Church attacks show govt impotence

The worst apprehensions of the miniscule Christian community in the country is coming true with five different churches being attacked in the national capital Delhi over the last two months. The initial fears stemmed from the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in general elections last year.

Ideally, the new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have taken steps to allay the fears of the minority communities. Instead, since the coming to power of the BJP-led coalition at the Centre, a series of anti-secular activities has sent shivers up the spine of minorities.

The ‘ghar vapsi’ or the reconversion programmes of the ruling party’s affiliates, communal riots in Delhi, government-backed saffronisation of education and vitriolic anti-minority statements of its elected representatives  have only served to heighten the fears of Christians and Muslims in the country.

The attacks on five churches have not met with any stern action by the government other than run-of-the-mill staid, stock responses which have left Christians cold.  That these attacks and other actions targeting minorities have been noticed around the world was reflected in United States President Barack Obama’s speech during his recent visit where he cautioned against religious violence and said it would come in the way of India’s progress.

That does not seem to have had any effect. What is worrying in particular is the silence of Modi who has not responded to the attacks in any manner. The danger is that the silence can be interpreted by minorities as an uncaring attitude of the government and by those indulging in violence as tacit approval of their actions. Worse, in the case of the latest attack on the St. Alphonsa Church the police dismissed it as robbery when it was amply clear that nothing valuable had been stolen. Rather, materials that were held dear by Christians were vandalised. It took some vigorous media coverage for the state to reluctantly acknowledge it was targeted at the community.

The inability of the Centre to prevent the series of attacks shows either a deliberate reluctance on the part of the ruling dispensation to rein in rogue elements within the Hindutva fold or a genuine admission of impotence.  Whatever the reason, it is time for the government to garner its forces, consult other parties and take the Christian community into confidence with a view to stopping more such attacks.

What is at stake here is the secular ethos of the country and the maintenance of peaceful relations among the various religious communities, where everyone feels comfortable and secure enough to follow what they believe in.