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Christians are targeted in India
By Kul B. Rai
Christianity, the second oldest religion in India, has been practiced there since the first century. A small minority with less than 2.5 percent of India's population of more than 1.2 billion and with little economic or political power, Christians long have been tolerated by the dominant Hindus who constitute 80 percent of the population.
Since last May, however, when Bharatiya Janata Party, commonly known by its acronym BJP, won the parliamentary election, Christians have felt persecuted by the militant Hindus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of BJP, unfortunately has been ambivalent.
Modi has a record of bringing prosperity to the people of the Indian state of Gujarat, where he was the chief minister for more than 10 years.
He advocated encouraging private investment and simplified tax policy, and remains popular because he has delivered on his campaign promise of improving economic growth rate in India. The World Bank recently predicted India will replace China in two years as the fastest-growing economy of the world.
The popularity of Modi has emboldened his supporters to attempt to realize their dream of making India a Hindu country. They have beaten Christians, burned churches, and attempted to convert Christians to Hinduism by coercion and promise of monetary rewards.
Some members of Modi's government have made outrageous statements. One minister suggested that for the sake of national identity, all Indians should be called Hindus.
Another said all non-Hindus should be considered illegitimate. Modi has done little to reassure the religious minorities such statements are unacceptable in the secular society India claims to be.
In the past, the Hindu wrath was primarily directed against Muslims, who are 14 percent of India's population. Christians, however, are an easy target, since they are a much smaller and less organized minority.
Hindu resentment against Christians is not new and is chiefly based on the Hindu opposition to conversion of Hindus to Christianity.
In the past, such resentment seldom erupted in violence. Modi's government has ushered in an unfortunate era in India.
In 1998, when BJP came to power as the head of a coalition government, Christians were targeted by militant Hindus. However, the leader of the BJP at that time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was considered moderate in his views on religion. The violence against Christians, while ugly for some time, subsided.
Modi is very different from Vajpayee. He built his political career on the basis of his work in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, called RSS, a militant Hindu organization. Most of its members do not believe in a secular society.
Fortunately, the news media and many Hindus have strongly reacted against the treatment of Christians. As a result, Modi finally took some action. He met with Delhi's police commissioner in the middle of February, and urged him to arrest those responsible for violence against the Christians.
Modi clearly has been ambivalent on the issue of persecution of Christians. It is difficult to predict when Christians will feel safe again in India.
Kul B. Rai, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus of political science at Southern Connecticut State University.
Christians are targeted in India Republican American
By Kul B. Rai
Christianity, the second oldest religion in India, has been practiced there since the first century. A small minority with less than 2.5 percent of India's population of more than 1.2 billion and with little economic or political power, Christians long have been tolerated by the dominant Hindus who constitute 80 percent of the population.
Since last May, however, when Bharatiya Janata Party, commonly known by its acronym BJP, won the parliamentary election, Christians have felt persecuted by the militant Hindus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of BJP, unfortunately has been ambivalent.
Modi has a record of bringing prosperity to the people of the Indian state of Gujarat, where he was the chief minister for more than 10 years.
He advocated encouraging private investment and simplified tax policy, and remains popular because he has delivered on his campaign promise of improving economic growth rate in India. The World Bank recently predicted India will replace China in two years as the fastest-growing economy of the world.
The popularity of Modi has emboldened his supporters to attempt to realize their dream of making India a Hindu country. They have beaten Christians, burned churches, and attempted to convert Christians to Hinduism by coercion and promise of monetary rewards.
Some members of Modi's government have made outrageous statements. One minister suggested that for the sake of national identity, all Indians should be called Hindus.
Another said all non-Hindus should be considered illegitimate. Modi has done little to reassure the religious minorities such statements are unacceptable in the secular society India claims to be.
In the past, the Hindu wrath was primarily directed against Muslims, who are 14 percent of India's population. Christians, however, are an easy target, since they are a much smaller and less organized minority.
Hindu resentment against Christians is not new and is chiefly based on the Hindu opposition to conversion of Hindus to Christianity.
In the past, such resentment seldom erupted in violence. Modi's government has ushered in an unfortunate era in India.
In 1998, when BJP came to power as the head of a coalition government, Christians were targeted by militant Hindus. However, the leader of the BJP at that time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was considered moderate in his views on religion. The violence against Christians, while ugly for some time, subsided.
Modi is very different from Vajpayee. He built his political career on the basis of his work in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, called RSS, a militant Hindu organization. Most of its members do not believe in a secular society.
Fortunately, the news media and many Hindus have strongly reacted against the treatment of Christians. As a result, Modi finally took some action. He met with Delhi's police commissioner in the middle of February, and urged him to arrest those responsible for violence against the Christians.
Modi clearly has been ambivalent on the issue of persecution of Christians. It is difficult to predict when Christians will feel safe again in India.
Kul B. Rai, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus of political science at Southern Connecticut State University.
Christians are targeted in India Republican American
