By Albert Thyrniang
When this author wrote in his last piece in this column that in other parts of the country Christmas celebrations could be in an intimidating atmosphere, someone emailed, “you are exaggerating and an alarmist.” Well, he has been proven wrong. On Christmas day a spurt of incidents took place where Hindutva groups vandalized, attacked and disrupted Christmas celebrations in many places across the country. Sangh parivar activists burned the effigy of Santa Claus shouting ‘Santa Claus Murdabad’ in Agra, UP. In Varanasi a group protested in front of Matridham Ashram, shouting slogans, ‘Church Murdabad’. Right wing groups interrupted Christmas celebrations at Nirmala school, Mandya, Karnataka. Bajrang Dal activists stormed a church in Silchar, Assam, during the midnight Mass and also protested against Christian schools celebrating Christmas; Hanuman chalisa (hymns) were played by bigots in Kurukshetra on a stage set up for Christmas celebrations; the Statue of Holy Redeemer was vandalized in Ambala and Christmas celebration was disrupted in Gurugram. All these incidents occurred in BJP ruled states. The last four were in Haryana. This is certainly intimidating for the minority community.
Christians have every right under the Constitution of India to celebrate Christmas, other festivals and practice their faith. Goons have no business to harass festivities. Bizarrely, the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal in Agra even fear that Santa Claus will convert Hindus to Christianity. The chief instigator, Ajju Chauhan, even threatened agitations at missionary schools if his warning was not heeded. In Mandya right-wing activists complained that Hindu festivals like Ganesha festival were not being celebrated. In Silchar too the Bajrang Dal activists accused the church goers of being selective since Tulsi Diwas was not being celebrated. For the sake of argument, even if it is true that Hindu festivals are not celebrated by Christians, that does not give anybody the justification to disrupt Christmas celebrations and storm churches. I may decide to choose and pick in celebrating festivals. How is that a problem for anyone? I too have no issue with people who celebrate festivals of their choice. A religious group may celebrate only their own feasts. How is that a concern for others? Those who do must be out of their minds. A question is thrown back right at the ‘disrupters’: If you are inclusive why don’t you lead by example? Why don’t you also celebrate Christmas? The young men in Silchar self-pitied saying they were hurt because Tulsi Diwas was ignored. Who prevented them from organising a gala function to mark the occasion? Why enter a church instead and create a ruckus?
In the other cases thugs disturbed celebrations alleging conversion. Conversion or forced conversion has become a pet subject of right wing outfits. Anything that Christians do or say is linked to conversion and the pretext is used to attack the community. While working on this article a cartoon came via Whatsapp showing that Sikhs are about one per cent of the total population, Christians about two per cent, Muslims below 20 per cent and Hindus close to 80 per cent. Using a hand loud speaker, a person on a helicopter shouts into the ears of a tall man standing and representing the Hindu population, “You’re in danger of them!” Though there is nil data to prove the bogey of change of demography due to large scale conversions, yet radicals continue to persecute Christians and other minorities in the name of checking the non-existent trend.
It is not just the fringes but people like BJP MP Tejasvi Surya terrorize minorities. On Christmas day in Udupi, Karnataka, the 31 year old parliamentarian called for ‘ghar wapsi’ of converted Muslims and Christians during the course of India’s history on a “war footing.” His statement implies using force to re-convert the ‘converted’. Nothing is more disgusting that this! Notorious for communal speeches the young legislator is regressing young India to a darker era instead of exhorting the gen-next to advance to an age of prosperity when only economic, social, political, cultural and educational issues and not religion figures in public discourses. Religion should remain in the private domain. The RSS swayamsevak has done ‘better’ than the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) who have been harassingly engaging on ‘home coming’ of Muslims and Christians. On December 25 last, the fanatical group even demanded that the central government make necessary amendments to the Constitution to ‘exclude tribals who converted to other religions’ from the list of tribes. The VHP thinks tribals can convert only to Hinduism. They must be met with strong opposition. Adding to the present hate atmosphere is the event in Uttarakhand on December 24 when certain Hindu religious leaders called for genocide of Muslims.
The Narendra Modi government prides itself in the pleasant and catchy slogan, ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas (Together with all, for the development of all, and with the trust of all). However, Christians and other minorities seem to be excluded from the ‘all’ of the BJP. The majority is all that matters. A writer reminds, “Christians’ right to be Christians is no less constitutional than the rights of those following the majority religion.” However, going by the current affairs the right to worship is shrinking by the day for Christians. The gush of attacks has phenomenally gone up after new anti-conversion laws have been enacted in many BJP-ruled States.
At stake is the fundamental right of citizens to live and the freedom to practice their own religion. Christians have been victims of attacks at the hands of Hindutva goons in trains, buses, public places and even places of worship.
Voices of concern, words of condemnation and sparks of outrages have come in the social and mainstream media. Tejasvi had to withdraw his disgraceful comment. FIRs were filed against those propagating mass killing. Several countries and world organizations have also censured the attacks. But amazingly the Church leaders in India are quite cool about it. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has not uttered a word. The bishops in Kerala, who have struck a deal of friendship with the RSS, understandably are silent. They are compelled to say nothing even if faithfuls in other states suffer at the hands of fundamentalists. An editor of a ‘Christian Weekly’ observes, “But, the Church hierarchy (only) adopts an ostrich-type approach as if it is under the spell of the sweet talk of the government and its vague assurances.” In the North East the Churches feel no pain when their fellow believers are endangered.
The attacks on Christians come to our phones in the form of news reports, images and video footages. They do the same in the smart gadgets of bishops, priests, pastors, nuns and other Church leaders. Most just murmur and then remain indifferent. The silence is truly stunning. We are busy celebrating Christmas in full gear. We are unperturbed by the disturbing occurrences in the above mentioned states. We are not in solidarity. A social media, “Ka mat ia dep shato… para dkhar” (Let it be… it’s among outsiders) is very distressing. We think that we are in a safe cocoon or a comfort zone. But are we? If a Church in Silchar can come under attack, the danger could be closer home. Groups like the RSS have an eye on the North East and the ‘Christian belts.’
At the political level too the response is insufficient. All parties claim to be secular but have rarely stood up for secularity. The Silchar episode is insignificant to the NPP, the regional parties, the Congress or the newly recognised AITC that was air dropped from West Bengal one fine day. Having received the stamp of approval of the Speaker the 12 MLAs and 11 MDCs in Garo Hills are in a blissful state. As a main opposition the party will have a prominent space. But rainy days will come for sure. It is doubtful post the 2023 Assembly elections if their position will be the same. My sense is that their number will drastically reduce. Though Mamata Banerjee was once a minister in the NDA-BJP led government, hope the TMC remains committed to the minorities.
Christians, Christian churches and the idea of Christ are under attack but more worrying is that the idea of India is under a more severe attack. India’s myriad castes, creed, cultures, ethnicities, languages and religion are under question. Instead of embracing all a ploy is being made to exclude some. The progress of the Indian idea is being disrupted by anti-nationals. The idea of India which is the vision of a vibrant and strong modern nation that is defined by tolerance and a broad worldview is being interrupted. The idea that gives dominant importance to economic, social, cultural and educational development and rejects hatred, parochialism and radicalism is unfortunately under threat. Should we not join hands to thwart this danger? Political groups certainly but also religious leaders need to do it all to preserve and promote the idea of India. Currently church leaders, whose community is a victim of religious intolerance, are complicit in the disruption of the idea of India.
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