More than 3,000 Indian Christians from all walks of life representing every section of society have endorsed a statement distancing themselves from the Christmas celebration hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They have signed a statement, “Not In Our Name,” targeting the Christian representatives at the celebration “who thanked the prime minister profusely for many things,” while ignoring the “hard truth” that the premier and his government have “consistently disregarded their constitutional mandate, be it to the minorities, the Adivasis, the Dalits, the backward castes, the farmers, laborers, or migrants.”
The full text of the January 4 statement:
Not In Our Name!
Christmas Celebration with the PM is Not in Our Name!
We are in the Christmas Season: a time when we are all called to internalize and actualize the gifts of joy, love, peace, truth, justice, and hope that Jesus our Saviour offers to us!
Today we also need to take legitimate pride in the fact that Christians in India have contributed significantly to the country: in the freedom struggle, as members of the Constituent Assembly, and ever since independence, in every sphere of public life particularly in the educational, medical, social, cultural and political sectors. The services of the Christian community to the poor and marginalized, the excluded and the exploited, irrespective of caste and creed, are unparalleled in the nation today. This fact has been duly and consistently acknowledged by citizens from all walks of life.
However, in the recent past, particularly since 2014, Christians in India have been victims of continued attacks and vilification from members of the ruling regime, all over the country. Christians and Christian schools and institutions have been hounded and harassed, their places of worship destroyed, they have been denied their ordinary rights as citizens, and been subject to denigration and demonization. The anti-conversion laws that have been put into place in BJP-ruled States are used as weapons against the fundamental right to preach, practice, and propagate one’s religion. Celebrations in schools have been stopped and Christians have been arrested without any warrant and put behind bars for no offence of theirs.
Since May 3, 2023, the Christians of Manipur have been subjected to constant attacks that continue unabated and with apparent approval from the BJP Governments both in the State and at the Centre.
In the wake of all this, it is ironic that the Prime Minister hosted around 100 Christian representatives of different denominations on Christmas morning for a celebration. While it is certainly within his right as Prime Minister to host a reception for whomsoever he wishes one naturally would question the intention of this reception when he has not condemned a single attack on the Christians, under his Prime Ministership.
Interestingly, while he praised Jesus Christ and waxed eloquent about the services of the Christian community, he did not share remorse or empathy for the situation of the Christians in the country today.
Those invited to the Christmas reception were a select group of Christians. While the invitation was from the Prime Minister, here was an opportunity for them to courteously decline the invite in light of what has been happening to the Christians in Manipur and elsewhere.
Hence, their acceptance of this invite was not in our name!
The Christian representatives, who spoke, thanked the Prime Minister profusely for many things. The hard truth is that the prime minister and his government have consistently disregarded their constitutional mandate, be it to the minorities, the Adivasis, the Dalits, the backward castes, the farmers, laborers, or migrants.
Hence, their gratitude to the prime minister was not in our name.
When these Christian representatives spoke at the reception, they were giving tacit approval to the omission and commission of this government.
Hence, their words were not in our name!
India today fares extremely badly on every global index be it in the economic, educational, health, or social sphere. By their lack of prophetic courage to highlight the grim realities in the country today, these Christian representatives publicly betrayed the Gospel of Jesus and His values of truth, justice, joy, love, dignity, and peace.
Through their culpable silence, they failed to uphold the values enshrined in the Constitution of India.
Hence, their silence was not in our name!
Today we the Christians of India together with conscious and committed citizens pledge to protect and promote the Constitution, Country, and Citizens of India and to work with and work for all those who are victims of an unjust, insincere, and authoritarian regime.
Among the signatories were Member of Parliament Derek O’Brien, M G Devashayam, a retired Indian Administrative Service officer, John Shilsi, a retired Indian Police Service officer, Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, a leading laywoman theologian, Flavia Agnes, a renowned advocate, journalists Pamela Philipose and John Dayal, and Rome-based Jesuits Father M K George and Xavier Jeyaraj and their India-based conferrers Prakash Louis and Cedric Prakash.
