Several rounds of attacks on Christians across the country on the eve of what is the most important event – Christmas – the birth of Jesus Christ reflects a growing culture of intolerance in this country. The Constitution of India guarantees the Right to Freedom of Religion as a fundamental right, enshrined under Articles 25 to 28. Article 25 ensures the freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion, subject to public order, morality, and health. Articles 26 to 28 further reinforce religious autonomy by granting rights to manage religious affairs, freedom from compulsory religious instruction, and protection of religious institutions.
The essence of Christian teaching is not to take revenge for that is the remit of the creator, God. Moreover, Christians number just about 28 million (2011 census) which is a mere 2.3 percent of the population of India so expecting them to fight back or even speak up in a situation where that would invite the wrath of the Hindutva brigade who are patronised by the present government, is expecting too much. The fact that no arrests are made and that the Prime Minister has not said a word to condemn the rampage by Hindu extremist groups is reflective of the tacit support and impunity that such groups enjoy under the present regime. These Hindutva groups are so emboldened that they accuse Christian leaders of conversion. The Constitution allows any religious group to propagate their religion. In other words it means Christians have the right to preach their religion as much as Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Parsis etc., do. So why are Christians being singled out and why is Christianity called a foreign religion when it arrived in India as far back as 52 AD?
Christianity is the largest religion in the states of Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya. Considering that there were attacks on a Christian institution in Assam again by Hindutva goons, it is important for the Christians of the region to speak up as one and make common cause against these attempts to trample on the fundamental right to worship as guaranteed by the Constitution. Keeping silent would only embolden those with the mindset of creating a reign of terror even in India’s North East where they have found patronage. Right wing extremists believe that the Hindu majority have the right to impose their religion even on tribals who were never Hindus before they embraced Christianity. To equate the indigenous faith or a non-belief in any faith as being equal to being Hindu is a misnomer but this is what is being trotted out today. On social media, Hindutva groups label Christians by the offensive moniker of “rice bags” suggesting that Christian missionaries are enticing people to the fold by giving them rice and other goodies. Little do these right wing fundamentalists realise that they have antagonised huge sections of fellow Indians by relegating them to the status of “untouchables?” Why then do they rave and rant when such untouchables embrace a religion where the core teaching is based on love and acceptance? It’s time to demand action against all these vandals.
