We must participate in building a greater India—an India where every village has access to education, clean water, healthcare, electricity, dignity and equal opportunity.
India is a nation of extraordinary diversity, rich cultural heritage and great potential. We are proud to be Indians and grateful for the many contributions that have shaped our country. At the same time, we must honestly acknowledge that India continues to face significant challenges in education, healthcare, economic development and infrastructure, particularly in remote and underserved villages. Many communities still struggle to access quality education, clean drinking water, electricity, healthcare and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
India’s development journey has been long and complex. During British colonial rule, certain modern institutions and infrastructure, including railways, roads and educational systems, were introduced or expanded. These developments form part of our history, although they must also be understood in the context of colonial interests and exploitation. Independent India’s progress has been built through the determination, hard work and sacrifices of generations of Indians.
Before and after Independence, Christian missionaries from India and abroad played an important role in reaching some remote and underserved communities. Their mission was to share the Good News of Jesus Christ—His love for humanity and His teachings to love our neighbours, forgive one another, even our enemies, promote reconciliation and build relationships based on compassion, peace and mutual respect. Inspired by these Christian teachings, many missionaries also established schools, hospitals, printing presses and social institutions. In places where public services were limited, these institutions helped expand access to literacy, healthcare and community support. Their contribution deserves fair recognition as one part of India’s wider history of social development—not as the achievement of one group alone, but alongside the work of Indian reformers, local communities, public institutions and other humanitarian organisations.
Education was one significant area of missionary activity. Mission schools in different regions provided structured learning and, in many cases, opened educational opportunities to communities that had been excluded or underserved, including girls and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Institutions such as Serampore College, founded in 1818, and later colleges including Scottish Church College in Kolkata, Madras Christian College and St. Stephen’s College in Delhi became part of India’s educational landscape. Their histories are complex and varied, but they contributed to the growth of modern education and public intellectual life. Missionary educators also supported the development of textbooks, printing and literacy in regional languages. These efforts helped widen access to knowledge, while Indian scholars, teachers and reformers made essential contributions of their own.
Missionary work also intersected with India’s social reform movements. Indian reformers and community leaders challenged caste discrimination, untouchability, gender inequality and other practices that denied people dignity and opportunity. Christian missionaries sometimes joined these efforts, advocating education, care for marginalised people and reforms in particular social contexts. Their institutions could offer alternatives to exclusion, though missionary approaches and their relationship with colonial power were not uniform and should be assessed critically. Social progress was—and remains—a shared endeavour involving Indian reformers, religious traditions, communities, governments and humanitarian organisations.
In several parts of Northeast India, including Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya, Christian missions and local churches became closely connected with the spread of literacy, formal schooling, translation and community institutions. Missionaries worked with local people to develop written forms and educational materials in indigenous languages, while local teachers, translators and leaders shaped the work and carried it forward. Education and church networks contributed to new forms of community organisation and public life. These histories should be told with respect for indigenous agency and culture: transformation was not simply brought from outside, but developed through the decisions, efforts and leadership of local communities.
Healthcare is another lasting area of contribution. Mission hospitals and clinics provided medical services in many regions, including places where access to care was limited. Christian Medical College, Vellore, associated with Dr. Ida Scudder, became an important institution in medical education and patient care. Mission medical workers also helped provide care for women and underserved communities. Their work formed part of a much wider history of Indian doctors, nurses, public health workers and government services. The service of people who cared for patients regardless of background offers an enduring example of compassion in practice.
Missionaries and mission presses also contributed to language study and printing. In several regions, they prepared grammars, dictionaries, translations and printed materials in local languages, often working with indigenous speakers and scholars. These projects helped expand literacy and preserve written records, although oral traditions and language knowledge had long existed within the communities themselves. The history is best understood as collaboration: local knowledge and leadership were central, while printing and educational institutions created new opportunities for its transmission.
India’s past also includes painful social practices and injustices, such as caste discrimination, untouchability, gender inequality and customs that denied people their dignity. Practices such as sati and other forms of violence existed in particular historical and social contexts. Over generations, Indian social reformers, community leaders, religious traditions and humanitarian organisations challenged such injustices. Christian missionaries also contributed to this broader work by promoting education, compassion, forgiveness, human dignity and care for marginalised people. It would be inaccurate to attribute the reform of society to missionaries alone; it was a collective and ongoing struggle.
The teachings of Jesus Christ, especially love, forgiveness, reconciliation and care for the vulnerable, have inspired many people to serve others. Mahatma Gandhi expressed admiration for the Sermon on the Mount, while his philosophy of truth and non-violence was shaped by several Indian and other religious and philosophical traditions. His commitment to non-violence and reconciliation became a powerful moral force in India’s freedom struggle. His life reminds us that differences need not lead to hatred and that lasting change requires courage, compassion and respect for human dignity.
India’s greatness lies in its unity in diversity. Our Constitution guarantees equality, freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of speech and expression. It gives people of different faiths, languages, cultures and communities the opportunity to live together as equal citizens. These constitutional values should not remain only words in a document; they must be reflected in our everyday attitudes and actions.
Today, the values associated with Mahatma Gandhi—truth, non-violence, mutual respect, tolerance and communal harmony—deserve renewed attention, especially among younger generations. We must teach these values at home, in schools, in religious institutions and throughout society. Respecting another person's faith does not weaken our own beliefs; rather, it strengthens the spirit of a peaceful and democratic nation.
As a concerned citizen, I would like to make an appeal: let Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and other religious, charitable and humanitarian organisations come forward to serve India’s unreached and underserved villages. Their efforts should focus on education, healthcare, clean drinking water, sanitation, livelihood opportunities, environmental care and support for poor and vulnerable families. Such service must respect the Constitution, freedom of conscience and the beliefs and choices of local communities. Help should be offered freely, without discrimination, pressure or religious coercion.
India needs more missionaries, teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, volunteers and compassionate leaders who are willing to go where development has not yet fully reached. Religious and community organisations can work alongside village institutions, local people and government agencies. The purpose should be to improve lives, strengthen communities and ensure that no one is left behind.
India does not need more hatred, suspicion or division. We need more people who are willing to serve, understand one another and work together for the common good. Let every religion encourage compassion. Let every community practise forgiveness and mutual respect. Let every organisation contribute to the welfare of the poor and marginalised.
Our responsibility is not merely to celebrate India’s greatness but also to participate in building a greater India—an India where every village has access to education, clean water, healthcare, electricity, dignity and equal opportunity. Whatever our religion, language or background, we share a responsibility to build a peaceful, just and inclusive nation for the next generation.
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(Rev. Dr. A. M. Poangba Konyak is a Ph.D. scholar who describes himself as a concerned citizen of India)