When Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a Christmas service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in Delhi, he spoke of the ‘timeless message of love, peace and compassion’ reflected in the event. | FP Photo
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a Christmas service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in Delhi, he spoke of the ‘timeless message of love, peace and compassion’ reflected in the event. That is indeed the core of India’s strength, where citizens of various faiths live in harmony. Yet, this message meant little to several right-wing groups, who claimed to be affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party and organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and set about disrupting or breaking up Christmas celebrations in several states. The disturbing spectacle of a visually impaired woman being assaulted by a BJP functionary at a Christmas feast at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh is emblematic of a resurgence of intolerance. Nothing that was taking place at the venue indicated that the organisers were engaged in forced religious conversion, an offence under law. Similar intrusions were reported from Christmas events in Delhi, Palakkad in Kerala, Nagaur in Rajasthan, Bareilly in UP, and Assam. At some places, the Hanuman Chalisa was used by miscreants as a disruptive chant against Christians. True, none of this is new, and there have been violent disruptions of Christian events in the past. What sets the present apart is the absence of swift and strong condemnation and effective steps to assert the constitutional right to freedom of religion. The Prime Minister would recognise the damage this may do to his party’s prospects in states that are due to conduct Assembly polls soon, notably Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where Christians form a significant minority.
Brazen displays of hostility in the name of fighting forced conversion have become chronic in some states, such as Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, and the plight of Christian Adivasis in the former has turned particularly distressing. There are reports of these communities being denied burial rights because they had converted. Such intolerance is a far cry from the love, peace, and compassion that Modi recalled in his Christmas message. It should also worry the Prime Minister that the robust development marathon that India is running is frequently marred by ideologically engendered tensions and violence. What was witnessed during this year’s Christmas celebrations represents a clear challenge to the country’s efforts to become a developed nation that respects individual freedoms and to disprove prominent pessimists who saw little hope for Indian democracy. PM Modi should have no hesitation in condemning the displays of bigotry and calling for religious tolerance and the supremacy of the rule of law. Clearly, religious conversion by inducement or force is not a real issue, and the rate of population growth of Christians at 15.5% was lower than the national average of 17.7% as per Census 2011. States with religious freedoms are able to focus on genuine development and stable economic productivity.
