The first time when I started to hate the Hindus was after the 2000 Church Bombings had taken place. At that particular time, I was in my early 20s and couldn’t tolerate the bombing incidents that dented the walls of my Church.
Now you might ask why I hated Hindus. Let me elaborate the forgotten story of the last decade. I was informed that the bombs in Church were planted by the Hindu organisations and to support this claim, few evidences were also found near the bombing site. But later on, the investigations revealed that this heinous act was done by none other than the Islamist extremist group “Deendar Anjuman”. At this moment, I felt foolish enough to hate the Hindus of India.
The fake evidence that was planted by these terrorists was a conspiracy to frame the Hindus and to create a communal violence across the nation. Like me remind you that many of the Christians were a prey to this. After I learnt the truth, I regretted suspecting on the Hindus, with whom I grew up, played and shared my memories of childhood.
Since centuries, Christians were living safely among the majority Hindus. I should have realized that if the Hindus were intolerant than there wouldn’t have been any other religion in India other than Hinduism. Since then, I began aware of the conspiracies that were framed to target the communal fabric of this nation.
This time, another such conspiracy has been hatched by none other than the Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto, who requested our community to pray and observe fast for the “spiritual renewal” of the country ahead of next year’s general elections.
His was really shameful and a far from reality statement. The letter of Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto asked, “It is our hallowed practice to pray for our country and its political leaders all the time, but all the more when we approach the general elections. As we look forward towards 2019, when we will have a new government, let us begin a prayer campaign for our country from May 13”.
This was not an attack on PM Modi but on Indian secularism and democracy, and I totally disagree against the statement of the Delhi’s Archbishop. The letters clearly ask the followers to vote for a new government. I, being a Christian would like to say that the church don’t have any authority to ask its followers on whom to vote.
Where was the Archbishop when the Modi government rescued Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil, who was held captive in Yemen for months? In what was once termed as an impossible task, the Modi government had proved that “nothing is impossible” by rescuing father Tom from the clutches of the terrorists.
At this point of time, not just the Christians of India but even the several heads of my religion had praised and thanked the Modi government. After the release, Fr. Varghese Vallikkatt, the Deputy Secretary General of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council had said that “It’s great news for the Christian community and every Indian. He was held captive in Yemen for more than one and a half years. We would like to thank the Union government, the state government and Ministry of External Affairs, who worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of Father Tom”.
But now I’m baffled to see the statements made by Delhi Archbishop, who represents the Christians. Why didn’t the Archbishop ask its followers to go against the Modi government after it evacuated sister Sally from Yemen, which had literally turned into a war zone. The people of Yemen could hear just the gun shots and the cries of people who were bleeding. But Modi government not just recovered sister Sally but also several other Christian nurses and missionaries.
Even PM Modi had said “Father Alex Premkumar, a missionary working in Afghanistan, had been languishing in terrorist captivity for 18 long months and even his family had given up on his being alive, but we had not. Our government worked tirelessly to ensure his safe return and when I called his sister to inform her about his rescue, she could not believe that the prime minister was calling her and that her brother was alive”.
But few months back, during the Gujarat elections, the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Gandhinagar had made a controversial remark in a letter urging members of the Christian community to save the country from “nationalist forces”. The Archdiocese of Gandhinagar had also said “The democratic fabric of the country is at stake amidst growing sense of insecurity among the minorities, Other Backward Class (OBC), Backward Class, poor, etc. Not a single day goes without an attack on our churches, church personnel, faithfuls or institutions”.
Is this a way of expressing gratitude to the Mr Narendra Modi who ruled Gujarat and headed the state in the paths of glory?
Dr Subramanian Swamy had today said, “The PM must direct MEA to scrap the diplomatic relations with Vatican and seal the its Embassy in Chanakyapuri because the Archbishop is a formal nominee of the Vatican” and I totally agree with his statement. All the people including religious heads must never forget that their loyalty is reserved for the nation they live in.
Not by the Modi government, but the secular fabric of the nation will be totally demolished due to statements like this, Mr Anil Couto. The Modi government came to power in 2014 and I know that he is a hardcore follower of Hinduism. I also know that he follows what his religion preaches. I equally know that he loves and respects each and every religion that exists in India.
Time and again, there was a systematic attempt to create rifts between Hindus and the Christians. 10 years ago, church attacks had taken place in Karnataka. At that moment, the nation was ruled by Sonia Gandhi’s Congress. But none said that Christians are insecure under the Congress party.
Instead, they attacked the then state government that was led by Mr BS Yeddyurappa. His pictures were burnt, slogans were raised. I still remember when a news broke out that a church in Bangalore was attacked. Soon the national media jumped in and attacked Mr Yeddyurappa, BJP and the RSS like the hungry vultures. But later it was found out that the fire that was located in the church was due to the occurrence of short circuit. As expected, all the self-proclaimed liberals and seculars went numb.
Even when Goa was about to face elections in 2017, a few bunch of churches were vandalized. But later it was found out that the churches were vandalised by none other than a Christian man. Now all the media, politicians and the religious heads who were pouncing of PM Modi’s BJP went numb.
Voting is my right and none can influence me on the basis of my religion. I’m smart enough to know what is going around in the nation. I can see who is destroying the democracy and who is upholding the constitution.
Hope all the Christians rise above their religion and opt a candidate, in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, who never took a leave in the past 4 years and worked relentlessly for the 1.31 billion of the Indians.
All I want to say is, “Archbishop you are wrong and I’ll definitely vote for PM Modi even in 2019”.
