Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – The Church in India is facing a crisis of aggressions against Christians on two fronts: the civil front, presenting the political authorities with the rights mentioned in India’s Constitution, applicable to all Indian citizens regardless of their faith, and the religious front, seeking the support and consensus of leaders of other religious communities, especially Hindus, in order to stop the activity of fundamentalist groups and remind all people that violence has no place in religion.
Therefore, they are multiplying the initiatives of dialogue and encounter between Hindu and Christians , in an effort to denounce the discriminatory ideology of “hindutva” (“hinduness”) that is promoted by radicalist Hindu groups. The Church hopes to demonstrate that dialogue and mutual respect are the basis of interreligious relations and propose a model of life in which the religious community can work together in building harmony and peace in the Indian nation.
An interreligious demonstration was held yesterday, October 2, in the capital city of New Delhi. There were over 15,000 people present: Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikh, Buddhists, and even politicians and members of various organizations of civil society. They walked and prayed in solidarity with the Christians, in honor of the “Non-Violence Day” which was celebrated on the 139th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.
The leaders and all the participants condemned the anti-Christian violence that is occurring in several states in India and prayed before the monument dedicated to Gandhi. “We are filled with profound sorrow at the attacks against the Christian community,” the religious leaders said, as they asked all those gathered to practice respect, pluralism, freedom of conscience, and reconciliation.
India has a long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence between Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and other religious communities. Even the modern nation, as was the wish of the founding fathers Gandhi and Nerhu, has a secular state, respectful of the rights of individuals, of freedom of conscience and religion.
Thus, the Church affirms the need to continue dialogue, prayer, and bringing reconciliation to all people of good will. The majority of the Hindu faithful, in fact, are open and well-disposed to Christians. The extremists groups are the ones who do not share the common opinion of the people. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 3/10/2008)
