The Catholic Bishops of India have voiced their concern about the increasing hostility Christians face in the country.
Meeting newly re-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last week, a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI ) led by its president Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur, asked for his intervention to stop the violence and harassment of Christians, according to Uca news agency.
Misuse of anti-conversion laws
During the 45-minute meeting, which the bishops described as “cordial”, the four-member delegation presented the leader of the Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) with a memorandum lamenting the misuse of anti-conversion laws and the increasing attacks carried out on Christians under the false pretext of forced conversions.
Discrimination
The memorandum also reiterated the Church’s longtime call on the government to extend the special benefits reserved in India to low cast Dalit people –such as quota in government jobs and educational institutions and financial aid — to Christian Dalit. Christian and Muslim Dalit continue to be excluded from these concessions introduced after the independence of India, on the ground that Christianity and Islam don’t’ not follow the caste system. The Church leaders further asked PM Modi not to stop the government’s special benefits that tribal Christians now receive, as demanded by some Hindu groups. According to these groups Christian tribal people do not follow the tribal religions and so should not be considered tribal once converted.
The memorandum informed Modi about the long absence the absence of Christian representation in the National Commission for Minorities and the National Commission for Minority Educational Institution and asked for the appointment of Christians in these institutions
Undue challenges for Christian NGOs
It also expressed concern over the “undue challenges” Christian NGOs have to face when they have to renew their registration under the FCRA (Foreign Currency Regulation Act) highlighting the Christian community’s significant contributions, particularly in education, healthcare, and social welfare.
Modi’s invitation to Pope Francis to visit India
The memorandum hailed the invitation Modi addressed to Pope Francis to visit India, during the June Outreach session of the G7 Summit in southern Italy and called for continued efforts to accelerate the process of bringing the Pope to India.”
During the meeting the delegation also sought Modi’ intervention in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur where an ethnic violence has raged since May 3, 2023.
The Vatican News
