A Catholic archbishop has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to walk his talk at the recent Christmas celebration in his residence.
The prime minister had invited representatives of various Christian denominations for the December 25 celebration. Present among the invitees were Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, and Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi.
Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore, who was not present, welcomed the prime minister’s “wonderful gesture” of speaking about the Christian community in a complimentary, positive, and favorable manner.
The 69-year-old prelate, president of Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops’ Council and the All Karnataka United Forum for Human Rights, also noted that the premier had used “glowing terms” to praise Christians’ contributions to the freedom movement and its current role in the social service activities, besides education and health fields.
“It was beautiful to hear from our Prime Minister that Jesus’ life was a message that is centered on compassion and service. No wonder the people were full of praise for the prime minister, who acknowledged the best in Christianity and, for which, he merits the highest praise from the Christian Community,” adds the December 28 statement from the archbishop.
He wants the prime minister to address the concerns of the Christian community by taking into confidence its leaders.
“Instances of hate speeches against Christians, attacks on churches and institutions, promulgation of Anti-Conversion Laws in more and more states have led to deprivation and usurpation of the constitutional rights of Christians, which can be best handled by the Prime Minister’s Office with timely interventions,” suggests Archbishop Machado.
He says Christians look up to the prime minister to “give a soothing touch to the burning problem of Manipur, which may be an ethnic issue, but has left deep scars on the Christian community.”
Manipur in northeastern India has been battered by violence since May 3.
Archbishop Machado also wants the premier to take Christian leaders into confidence in resolving the Dalit Christian reservations issue “in a statesmanship type of leadership by granting equal status to all Dalits, be they Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians.”
On the same day, leaders of several civil rights groups noted the irony that the 2023 summer began with attacks on Christians in Manipur and ended with religious leaders felicitating the prime minister on Christmas for his great contribution to the welfare of Christians and others in the country.
They point out that Christians, including bishops and clergy, had throughout the year pleaded with the prime minister to visit Manipur, which they said is the site of the greatest communal crimes and human tragedy since Gujarat 2002 and Kandhamal, Orissa 2008.
“Perhaps he could not find the time, leaving to his home minister and the state’s chief minister who the people allege has been casual in tackling the genocide, if not complicit it by patronizing the criminal think private militias,” says a statement from Apoorvanand, John Dayal, Mary Scaria a lawyer nun, A C Michael, Minakshi Singh, Shabnam Hashmi.
Following is the statement from the leaders:
New Delhi, 29 December 2023
Civil Society and the Christian community in India note the irony of the year 2023 where summer began with the burning of churches and the killing of Christians in the valley of Imphal in Manipur and ended with religious leaders felicitating the Prime Minister on Christmas for his great contribution to the welfare of this small community, and the county at large.
Throughout the year, the Christian community, including its Bishops and clergy, had been pleading with the prime minister to visit Manipur, the site of the greatest communal crimes and human tragedy since Gujarat 2002 and Kandhamal, Orissa 2008. Perhaps he could not find the time, leaving to his home minister and the state’s chief minister who the people allege has been casual in tackling the genocide, if not complicit it by patronising the criminal think private militias.
Despite the intervention of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India, the only thing that has happened is the cremation and burial of the bodies of the Kuki Zo which had been rotting in various Imphal hospitals. Fifty thousand Kuki-Zo-Hmar people continue to live in harsh conditions in refugee camps run by various church groups.
As human rights activist Harsh Mander has noted in his letter to Members of Parliament this month after yet another visit to the state, the human disaster continues to loom large over especially women and children. Unemployment and malnourishment stalk the hills, and private armies rule the highways. There is no administration in the hills.
But it is not about Manipur alone. The persecution of the community is rampant, and hate towards it from the highest quarters of nationalist religious leadership is as deep as it can be. The government seems keen to starve it out of existence by withdrawing the FCRAs [Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) of a vast number of churches and its NGOs, and using the investigating agencies against cardinals and bishops, pastors and lay people. In UP, for instance, nearly 100 pastors and even ordinary men and women are in jail under charges of illegal conversions when all they were doing was celebrating birthdays or conducting Sunday prayers.
Every international and national human rights body has indicted India for its treatment of religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians. The Indian group include Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, well respected coalition that audits the governments performance vis a vis its promises.
The United Christian Forum has in its annual report said two incidents of prosecution take place a day in the country.
Apart from prosecution, arrests, and the crisis of schools and other institutions, the massive social issue of the Dalit Christians remains. The Modi government’s spokespersons have been particularly harsh on it.
The Prime minister is not only free but duty-bound to embrace the nation’s religious minorities and invite their leaders to functions at his house on Christmas and important days. We remember when Christmas carols were a part of the Rashtrapati Bhawan Calendar. Similarly, as citizens, bishops and cardinals and others too are duty-bound to felicitate their political leaders and rulers.
But the Christmas spirit must not let us forget the conditions and tribulations of our brothers and sisters who suffer because of government impunity and the brazen political elements who have no respect for the Constitution of India and its guarantees of freedoms to the citizens.
We wish our countrymen greetings of the Christmas season and the coming new year.
