Tolerance or division – the choice for India now couldn’t be clearer

As the dust settles from India’s recent elections, the Christian community, numbering approximately 71 million, braces for what many fear will be an even more challenging future. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing another term, the anxiety among Christians is palpable. In my work with Open Doors, an organization dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians worldwide, I’ve observed the escalating threats and violence of recent years. The urgent question now is whether the new government will listen to our pleas for protection and basic fairness.

India, renowned for its cultural and religious diversity, has seen this rich tapestry increasingly torn by religious intolerance. Over the past decade, there has been a marked rise in the persecution of Christians, a fact underscored by India’s prominent placement in Open Doors' World Watch List, an annual ranking of nations where Christians face stiffest persecution and discrimination. Sadly, the rise of Modi and the BJP has only emboldened extremist groups, resulting in more frequent and severe attacks on Christians.

Christians representation in India’s governance remains scant. This lack of representation leaves Christians vulnerable, as their concerns and needs are often overlooked in the political arena. However, during the elections, churches across India have been encouraged their members to vote and held continuous prayer chains for fair elections.

Even as the elections were underway, violence against Christians persisted. In Manipur, extremists violently disrupted polling, killing members of the Christian Kuki people and displaying their dismembered bodies.

This horrific intimidation was indicative of a broader trend of aggression against Christians in many states of India, particularly in the North and Central regions. Pastors are regularly falsely accused of forceful conversion and imprisoned, church services are violently disrupted, and Christian homes and livelihoods set ablaze in rioting. Thousands of churches have been shut down and hate speech against Christians has become increasingly bold and pervasive.

Entire communities live under the constant threat of violence. In tribal areas, Christians face forced re-conversion to Hinduism under the threat of losing government benefits.

The BJP, with its ideological ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) paramilitary group, promote a vision of India as a uniformly Hindu nation, marginalizing religious minorities. This Hindutva ideology, which views any non-Hindu religion as foreign, fuels the hostility against Christians. Moreover, the persistence of casteism in some states exacerbates this persecution, as Christianity’s message of equality challenges deeply entrenched social hierarchies.

In the past ten years, the systematic nature of these attacks has become more pronounced. Twelve states now have anti-conversion laws, with four of these states enacting such laws within the last decade. The laws purportedly seek to prevent attempts to convert Hindus to another faith by coercive means. However, it is ripe for abuse. The simplest act of Christian worship, even in private homes, can be disrupted and labelled as illegal conversion activity.

Meanwhile, the uniform civil code, aimed at creating a single set of laws for all citizens, threatens to override religious laws and further marginalize religious minorities.

In states like Manipur, the situation is particularly dire. The ongoing violence and the demand for separate administration by the Kuki tribe highlight the deep-seated unrest. If the BJP continues its current trajectory, the violence in Manipur and other states is likely to intensify.

What Christians in India seek from the new government is straightforward: a return to the secular principles enshrined in the constitution. India must be a place where all religions can coexist peacefully, where religious tolerance is upheld, and where people can practice their faith without fear. This requires the government to enforce laws protecting religious freedom, hold perpetrators of religious violence accountable, and promote interfaith dialogue to foster mutual respect and understanding.

International advocacy is also crucial. The global Christian community, human rights organizations, and foreign governments must continue to highlight the plight of Christian minorities in India and pressure the government to uphold its commitments to religious freedom.

It appears that the current focus on India as a pre-eminently Hindu nation has not helped to win the overwhelming majority the BJP had expected. One can only hope that this will offer a rare moment of reflection. Will India choose the path of intolerance and division, or will it embrace its heritage of pluralism and democracy? As Christians, we hope and pray for a future where all citizens, regardless of their faith, can live without fear. It is only through compassion, justice, and a reaffirmation of secular values that India can truly thrive as a diverse and united nation.

Priya Sharma (name changed for security reasons) partners with Open Doors in India, supporting victims of persecution and providing trauma counselling.