India: Bishops Meet With Modi Over Treatment of Christians
Catholic Bishops meet with Prime Minister Modi to express concerns over the treatment of Christians in India
“If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents.” Job 11:14 ESV.
On 12 July, a four-member delegation from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) met with the newly re-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Led by Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, they voiced the concerns about the treatment of Christians in India.
During the 45-minute meeting, the group requested Prime Minister Modi to intervene to stop the hostility and harassment of Christians.
They presented him with a memorandum outlining the false allegations of forced conversions as well as the misuse of anti-conversion laws against Christians.
As Prime Minister Modi is the leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the delegation expressed concerns that, in parts of the country, hardline Hindu groups have been misusing the anti-conversion laws to file false complaints against Christians.
In 2023, local police in Uttar Pradesh arrested a Christian man, Kailash, and charged him with converting several people to Christianity.
In early July this year, a High Court judge denied Kailash bail and ruled that conversions of this nature are contrary to Article 25 of the Indian Constitution that protects freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion, but not religious conversion.
Such a ruling potentially places many pastors and congregations at great risk if they are seen to be preaching to and converting non-believers.
The CBCI memorandum also reiterated the Catholic Church’s request that special benefits that are offered to the Dalit people be offered to Christian Dalits as well.
The benefits include financial aid and inclusion in quotas for government jobs and educational institutions.
However, Christian along with Muslim Dalits have long been excluded from receiving these benefits, based on the argument that Christianity and Islam do not follow the caste system.
By denying Christian Dalits the same benefits as other Dalits, the government is essentially creating a disincentive for Dalits to choose to be followers of Christ.
Some Hindu groups have even called for tribal Christians to stop receiving other special government benefits.
The memorandum addressed this issue and urged Prime Minister Modi not to surrender to these demands.
The absence of Christian representation on many government committees for minority groups was also noted and concerns over challenges faced by Christian NGOs when renewing their registration were expressed.
Finally, the CBCI urged Prime Minister to expedite the process of arranging Pope Francis’s visit to India. Prime Minister Modi met the Pope at the Vatican in June and invited him to India.
The CBCI felt that the papal visit might serve to improve the situation of Christians in India.
Home Group Prayer:
Dear LORD,
We pray for the Christians living in India, that they may be protected and spared from injustice.
We pray that you will give wisdom to all government officials and authorities in India, so that they will always seek to enact the laws justly and fairly and not discriminate against your people.
We thank you that the Catholic bishops were given an audience with the prime minister and we pray that their words and appeals will be heard and acted upon.
Give strength, wisdom, guidance and protection to all those working to defend the rights of Christians in India at this time.
We ask this prayer in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Materials used by kind permission of the original author.