Narendra Modi cautioned against rising attack on Christians

 In a letter to PM, several retired bureaucrats recalled the custody death of Jesuit priest Stan Swamy, and mentioned the judicial appointment of a person 'spewing hatred against Christians'

The letter made no mention of the recent Assembly election results in the Northeast, which returned the BJP and its allies to power in three states, although it did refer to the “well-organised Christian communities” in the region: File picture

Pheroze L. Vincent   |   TT  |  New Delhi   |  05.03.23  : Several retired bureaucrats who have come together under the umbrella of the Constitutional Conduct Group have cautioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the rising attacks on Christians.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the 93 signatories have recalled the custody death of Jesuit priest Stanislaus Lourduswamy, and have mentioned the judicial appointment of a person “spewing hatred against Christians”.

The letter made no mention of the recent Assembly election results in the Northeast, which returned the BJP and its allies to power in three states, although it did refer to the “well-organised Christian communities” in the region.

The Prime Minister had cited the poll outcome to suggest that his party was being embraced by minorities as well.

“Minorities were fearful about the BJP for years but the people of Goa and, now from the Northeast, have exposed such propaganda. The Christians in Nagaland and Meghalaya keep supporting us,” Modi had said after the results were announced on Thursday.

The Constitution Conduct Group’s letter said: “Christians constitute but 2.3 per cent of India’s population, and this percentage has remained more or less the same since the census of 1951.”

“Yet, in the minds of some, this minuscule number poses a threat to the 80 per cent of the population that is Hindu! The principal allegation against Christians is one of forcible conversions, and because of this accusation, they have been subjected to attacks — verbal, physical, and psychological, against both their persons and against their institutions,” the retired bureaucrats said in the letter.

They added: “Jesuit priest, Father Stan Swamy, for no fault of his except that he was closely working with the Adivasis, Dalits and other underprivileged people of Jharkhand, was virtually driven to his death by no less than the State. Churches and homes of tribal and Dalit Christians have been destroyed, graveyards vandalised, educational and health institutions have been attacked and prayer gatherings have been terrorised.

“These attacks have happened primarily in Chhattisgarh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. According to the United Christian Forum, the attacks on Christians increased from 279 in 2020 to 505 in 2021 and to 511 in 2022.”

The letter, the signatories to which include former Delhi lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung and former foreign secretary Sujatha Singh, comes days after the alleged vandalism at a bible stall here, and the arrest of a Christian couple in neighbouring Ghaziabad under Uttar Pradesh’s 2020 anti-conversion law. The letter to the Prime Minister, however, listed only major acts of targeted violence and harassment over the past year. Community groups held a demonstration here against multiple hate crimes last month.

“Ignoring all this, persons spewing hatred against Christians have been appointed to high office, even to the judiciary! As Prime Minister of our country, and all of its people including Muslims, Christians and other religious minorities, and as a leading member of the BJP, we ask you to speak out against these outrageous acts, and to ensure that the police and other officials prevent such incidents from recurring,” the letter said.

L. Victoria Gowri, who was sworn in as an additional judge of Madras High Court last month and was earlier general secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha, is alleged to have made hate speeches against minority communities.

The signatories, formerly of the All India and Central Services, added: “And the arc is swinging visibly from anti-Muslim to anti-Christian, not in one gory riot but in a series of provocations like church vandalism, defiling of statues, beating up worshippers, bogey of conversions, and public calls for genocide from the nation’s capital.

These together with the various anti-conversion laws intimidate and create a climate of fear among Christians and marginalise them.

“This may not be the case in the Northeast, with its well-organised Christian communities, but exhibits itself repeatedly in the rest of the country to achieve partisan political gains.

“All violence can be stopped immediately with just a word from the top leaders of the BJP, the Union government and of each state government.

As former civil servants, we also know that silence will beget only more violence. Christians, like all Indians now, need to be assured of equal and unbiased treatment by the executive and before the law.”

It is imperative that the Prime Minister give them this reassurance, the letter added.