Why I am Here. A Missionary Speaks By R.H. Lesser Gujarat Sahitya, Rs 100 Roger Lesser?s books are perhaps the best known Catholic writings in India ? after Mother Teresa?s ? as far as the non-Christian population is concerned. They are sold in thousands in streetcorner shops and railway station stalls visited by English speaking Indians. In the book under review, Lesser addresses Hindu and Muslim, Jain and Parsi readership, telling them why a missionary from England like himself chooses to be in India. He presents his life story as an ?apology? tailored to meet the suspicion and criticism often levelled at foreign missionaries. This book also provides fascinating reading for Catholics in England. Lesser is candid about his early life as a settler in colonial India, his personal search and struggles on the way to priesthood, the reasons that led him to request incardination in the diocese of Udaipur and the trauma of working as a young priest in post-independence India. In later years, Lesser?s main apostolic arena moved to the Bhils, a distinctive ethnic group in the so called ?tribal belt? that grids India from Calcutta, through Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh right into Rajasthan. Though influenced by Hinduism, the tribals have retained their own religious and cultural identity. Many embrace Christianity which often provokes the anger of fundamentalist Hindus who seek to tighten control on them. Lesser describes in some detail the violent attacks he and his Christian parishioners faced on more than one occasion. He outlines his outreach through preaching and writing. He explains why Indians should be free to embrace Christianity if they wish to do so. His account is enlivened by scores of anecdotes and incidents. Though Lesser remained active in the parish ministry all his life, his main attention turned towards writing. Most priests are intellectuals, producing if they write at all academic, complicated and moralistic sermons.They cannot write as journalists do: in brief, down to earth, easily understandable prose. Lesser can, and the success of the book proves it. In Sages and Saints of India he introduced Hindu, Muslim and Christian saints. The book instantly became a bestseller. Things Worth Having described 52 ordinary realities, such as patience, prayer, self-discipline and how to live with difficult people. So You Want to Get Married? tackled problems of young couples. Personality Development was a course on religion and ethics widely used in many pluralistic high schools. One masterpiece, for me, was Words with God. Here Lesser translated the psalms in a way that makes them totally accessible to modern readers. Jargon is avoided. Old Testament imagery is replaced by present day idiom. What the psalmists felt and expressed is presented in readable and passionate language. In Why I Am Here Lesser writes with pride and conviction about his life and work. With good reason.