“A Saviour is born for you”, This good news of the birth of a Saviour was heralded by the angels through the lowly shepherds to all of humankind. Two thousand years after the birth of Christ, the same good news resonates around the world enriching the lives of people with love, hope and good cheer.
Yes, Christ was born to be with His people, irrespective of their colour, race, language, religion, nationality, financial status etc. He came to love and to serve and this truth is witnessed through the lives of millions of religious, priests and laity, who have worked tirelessly for the betterment of the poor, the oppressed and the needy.
Christ came with the message of brotherly love, joy and peace, He came to love without distinction or prejudice, He came to help the sick, the poor, the needy, the downtrodden and the broken heart yet he was persecuted and killed. Similar patterns are witnessed in the lives of those who unconditionally follow Christ’s teachings. This community of Christ centred peace-loving people committed to working towards the betterment of society is now being persecuted in different parts of India. They no longer feel safe as Churches and institutions are being vandalised and the minority Christians in some states, are faced with a number of atrocities. In our neighbouring state of Karnataka, persecution of Christians has become rampant; the irony is that such atrocities are not even considered as “Newsworthy” by media in places like Madhya Pradesh.
India at the Forefront of Christian Persecution
The fact that India is at the forefront of the world in terms of atrocities against Christianity and Christian communities is not something that is much discussed. There are a number of reasons why such issues go unnoticed, for instance, the vested interests of the media, the influence of the aggressors in the mainstream media and the strong propaganda campaigns for such people on all kinds of social media platforms. It is indeed surprising how the media conveniently chooses not to discuss such issues during their evening debates.
The Open Doors’ World Watch List, which publishes a comprehensive report on the persecution of Christians every year, reported that India is the 10th most persecuted country in the world for the three years since 2019. Even Iraq and Syria lag behind India in terms of violence. The first six months of this year alone saw 300 attacks on Christians in 21 states.
A joint study by organizations like United Christian Forum, United against Hate and Protection for Civil Rights revealed that Christians are the most targeted community in India. Last September, 69 such incidents were reported in various states. Most of these incidents are mob attacks following hate propaganda. Individuals, religious communities, institutions and clergy were among the victims of such forms of violence. It is high time we start reflecting upon why such atrocities and murders are increasing every year in an egalitarian and secular country like India. Such frequent and violent attacks against the Christian minority are clearly a result of anti-Christian propaganda promoted by Stakeholders using social media platforms.
Abused Rules
The so-called well-intentioned “ANTI-CONVERSION LAWS” enforced in various States are used as a cover by the perpetrators to attack Christians. Allegations of baseless proselytizing and subsequent unleashing of violence as well as false accusations are the tactics used in such incidents. The unfortunate fact is that in the vast majority of cases, the police and the authorities are on the side of the perpetrators. In the previous years, ordinary individuals, worshipers and their families were the most vulnerable to such attacks by communal activists, however, the last few months saw an increase in such attacks directed towards Catholic institutions and the religious. All the fabricated allegations were made under the guise of the Prohibition of Conversion Act.
Although the Prohibition of Conversion Act has not yet been enforced in Karnataka, Hindutva activists have unleashed violence by raising such allegations in anticipation of the possibility of the Bill being passed in the near future. Thirty-eight incidents of violence against Christians have been reported in Karnataka so far this year.
The coming of BJP into power saw the Hindutva communalists unleashing violence against the Christian community in Karnataka. New legislations are drawn to legalise such atrocities meted against this minority community. Such laws create a divide and not only Karnataka but neighbouring states like Kerala with a large number of Christians migrating for employment and other means to Karnataka are also severely affected.
Institutions of the Catholic Church are Targeted
There are hundreds of institutions run by Catholic Religious Communities and dioceses in the various States of Indian. Through church-led ministries, millions of poor, sick, orphans, and the elderly are being helped and cared for. Those who engage in such ministries imitate the example set by Christ during his public ministry. In fact, the Catholic Church has for a long time been providing unconditional support to the Central and State Governments through active interferences in many areas of public service. The real purpose of the Catholic missionaries who have been working in this way from time to time in every nook and corner of India is only the overall upliftment of the nation. In many rural areas, a large number of religious and priests are actively working among the downtrodden who are not being helped by the government or any others. There has been a rapid increase in the involvement of anti-Christian communal organizations in recent times. They conveniently choose to ignore the selfless service rendered by these missionaries but rather approach the officials and locals with arguments that poison their goodwill towards the minority community thus promoting religious intolerance and hostility. Unlike in the past, some of these moves are evident in Kerala as well.
