Reeling under the continuing clamour from ruling Hindu nationalists for India to be turned into a “Hindu nation”, Christians gave a cautious welcome to President Pranab Mukherjee’s Republic Day message that insisted: “Religion is a force for unity; we cannot make it a cause of conflict.”
“The Indian Constitution is the holy book of democracy. It is a lodestar for the socio-economic transformation of an India whose civilisation has celebrated pluralism, advocated tolerance and promoted goodwill among diverse communities,” asserted Mr Mukherjee, in his customary address to the nation on 25 January, the eve of Republic Day.
“We are happy that the president has spoken out,” said Cardinal Baselios Mar Cleemis, president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). “But that is not enough … The Government is controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We want the Prime Minister to speak out to assuage the fears and anxieties of the Christians and other minorities.”
Mr Modi who assumed office in May following the landslide victory of the Hindu nationalist BJP, is yet to speak out against increasing attacks on Christian targets under his rule.
US President Barack Obama, who was guest of honour at the Republic Day celebrations, quoted Indian constitutional guarantees of “freedom to profess, practise and propagate religion freely”, adding that “upholding freedom of religion is the utmost responsibility of the government”.
Mr Obama left India for Saudi Arabia, to pay his respects on the death of King Abdullah. In Saudi Arabia Christianity and other non-Muslim religions are illegal and any public profession or worship punishable by incarceration or death. Mr Obama made no public comment there about the US ally’s disregard for human rights, its savagery in terms of legally prescribed public beheadings and lashes, or its disregard for any form of religious freedom.
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