India: Prime Minister Attends Christmas Celebrations

Source: FSSPX News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Indian Bishops

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present for the Christmas celebrations at the headquarters of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) on December 23, 2024. However, the gesture sparked mixed reactions in the Christian part of the country. Voices were raised to denounce the persecution suffered by Christians in the country.

“The teachings of Christ celebrate love, harmony, and brotherhood. It is important that we all work to strengthen this spirit. However, I am pained when attempts are made to spread violence and disrupt society,” Narendra Modi said at the event. He even denounced the attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.

He finally added that the Christian community is part of the nation and India will develop and progress rapidly only if every citizen moves forward with others, irrespective of caste, religion, or financial status.

However, on Tuesday, December 31, over 400 Christian leaders and 30 religious groups issued a public appeal to President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, denouncing at least 14 incidents of intolerance by Hindu radicals against Christmas celebrations in different parts of the country.

The signatories to the appeal include evangelical and Methodist bishops, as well as several Jesuits. Hindutva organizations have disrupted Christian gatherings, interrupted a celebration, and even “beaten women and children” under the accusation of “forced conversions.”

The text highlights the alarming trend of increasing intolerance and hostile acts. The figures, still incomplete for 2024, speak of 760 cases recorded by the United Christian Forum. It notes the misuse of anti-conversion laws, growing threats to religious freedoms, increasing hate speech and exclusionary policies that deny Dalit Christians the status of a disadvantaged minority.

The Christian leaders also urge the Prime Minister to play a visible role in promoting peace and reconciliation in Manipur, where violence has claimed more than 250 lives, destroyed 360 churches and displaced thousands of people since May 2023.

On this occasion, a clash emerged between the signatories, who believe that “symbolic gestures do little to address the problem of hatred generated against the community and the resulting targeted violence, harassment, arrests, and incidents of ostracism in several parts of the country,” targeting Modi’s reception by the CBCI.

The bishops defended themselves by explaining that it was important to establish a dialogue with the nation’s Hindu majority. “Christmas is a time when we come together to celebrate the message of peace, love, and goodwill brought to us by the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. This gathering is a powerful symbol of the unity and harmony that defines the spirit of India.”

But it must be admitted that the rest helps to understand the Appel’s reaction: “Mr. Prime Minister, your vision of a united and progressive India echoes the Gospel values ​​of inclusion and service to all,” said Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Thrissur, of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

If we know the real vision of Narendra Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose primary ideology is Hindutva – which could be translated as “India for Hindus” – it is more than surprising to talk about echoing evangelical values. Especially if we remember that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, linked to the BJP, is responsible for many atrocities against Christians.