by Dr Joycia Thorat and Dr Ranjan Solomon
“Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are Anger and Courage. Anger is about the way things are and expressing the courage to see that they do not remain the way they are”, said St .Augustine of Hippo. The true hallmark of a Christian is holy anger and Christ-like courage. Today in India this is visible only in a handful of citizens irrespective of the faith they affirm and not necessarily all of them are Christians. However, the Christian leadership largely represented by the church hierarchy like Bishops and institutional heads are neither angry nor courageous. Those in Ecclesiastical power who ought to be the voice of justice and truth are quiet have opted for complicity with the political powers-that-be, thus, rendering its prophetic voice feeble. The church’s is stillness and obscurant amidst the growing violence and injustice against the powerless which is antithetical to Christianity and in contrast to the courage of many of our youth leaders. Of the many names that come to mind, there is Umar Khalid, an example of courageous witness to justice. He languishes in jail for alleged involvement in the JNU sedition row.
According to a recent report published by the Pew Research Centre, on the index measuring religion-related hostilities India scored the highest among 198 nations. Indeed, a higher level on the Social Hostilities Index( SHI) indicates greater levels of religion-related harassment, mob violence, terrorism, militant activity, and conflict over religious conversions, or the use of religious symbols and attire. On a scale of 10 India scored 9.3 and scores above 7.2 are considered ‘very high’ on SHI.
Fr. Cedric Prakash one of the few brave and courageous voices from the Christian community in a conversation with the Trinamool Congress ( TMC) Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien in his inimitable way alerted the church to shed its timidity and transform itself with these prophetic words: “The Church leadership in India seems to have missed the bus. Their hearts and ears are not listening to the cries of the millions suffering in the country – particularly the minorities. Even if they are aware of these ground realities, they seem to be totally frightened of the ruling regime to take a visible and vocal stand — just in case the powers bring out the skeletons in the cupboard. All this does not augur well for authentic Christian discipleship in today’s India.” Fr.Prakash calls for grounded leadership and says the church leadership is disconnected from the realities of the suffering people. He goes on to say if churches were to integrate rituals like Sunday mass and festivities with social realities they would be a dynamic voice for justice.
A vibrant church is one that never fears the might of political power when confronted with truth. The church may be diminutive and insignificant in numbers but never loses its power and significance to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’. Church leadership in India is afraid that the church could be punished and demonized. History suggests that the church has often grown stronger under persecution. It is also a test of the vitality of the church and its willingness to fight back against tyranny – not just when the Church is in trouble but standing up for all those who are affected. Rev.Vijayesh Lal General Secretary of Evangelical Fellowship of India with the support of a few Christian leaders initiated an open letter to the president of India, copied to the Prime Minister and various Chief Ministers which needs a mention here https://radiancenews.com/christian-leaders-launch-letter-campaign-against-continued%20persecution/. Bishop Peter Machado is yet another bold and sane voice among the Christian leadership.
O’Brien offers the church an agenda to make government accountable that constitutes valuable initiation points. He questions, for example, what possible rationale there is for confusing a major Christian religious celebration Christmas Day with “Good Governance Day”? Why is the FCRA being weaponized to specifically target institutions run by the Christian community when its work significantly benefitted the majority of vulnerable populations, in the main, (not only Christians). Moreover, the workforce of Christian NGOs is largely of other faiths. When the government is expected to be even-handed, the question is being asked: Why has Manipur been shunted to the back burner? What really will the anti-conversion laws achieve that violates Fundamental Rights under Articles 14, 15, and 25 of the Constitution? Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan are all affected. Though religious conversion is neither a priority nor what the authors of the law ascribe to, it is a fundamental right of any citizen to follow their heart as per the constitution.
These are questions and issues that Church leaders who interacted with PM Modi at the recent Christmas gathering should have raised. Instead, they were satisfied with the ‘public relation opportunity’ it generated. Some were naïve enough to deem the meeting as an opportunity for dialogue. Others were sceptical especially at a juncture when the discrimination of Christians, minorities and vulnerable groups is so stark. Between the years 2014-2024 alone, which coincides with the decade that the BJP has held power, the discrimination and harrying were deliberate and our PM Modi turned a blind eye.
Wouldn’t it be heartening to see the PM visiting Manipur to show solidarity with the affected, where a political fire continuously rages against the Kuki Community who are largely Christians? During the same period, the PM has made an umpteen number of foreign trips, thus indirectly expressing he has no time for his own citizens. Also, as India continues to side with Israel, we as a nation have contributed to killing scores of innocent Palestinian children and women. We have helped drive Christians living in Palestine away from Bethlehem a holy land for Christians. India is brokering peace around the globe selectively when our own backyard is burning.As citizens of this great nation that stands for ‘’Vasudeiva Kudumbagam” (the world is my family), we must rightfully ask these questions to our honourable Prime Minister. As the elected leader he is answerable to these valid questions to citizens who live in loyalty to our constitution which upholds the rights of every citizen.
