Not just Muslims, Christians too are not safe from the saffron terrorists in India. Mobs attacked Christmas celebrations across the so-called world’s largest democracy, with reports ranging from disruption of Christmas mass to the destruction of a statue of Jesus Christ. Several cases of burning of Santa Claus effigies were also reported. While cases were registered in a few incidents, there have been several reports of the police refusing to lodge FIRs despite video and photographic evidence, especially in BJP-run states.
Unsurprisingly, state and central government spokespeople have failed to condemn the attacks.
But why would they? After all, these attacks come mere days after Hindutva groups allied with the BJP and RSS held a conference where speakers called for massacring Muslims and other minorities. While an FIR was registered, event organiser Yati Narsinghanand and others remain free as police ‘investigate’. We should add that the case only named one former Muslim who converted to Hinduism alongside several ‘unidentified’ persons, even though video evidence of the speakers is circulating on social media. Incidentally, police are still ‘investigating’ dozens of incidents over the past few years in which Narsinghanand has called for “eliminating” Muslims.
The increase in violence against India’s minorities since Modi came to power has been coupled with a spate of anti-minority legislation. Apart from the better-known discriminatory laws at the federal level, several Indian states have passed or are considering anti-conversion laws that are in blatant violation of freedom of religion rights enshrined in the Indian constitution. Rights activists have also noted that there is no evidence of mass conversions, which is the main ‘threat’ that the laws take aim at.
Dr John Dayal, a former president of the All India Catholic Union, said the attacks on Christians were linked to the attacks against Muslims. He also noted that these are not individual acts of aggression but a larger structural issue. When we see that state agencies arrest the pastor instead of people who attack him, what else can we make of?
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2021.
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