Australia, has become something of an institution in India. For the past four years she has been traveling throughout the country bringing help to cities, villages and townships, and training tens of thousands in spiritual technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard.

Whitta shares her thoughts about India and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program.

Q: How did you get the assignment to lead the Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour?

M.W.:  I had always wanted to go to India. I was drawn by the spiritual heritage of the country, which is the oldest religious tradition on Earth. I was also inspired by Mahatma Gandhi—the man himself, his courage and his commitment to human rights and freedom.

So in 2005 when I was given the opportunity to go to India, I was thrilled to reach out to people who were already aware of their spiritual nature and bring Mr. Hubbard’s spiritual technology to more than a billion people.  And I had the perfect means to do so—the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program and its purpose to bring help everywhere and anywhere.

Q: Tell us about the Goodwill Tour?

M.W.:  Since arriving in September 2005 we have visited Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mysore, Ooty, Pondicherry and Ahmedabad. We’ve also visited many villages and townships, and we even spent a few weeks in neighboring Nepal.

In each city we visit, we contact government, religious and community leaders and find out what they see as the most pressing needs that we can assist with. We then tailor our work to fit the needs of the people in each region.

In every area we visit, we train as many people as possible to administer Scientology Volunteer Ministers techniques. We deliver these courses in our big yellow tent and seminars and workshops in universities, schools, government offices, police departments, military camps, and even in apartment complexes—wherever people want to learn how to help, and wherever help is needed.

Once people learn this technology virtually everyone wants to be a Scientology Volunteer and we help them set up their own groups. These groups in turn reach out to those in need. For example, our Kolkata group mobilized a team of volunteers last year to assist survivors of the floods in Bihar. After the Mumbai terror attacks, Scientology volunteers from throughout India poured in to help in our disaster response activities.

Q: What is the Scientology Volunteer Ministers movement?

M.W.:  I think Mr. Hubbard described it perfectly when he wrote, “If one is going to find fault with something, it implies that he wishes to do something about it and would if he could. If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a VOLUNTEER MINISTER and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”

Part II