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ASIA/INDIA - BJP accuses Church of alleged “illegal mass conversions”: Christians tell Fides their response
09-11-2009
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - The Baratiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party currently the opposition party in the Indian federal government but that does govern several Indian states, continues to spread rumors regarding the Catholic Church and Christians in India, making accusations of alleged "illegal mass conversions," and spreading hate towards Christians, causing more violence and attacks. This is the alert that has been launched through Agenzia Fides by the Church in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, two important states of central India, where there continues to be violence and damage suffered by Christian communities.
In a dialogue with Agenzia Fides, Fr. Anand Muttungal, spokesman for the Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, describes the troubling episode that has caused concern and shock among Christians.
The National President of the BJP, Parliament member Shri Rajnath Singh, in intervening in a recent public encounter in Bhopal (capital of Madhya Pradesh), attended by leaders of various religions, stigmatized the "mass conversions illegally carried out by Christians in India, especially in the northeast," which he says accounts for the "conversion of 30% of the tribal populations of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand." According to the leader, they should be stopped in whatever way possible, even if it means changing the Constitution, in order to stop this "systematic use of illegal means for mass conversions."
The local Church responds to such affirmations, saying they are false and unfounded. "If that were so, it would be a bad sign for the entire nation, and the entire country would be trying to find signs of illegal conversions," Fr. Anand tells Fides. "A police report would have to be filed and such coversions decried."
However, the aim is quite different. "They are using this issue of the conversions for purely electoral motives, to win over the Hindus," Fides was informed by the spokesman, who has himself written an official letter to the President of the BJP. The fruits of this hate campaign continue for all to see: "In the churches of Madhya Pradesh, in prayer centers, institutes, Christians suffer brutal attacks from fundamentalists and their associations...The government does nothing to stop them. Such unfounded and unacceptable claims should be stopped and denounced."
The BJP leader added that according to a cliché of the ideology of Hindutva, "the foreigners are using religion to infiltrate into the Indian culture. This is a real threat to national security."
The Christian community responds to such claims by reminding the BJP of all that the faithful and the Christian institutions of India do: "We serve the nation with a great commitment to education, health, and human development. Many Hindus, including members of the BJP, were educated in Catholic institutions. We wish to remind the BJP that India's Constitution guarantees liberty of religion, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression. This also implies the freedom to change and embrace a different religion or ideology." (PA) (Agenzia Fides 6/11/2009)
http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=25334&lan=eng
