Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – A victory for the Hindu nationalist party “Bharatiya Janata Party” (BJP) in the elections taking place, could lead to a fundamentalist drift in India and the establishment of a kind of Hindu-style “Talibanization” in the country. This is what the Bishops of India have affirmed, as they look with concern on the resurgence and growth of the Taliban in nearby Pakistan. In this month in which India is celebrating the great event of the political elections (see Fides 17/4/2009), the Indian Bishops through their spokesman Fr. Babu Joseph, are warning believers and the entire population of the danger that this phenomenon could be repeated in their country under a Hindu form. The danger is rooted in the “hindutva” ideology that, under the form of religious nationalism, hopes to destroy the secularism and pluralism of the country, transforming India into a country only tolerant of the Hindu religion.
Fr. Babu recently mentioned that, while the BJP was in power, there began to be changes to the Constitution and intents to limit – if not eliminate – the rights of cultural and religious minorities that have always been a part of India's society.
“If those rights were infringed on, many institutions such as schools and hospitals that belong to the Catholic Church would be forced to close,” the spokesman commented.
The problem, he said, is that in the elections a so-called “comunitarianism” emerges, which leads various ethnic, religious, and cultural communities to not only to defend their own rights but, in the case of Hindu fundamentalists, eliminate others' rights for one's own interests. The aggression campaign that has occurred in these months in Orissa, towards Christian minorities, and that has destabilized society, is aimed in this direction and is a wake-up call to the entire nation.
The spread and activity of Hindu extremists, Fr. Joseph says, can be compared to the spread and aggression of the Taliban in Pakistan, and every effort should be made by the government and institutions in stopping it, no matter what the faith or community is involved.
Fr. Joseph also mentioned that for some time, “a good part of the religious communities have been working for reconciliation and peace: Hindus and Christians are working hand in hand to rebuild homes and churches destroyed by the rage of the fundamentalists, and this spirit is bringing positive results.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides 27/4/2009)
