As a Christian politician, aligning with the BJP is the first contradiction to one’s faith. The BJP’s agenda of Hindutva and Uniform Civil Code are by default anti-Christian. Their agenda to establish One Nation, One Religion by force has been conveniently left out of the narrative. Whether the BJP can establish this or not is another question but lending one’s political weight to push these agendas towards realisation only gravitates the situation, particularly in a state where nearly 90% of the population is Christian.
In 2022, the engine of BJP - the RSS drafted a constitution for a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ with provisions to bar Christians and Muslims from Voting while enjoying all other privileges of normal citizens. How can any citizen be promised to be denied Universal Adult Franchise based on religion? Under the Constitution of India, all citizens are equal with equal rights, duties, and freedoms.
Further, The RSS Chief Shri Mohan Bhagwat during his visit to Shillong claimed that all the inhabitants of India are originally Hindus. In the month of December itself, the BJP Govt of Assam through its police Department ordered the profiling of churches within the state and the patterns of religious conversion being undertaken.
Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion subject to public order, morality, and health. Also, Article 26 gives all denominations the right to manage their own affairs in matters of religion. However, these provisions have come to be considered unlawful in the context of Christians and Muslims. Meanwhile, for Hindus, they have full freedom to exercise these provisions of the Constitution as per the intended application. They have resorted to terming as forced conversions to victimize the churches and missionaries. Today, even peaceful association and worship services are disrupted with violence by applying the term ‘forced conversions’.
After the BJP government since 2014, the number of cases of attacks on Christians and Christian institutions has risen alarmingly. Funding of Christian institutions has also been cut off. We have seen pastors and missionaries assaulted and paraded. The NPCC has voiced out time and again while even the state Govt has remained silent out of fear.
With the BJP’s Manifesto promising implementation of UCC and the Citizenship Amendment Act. Christians and other minorities will be persecuted more and more in times to come.
These are some reasons why Christians should be wary of the BJP’s multi-pronged approach to establish a Hindu Rashtra.
Communication Department, NPCC