Undoubtedly, such incidents of violence reported across several states in India is indicative of the communal elements of Hindutva targeting institutions and various spheres of services within the purview of the Catholic Church, rather than individuals. In the last few weeks alone, four institutions in Madhya Pradesh have been attacked and subsequently penalised by making false allegations. Similar atrocities are observed commonly in some of the Northern States and in the neighbouring states of Kerala.
The latest report is related to the orphanage run by the members of the Missionaries of Charity, which has been operating from Vadodara, in Gujarat for decades. Police have registered a case against the institution following a complaint that it was “suspicious” that inmates living there were “Being Converted”. The Prohibition of Conversion Act is being abused in this case as well. It should be noted that the Chairman of the National Commission for Child Rights was involved in the Vadodara incident and a similar incident was previously reported in Intkheri, Madhya Pradesh. In both cases, he led a sudden inspection and subsequently issued a letter to the district Collector which sparked controversy. Later the officials handling the cases both at Inthkeri and Vadodara confessed about the political agenda behind such actions. Both these cases are examples of how the law which is meant to uphold the rights of the people is being abused and manipulated to raise unfounded suspicion and allegation against a service-oriented community. Such incidents reported across the country during recent times clearly indicate an official-political vendetta against the Christian community and the Church.
Such incidents question the existence of innumerable institutions of the Catholic Church providing exemplary services functioning in various states of India. It is reasonable to suspect that such atrocities are meted out in order to prevent the social interference and influence of the Catholic Church and the Christian community.
Serious Constitutional Violations
The Constitution defines India as a completely secular country. Religious freedom is a constitutional right of every individual. Every citizen of India has complete freedom to believe, to practice and to propagate one’s religion peacefully. For these reasons, religious discrimination, oppression and atrocities in the name of religion and racism are unconstitutional crimes. Such atrocities are all the more serious as they seek to eliminate individuals and their institutions who have selflessly sacrificed their lives for poor people. Attempts to misuse the rules and ensnare many, and the complicity of government agencies and even officials, need to be questioned. This secular society must be prepared to expose political movements that are unconstitutional in India while striving to ensure individual liberty and human rights.
Requires Vigilance and Recognition
In Kerala, the communal atrocities perpetrated by the Hindutva activists are not as severe as in other states. At the same time, the Christian community is facing a number of serious atrocities from Islamic fundamentalists. For the past few years, the BJP-RSS leadership was trying to gain support from the Christian community as part to counter such threats. To some extent, they have succeeded. However, in the context of Kerala, some media outlets had reported recently that the BJP-RSS leadership, which was somewhat sympathetic to the Christian community, was changing its policy tactic. It was reported that BJP central leadership had directed the Kerala leadership that there is no meaning in continuing affection for minority (Christian) but has asked them to focus on Hindu communalism. It is further reported that the central leadership has observed that the promotion of non-Hindus as leaders and the continuation of similar efforts are alienating the Hindu community from the party. Such news is an indication that the field is getting ready for intense anti-Christian movements to be witnessed in Kerala, unlike other States.
We need to seriously consider the fact that communal hatred propaganda has been rampant in Kerala for the last few years. Attempts are being made to tarnish the image of social interaction of the Catholic Church. Such moves are evident at the political level as well as in society as a result of the efforts of religious extremist-communal organizations. It can be suspected that even the internal affairs of the church are being discussed in the mainstream media with great news significance and thus the church image is being tarnished by external interference and a deliberate attempt is made to spread of false news against the church. There are clear indications that communal activists will not hesitate to speak out publicly against the Christian community and church leadership. Without recognizing the intrigues going on in the ranks, we must realize that it is irrational to form political relations with the enemy of the enemy and to proclaim that this is the only way to solve some problems. Social and political friendships are good and necessary. However, collaborations will be beneficial only we are able to identify the goals of those with whom we make friends. The only way to overcome the crises we face today is to come to the right realization and wake up and act. May this Christmas and New Year lead us to new perspectives!
Fr. Jacob G Palackappilly, Deputy Secretary-General, Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council