The difficult challenge of being Christian in India

The current Primer Minister of India, Narendra Modi, was elected one year ago. At the time experts warned that it could have negative consequences for Christians.

Modi had belonged to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an organisation that has provoked incidents in India, among a population where 80% are Hindus.

When he became president in May 2014, many questions arose: will minorities, especially Christians, lose their freedom? Will the new strong man of the country be able to stop the violent radicals with whom he shared ideas?

One year later, those fears have been confirmed. Last February, Christians demonstrated in New Delhi after the attacks on several Christian communities. The police responded by arresting 100 people.

“FACTORIES TO CONVERT HINDUS INTO CHRISTIANS?”

A report from the Christian activist John Dayal pointed out that between January 2014 and March 2015, more than 600 cases of violence against religious minorities that caused the death of 43, have been registered. At least 149 attacks were against Christians.

One of the instigators of this persecution is Munna Kumar Shukla, a Hindu leader who declared publicly that it is not against the law to attack Christian churches, because they are not worship places, but “factories to convert Hindus into Christians.”

NEW GOVERNMENT FACILITATES PERSECUTION

Groups like the National Catholic Report believe that there are evidences which show “a continuous attempt from the Hindu radicals to intimidate Christians”.

Christians (only the 2.3% of the population) denounce that Modi has not clearly responded to these aggressions.

According to Open Doors, India is in the 21^st position of its World Watch List 2015, a place in which living out the Christian faith is more dangerous than in Ethiopia, Egypt or China.