The arrest of two nuns of the Syro-Malabar Church from a railway station in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh at the behest of Bajrang Dal activists has created a sensation. A ticket examiner chanced upon the nuns and a few assistants accompanying them, and raised the suspicion that the two missionaries were attempting religious conversions. The church says the women were only assistants to the nuns and no attempt at conversion was made. It’s no secret that the minorities feel unsafe under BJP rule, which seemingly acts with a pro-Hindu mindset. Naturally, the nuns’ arrest was seen as another ‘provocation’. It has become a practice for governments today to arrest people without first – and prima facie — establishing the likelihood of a law-violation. An allegation by itself does not warrant an arrest. Such arrests happen more under the BJP dispensation, mainly when it comes to situations of religious engagements.
Religious freedom is enshrined in the Constitution. India is a secular nation, unlike Pakistan that is an Islamic republic. The Constitution here guarantees this via Articles 25-28, which give citizens the right to practise, profess and propagate their religion. What is unacceptable is conversion by force. India, has for long been a mosaic of religions. Buddhism thrived here before Hinduism became the main religion. Buddhism today has large numbers of followers in other Asian countries, while Hinduism is a dominant religion in India and Nepal and has pockets of presence elsewhere, like Mauritius, Fiji etc. Admittedly, India is home to Hindus, a stated reason why the pro-RSS outfits are keen on preserving it and averting any challenge to its continued dominance here. Protection and preservation should however not be done in a ham-handed manner. In this context, it would sound curious that the BJP is making concerted efforts to woo Christians in states like Kerala, where they form nearly one-fifth of the population. With large sections of Hindus in the state being under the sway of Communism and Muslims forming a quarter of the population, the BJP is keen on getting Christian support there, as in Goa or Tamil Nadu or the North-East for that matter. Remarkably, while there have been large-scale religious conversions in recent decades in the eastern sector, the tribals there benefited majorly by way of their emancipation. They were brought into the national mainstream with proper education by able help from the missionaries.
Reports like the arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh by a BJP government on somewhat flimsy grounds do not jell well with the party’s outreach to Christians in several states. In Jammu and Kashmir, too, despite the reservations the party’ leadership has against Muslims, the BJP cohabited in power with the pro-Muslim PDP. Overall, the dichotomy is all too pronounced. For the BJP, this is like a circus without a ring. To win power, ideology can wait. On ground, offensives would continue. A problem, however, is that in the long run, the people would see through the games of those who don a double face.
