On December 29, 2023, a group of activists, including prominent members of the Christian community held a press conference in the national capital of Delhi. During the conference, they highlighted an irony about the passing year. “The summer began with the burning of churches and the killing of Christians in the valley of Imphal in Manipur and ended with religious leaders felicitating the Prime Minister on Christmas for his great contribution to the welfare of this small community, and the county at large,” they said.
The press conference was attended by activists Shabnam Hashmi and Apoorvanand, Sister Mary Scaria, a nun and an advocate, evangelical activist Minakshi Singh, AC Michael, president of the Delhi Catholic Federation and John Dayal, former president of the All India Catholic Union (AICU).
The press meet was called to address the concerns regarding the Christmas gathering called by PM Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi, which was attended by senior clergymen of the Christian community.
While admitting that the PM is duty bound to embrace the nation’s religious minorities and invite their leaders to functions at his house on Christmas and important days, the activists said that “the Christmas spirit must not let us forget the condition and tribulations of our brothers and sisters who suffer because of government impunity and the brazen political elements who have no respect for the Constitution of India and its guarantees of freedom to the citizens”.
They were referring to the violence in Manipur, where members of the Christian community were subjected to massive attacks and violence, leaving several hundred dead since the ethnic clashes began in May last year.
Speaking to TNM, 76-year-old John Dayal, who is also a former member of the National Integration Council (NIC), said that not a single Christian leader who attended PM Modi’s Christmas feast raised the issue of Manipur. “Not just Manipur, the persecution of the Christian community across India is rampant and is increasing with each passing day. Why didn’t any of the bishops or clergymen raise the issue of attacks on Dalit Christians or land being taken away from tribal Christians? Instead of raising these issues, they kept heaping praises on the PM,” lambasts John Dayal.
Prominent names from the Christian community in India who attended the event include Oswald Gracious, the Indian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest denomination among Indian Christians, Paul Swarup, the Delhi bishop of the Church of North India, Anil Couto, the archbishop of Delhi and Roby Kannanchira, the director of the Chavara Cultural Centre, a Kochi-based Catholic cultural institution.
‘Not in my name’
The meeting of the bishops with the PM drew sharp criticism, especially down south in Kerala, where state Minister Saji Cherian lashed out at the bishops for not raising the issue of Manipur violence during the event.This also prompted several voices from the Catholic community including John Dayal and two Jesuit priests - Father Cedric Prakash and Father Prakash Luis, to launch a signature campaign titled “Not in Our Name! Christmas Celebrations with PM is Not in Our Name” which called for Christians to sign and send out a message that the community is against the politics of hate.
A campaign note by the organisers said that the “Christian community have been disturbed by the Christmas Gathering called by the PM, the participation of 'so-called leaders' and their praise of Modi, especially their silence on the incidents of violence against Christians across India, which has seen sharply increasing since 2014.”
Difference of opinion
While the campaign is said to have garnered over 3,000 signatures in a week, it also attracted criticism from some within the community like Father Roby CMI of the Delhi Centre of Syro Malabar Catholic Church.
In a letter to the Conference of Religious India (CRI), which is a society of catholic nuns and priests of Jesuits, CMI, etc, Father Roby said that he was “shocked and surprised” to know about a signature campaign against the participation of bishops and other Christian representatives in the Christmas celebration organised by the Prime Minister.
“It's true that we are all very much concerned about the Manipur violence and other incidents against Christians in different parts of our country. But the celebration of Christmas at the PM's residence was not the right occasion to discuss it with the PM. Let the leaders of our Church find a suitable time to discuss our grievances with him. In fact, this celebration can be the beginning of further discussions and interactions. Why should we close such doors of open dialogues?” said Father Roby.
Father Roby also went on to urge members of the CRI not to be signatories in the campaign.
Father Anand Mathew, a member of the Indian Mission Society (IMS), in his reply to Father Roby, asked him if he actually felt that the Christmas gathering organised by the PM was part of an open dialogue. “We haven't forgotten his visit to the Delhi Cathedral on Easter day where an opportunity for dialogue was denied, perhaps on the pretext of protocol,” the letter by Father Anand said.
In his response letter, Father Anand listed various instances of atrocities committed ever since the Modi Government came to power in 2014. “He (PM Modi) spoke to you about his good relationship with the Christian community, the importance of Christmas etc. Are you aware that even on Christmas day Christians who gathered to pray were attacked and imprisoned in Uttar Pradesh? Today, there are 51 innocent Christians languishing in the jails of UP alone (also in Chhattisgarh, MP and Haryana) including three Catholics, on false charges of conversion. A priest of the Catholic diocese of Varanasi was in jail for four and half months, and another priest of Allahabad diocese for 81 days, both on totally false charges,” the letter said.
Some of the prominent Christian activists that TNM reached out to regarding the issue alleged that many leaders were invited to the gathering with the help of Christian BJP members from Kerala namely Tom Vadakkan, Alphonse Kannanthanam and Anil Antony.