By Bijoy A. Sangma
Tomorrow is Good Friday. Every year, Christians around the world pause on Good Friday to reflect on one of the most profound and painful moments in human history. It is the day when Jesus of Nazareth – a person known for his compassion, justice, and truth – was unjustly condemned, brutally tortured, and executed on a Roman cross. For believers, it is a sacred day of mourning and reverence. But even for those outside the Christian faith, Good Friday holds timeless moral significance.
It is a moment that invites reflection on deeper themes: injustice, sacrifice, integrity, resistance, and hope. In contemporary India, where public discourse is often shaped by debates around faith, identity, and belonging, the message of Good Friday has never been more relevant. It calls us to look beyond religious ritual and into the soul of a nation struggling to uphold its constitutional values of justice, liberty, and equality.
A Story That Resonates Across Time and Borders
More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus was crucified not because he committed any crime, but because he challenged the status quo. He healed the marginalized, embraced the untouchables of his time, stood for women and children, and confronted the hypocrisy of religious and political elites. His teachings threatened the comfort zones of the powerful, and his courage to speak truth before empire led to his death.
The Roman Empire, in collusion with religious leaders, sought to silence him. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, famously washed his hands – an act of cowardice masquerading as neutrality. This moment echoes through history: when good people remain silent, injustice thrives.
Today, India faces its own Pilate moments. Are we willing to stand for what is right, even when it costs us? Or are we content to wash our hands of responsibility while injustice festers?
Rising Intolerance: A Cross to Bear
India has historically prided itself on its diversity and pluralism. But recent years have seen increasing communal polarization and religious intolerance. According to the United Christian Forum, over 525 incidents of violence, intimidation, or harassment against Christians were reported in just the first six months of 2023 – a sharp rise from previous years.
The Pew Research Centre’s 2021 report placed India among countries with the highest levels of religious restrictions and social hostilities. From mob lynchings in the name of religious identity to biased laws that hinder free faith practice, threats to religious minorities have become systemic and alarming.
In this light, the story of Good Friday becomes not just a Christian narrative, but a mirror for the nation’s soul. The crucifixion of Jesus – a man who spoke for the voiceless – asks us to examine whether we are protecting the weak or persecuting them, upholding truth or twisting it for power.
The Constitution and the Cross: A Shared Vision
India’s Constitution, like the Gospel message, begins with a radical declaration of dignity: “We, the people of India…” It promises justice – social, economic, and political. It guarantees freedom of speech, belief, and religion. It affirms equality and the right to dissent. But these ideals are under strain.
The Internet Freedom Foundation reports that India has led the world in internet shutdowns for five consecutive years, often in response to peaceful protests or unrest. Laws restricting conversion and surveillance of religious minorities are increasing. The 2023 Human Rights Watch report highlighted “institutional bias and police complicity” in communal violence.
Good Friday invites India to return to its constitutional roots. Just as Jesus stood with the marginalized and spoke truth to power, the Constitution calls on citizens to uphold justice even when it is unpopular, to defend liberty even when it is inconvenient.
Christian Contributions to India: A Legacy of Nation-Building
The Christian community in India, though a small minority at 2.3% of the population, has played an outsized role in nation-building. From education and healthcare to social reform and disaster relief, Christian contributions are woven into the fabric of the republic.
• Education: Institutions like St. Stephen’s (Delhi), Loyola (Chennai), St. Xavier’s (Mumbai/Kolkata), St. Edmund’s (Shillong) have nurtured generations of leaders across fields.
• Healthcare: Hospitals like CMC Vellore and St. Martha’s (Bangalore) are internationally recognized for excellence in care and ethical practices.
• Social Reform: Visionaries like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Raja Ram Mohan Roy were supported by Christian missionaries in abolishing sati, promoting widow remarriage, and advancing women’s education.
• Freedom Movement: Prominent Christians like K.T. Paul, Dr. Annie Besant, and Bishop V.S. Azariah worked for national unity, communal harmony, and empowerment of the oppressed.
• Relief and Development: Organizations like EFICOR, CASA, Caritas India, World Vision India, NEICORD, and countless churches provide relief during floods, earthquakes, and pandemics. During COVID-19, churches served food, oxygen, and medical aid to thousands.
This legacy is not accidental – it reflects the values of the cross: service, compassion, courage, and inclusion.
The Northeast: A Quiet Testimony of Faith and Resilience
In India’s Northeast, where states like Nagaland (88%), Mizoram (87%), and Meghalaya (75%) have Christian-majority populations, Good Friday is not merely a liturgical event – it is a day of deep personal and public reflection.
Churches hold solemn services, fasting is observed, and silence embraced – not from fear, but as an expression of solidarity and hope for a more just future. Communities continue to grapple with challenges of cultural identity, economic neglect, and political marginalization.
Yet the people of the Northeast consistently model what it means to live with integrity, dignity, and peace. Their quiet faithfulness, commitment to education, and culture of hospitality offer lessons to the rest of the country.
Good Friday in India is not loud – but it is powerful. It bears witness to the pain of being unseen, and the hope of being heard.
Moral Courage in Action: Signs of Resurrection in Our Time
Good Friday, while dark, is not the end of the story. In Christian belief, it is followed by Holy Saturday’s silence and then the Sunday’s resurrection. That pattern – of suffering giving way to hope – is mirrored in the actions of many ordinary Indians today.
· Lawyers take on unpopular cases to defend the rights of the poor and persecuted.
· Journalists report the truth, often at great personal risk.
· Teachers and healthcare workers continue to serve in remote and underserved areas.
· Churches and faith-based organizations run schools for children, shelters for the homeless, and counselling centres for mental health, often without fanfare or recognition.
These acts are modern-day resurrections. They remind us that injustice, however brutal, cannot defeat love. That truth, even when crucified, will rise again.
Good Friday’s Call: A Compass for a Fractured World
As India navigates a time of polarization and uncertainty, the message of Good Friday offers a moral compass: From dominance to service, exclusion to embrace, silence to witness, fear to faith.
We are not merely remembering a historical event. We are invited to live its message – to choose conscience over convenience, walk with the wounded, and believe in redemption’s power.
India’s strength has always come from its moral clarity – its ability to draw from diverse traditions and create unity in diversity. The cross calls us back to that clarity. It reminds us true power lies not in force, but in love. Not in persecution, but in protection.
A National Reflection for All
Good Friday is not just a Christian observance – it is a call to all who care about justice, truth, and the dignity of every human being. In the man on the cross, we see both a victim of state violence and a victor of moral resistance. We see the worst of humanity – and the best of divinity.
In a country as vibrant and diverse as India, the spirit of Good Friday can help renew our commitment to the values we profess: liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice. It challenges us to be courageous citizens, compassionate neighbours, and hopeful healers.
In the end, the cross does not ask us what religion we belong to. It asks: What do we stand for?
Let this Good Friday be a turning point – not just of personal devotion, but of public action. Let it renew in us the courage to love boldly, live truthfully, and serve humbly.
(The Author is a development professional, and analyst and commentator on public-affairs, policies, governance, social justice & religious freedom with extensive experience in global leadership roles, contributing to thought leadership in public policy and social transformation.)