Prominent citizens and civil society leaders like Annie Raja, Shabnam Hashmi,Abha Bhaiya, Pamela Philipose,Tushar Gandhi, John Dayal, Fr.Cedric Prakash, A.C .Michael, have expressed their deep disappointment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG3f9ZOSbGI over the meeting of Bishops and Church leaders with the PM without doing justice to the oppressed citizens whom they are to represent. Rather, it has legitimized the government’s inaction against persecution of minorities and vulnerable communities. It is time that those in the hierarchy who know too little about what happens outside the palaces where the Bishops and the top brass of the Church live are made accountable. They must know they are being watched. Christians must refuse to be represented by leaders who they have not endorsed. This meeting must, therefore, be called out for what it is – a reprehensible betrayal of the Church by those who claim to be its leaders. “Not in my name” is the slogan that all clergy and Christian laity who follows the true Christ should shout out.
India gained its independence when Christians were roughly 2.3% of the country’s population. That figure stands unaltered after 76 years. What has so radically changed that Christians are suddenly suspect for their sense of loyalty to the nation when they have served it (and still do) selflessly for centuries? From where do the allegations of large-scale conversions emanate? The same unfounded fears drive the Waqf Bill too creating a minority versus minority situation, especially in Kerala. Why do fringe elements on the Hindu Right get away with hate speeches and rough and ready communal slurs, while those who claim justice get incarcerated?
Muslims are demonized when living experiences will easily attest to their loyalty to India. As compared to 231.6 million Muslims in Pakistan, India has 204 million Muslim people. Muslims had a choice to migrate to Pakistan at the time of Partition but chose to live with their sisters and brothers in India as loyal Indians in secular India.
The rich contribution of Muslim revolutionaries to literary, cultural, and political endeavors, poets, and writers is well documented in the history of India’s struggle for independence. Titumir raised a revolt against the British Raj. Abul Kalam Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai are other Muslims who engaged in this endeavor. Ashfaqulla Khan of Shahjahanpur conspired to loot the British treasury at Kakori (Lucknow).Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (popularly known as “Frontier Gandhi”) was a noted nationalist who spent 45 of his 95 years of life in jail.
Women played a significant part too. Women played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle, exemplifying courage and determination in the anti-colonial struggle. Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, the first women to be a freedom fighter led armed revolts against the British, becoming symbols of resistance. Figures like Bi Amma, Begum Hazrat Mahal, and Aruna Asaf Ali demonstrated immense courage and dedication, participating in protests, marches, and political activities to further the cause of independence. Sarojini Naidu was one of the major figures to have led the Civil disobedience Quit India Movement. As retribution, she faced repeated arrests by the British authorities during the time and even spent over 21 months (1year 9months) in jail. Like all freedom fighters faced harsh consequences. They too faced torture by police, stood by their male counterparts, spread the idea of liberal nationalism and were also members of various revolutionary organisations.
Indian struggles for freedom from an unjust colonial power were gender inclusive and always combined people of different faiths to achieve their common goals.
Contemporary Christian leaders including Cedric Prakash, John Dayal, A C Michael, Annie Raja, and their ilk are a rare tribe in the church who has relentlessly sought to push the church into the terrain of public witness in its fullest sense. They are saying to everyday Christians that Christian Mission belongs to God, and we must listen to what God calls us. Mission has been left aside and self-interest and self-aggrandizement is the larger preoccupation of the Church leaders. Levels of corruption are astounding with important leaders finding themselves jailed for crimes of unaccountability. Questions of justice have been put aside and including grave issues of casteism, ethnic exclusion, poverty and marginalization, jobless growth, violence against women, child labour and sex trade in tourism, trafficking of vulnerable women, exploitation of workers, farmer’s suicides, pollution, lopsided industrial policies, climate crisis and a host of such major issues that mark the contours of our nation.
In rapid strides, the church is sliding into irrelevance. Good governance and value based Leadership is almost absent within the Indian ecclesia and its institutions.
The church can take its signature/tagline from the Prophet Micah: God obliges us to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. Atheists and people of different faiths and ideologies who are fighting caste, class, and degradation of human life and ecology in any form would say much the same thing in language that they are familiar with. In the end, we are all driven by our common humanity to build a just world.
Or as Karl Marx often expressed this idea as a collective aspiration: “From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs” implying the incontrovertible obligation for the fair distribution of goods, services, opportunities, and capital in a just society.
Here are powerful words from Bishop Don Tonino Bello: “We cannot be content to hope. We have to organize hope”
Dr. .Joycia Thorat is a development consultant, and human rights defender.
Dr. Ranjan Solomon is a human n rights defrender and free lance writer.
