Joaquim Magalhães de Castro
This Easter, in a rare but significant gesture, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, visited the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Delhi during a religious ceremony.
He spoke to the faithful there, lit a candle in front of the image of the Risen Christ and, moments later, planted a tree in the church complex’s garden. The visit had been previously announced, and Modi had wished all Indian Christians “a holy day of Easter” on his personal Twitter account, expressing the hope that “such a special occasion” would deepen “the spirit of harmony” in the community and all inspired towards a better service to society and help to the marginalized. “On this day let us remember the pious thoughts of Christ,” tweeted Narendra Modi on Easter Sunday morning.
The visit of the head of government of the Indian Union was, as expected, very well received by the Archdiocese of Delhi, with Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto serving as the main host. In a statement released by ANI (an Indian news agency), the parish priest of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Francis Swaminathan, considered the said tweet “a powerful message.” Across the country, commentators on Indian politics linked the gesture to the slogan “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” launched recently by the prime minister with a view to bolster next year’s elections. It is basically, an appeal for cooperation between different communities in India, a country unfortunately undermined by communal divisions fueled by groups of extremely fanatical Hindu nationalists.
Also in Kerala, in the south of the subcontinent, some prominent leaders of the BJP (the party where PM Modi is a member) visited several churches on Easter day. This is a gesture that the leadership of the local opposition associated with “an early electoral campaign,” qualifying him (Modi) as an opportunist. Speaking to AsiaNews, Father Paul Thelakat, a former spokesman for the Syro-Malabar Church, welcomed the visit: “It really is a celebratory attitude towards Christians in this country. This is a pluralistic nation, and I am glad that the Prime Minister has celebrated the plurality of India.”
Despite the optimism, Christians across the country fear the hostile attitudes of the BJP and its underlying Hindutva ideology. The Hindutva movement, described as “quasi-fascist in the classical sense,” adheres to a concept of “homogenized majority and cultural hegemony.” Father Paul Thelakat believes that Modi’s gesture was not a “pre-election political coup,” but rather an “honest attempt to reach everyone in this country.” Now, Modi needs to break his silence on the rising wave of “anti-Christian bigotry” and rein in the extremist elements within the party.
Key Facts
- According to a report released by the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), 2015 was considered “the worst year for Christians in the history of post-independence India.” The capital Delhi, for example, saw six attacks on churches and one attack on a Christian school that year.
- In 2021, at least 305 incidents of violence against Christians were recorded, according to a fact-finding report by Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, United Against Hate, and United Christian Forum.
- Some Christian leaders have welcomed Modi’s gesture but called for his intervention in addressing rising anti-Christian bigotry and promoting a positive attitude towards all communities in India.
- Opposition parties associated Modi’s gesture as “an early electoral campaign”.
“The Christian attitude must be neither one of prostrated abstention nor total condemnation, but one of political prudence,” says Father Paul. And he adds: “It is a positive attitude, but it should also be directed towards other communities; no part of Indian society can be considered an enemy of the country and treated as such.”
Twenty-four years after the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines (who had spent 35 long years caring for leprosy patients in Baripada, Odisha province) and his two youngest children – all of them burned alive by a group of fanatical Hindus – the situation has not changed much. Christians in India continue to face attacks on their faith, whether at their meetings, churches or educational institutions.
Here is a brief chronological overview. In late August 2008, a Hindu mob attacked the Christian community of Kandhamal (Odisha) in retaliation for the killing of three Brahmins (reportedly killed by Maoist insurgents). The result: 395 churches and more than 5,600 houses destroyed, 600 villages looted and 50,000 people displaced. More than 500 were killed. Many Christian families were burned alive and thousands of them were forced to convert to Hinduism.
In the same year, there was a new wave of attacks against Christian churches and prayer halls. This time in Karnataka and perpetrated by the fanatical Hindu organization Bajrang Dal. After 2014, attacks increased considerably. According to a report released by the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), 2015 was considered “the worst year for Christians in the history of post-independence India.”
The capital Delhi, for example, saw six attacks on churches and one attack on a Christian school that year. In the first nine months of 2021, at least 305 incidents of violence against Christians were recorded, according to a fact-finding report released by Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, United Against Hate and United Christian Forum.
The number of attacks on the community has increased since the government began to consider the possibility of a bill to ban forced religious conversion.
A year later, at Christmas time, a wave of attacks against Christians enraged the community, prompting them to organize a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar – a historic astronomical observatory and major heritage landmark. The first such attack took place on December 20, 2022, when a man dressed as Santa Claus was beaten up by a mob of Hindu fanatics in Vadodara, Gujarat. Apparently, the man’s “crime” was having distributed chocolates among people and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.
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