Indian govt comes under fire for denying visa to Rev. Franklin Graham
FiaconaChristian groups and opposition parties have criticized the Indian government’s decision to deny Reverend Franklin Graham an entry visa, calling it unfair and deeply hurtful to the Christian community in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland.
The American evangelist was scheduled to visit Kohima, the state capital of Nagaland, on Nov. 30 for a Christian faith event, its organizer, the Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship (KBPF), said.
Although Graham’s visit was called off, they went ahead with the event titled: “Nagaland United: A Gathering of Faith, Hope and Revival.” The KBPF, in a statement on Nov. 29, said that due to unforeseen visa-related circumstances, Graham was not able to attend the program.
S. N. Among Jamir, secretary of the KBPF, said the event was intended to bring together believers from all tribes, denominations, and backgrounds, young and old, rich and poor, into a united time of praise, prayer, and worship to the living God.
The Indian government did not state why Graham’s visa was denied, but many believe the decision may be tied to his past work in India — particularly the outreach efforts by his charity organization, Samaritan’s Purse, which is linked in India to alleged conversion-related activities.
The Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF), National People’s Party (NPP), Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO), Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), among others, expressed disappointment over the cancellation of Graham’s visit.
NJCF president Reverend Neikedozo Paphino and Secretary Reverend Moses Murry, in a joint statement, said they were troubled by the news and wondered what might have led to the visa being denied.
Father Jacob Charalel, chancellor of Kohima diocese, said that of late, the federal government has been quite biased towards Christian communities.
“Denying a visa to Graham was unjustified, and we have no information about the reason behind it,” he told UCA News on Nov. 30.
Charalel said if religious conversion was the reason, then it was ill-founded because Nagaland is a Christian-majority state, “where there is no chance of conversion.”
However, so far as Catholics in the state are concerned, they were not involved in the program in any way, a Church leader clarified.
The NPCC, the state unit of India’s main opposition Congress party, called the move “discriminatory and an insult to the Christian community in Nagaland.”
In a Nov. 28 statement, the NPCC said the visa denial to Graham “deeply hurt and insulted” the people of Nagaland, many of whom had been eagerly preparing to welcome him.
The party claimed the decision reflected the “systematic and intolerant policies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and [its parent organization] Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,” and described it as “a broader effort to suppress and marginalize” religious minorities.
The NPCC also called it “a direct assault on the freedom of faith guaranteed by the Indian Constitution” and slammed the Nagaland-based Naga People’s Front (NPF), which is part of the ruling coalition with the BJP, both in New Delhi and Kohima.
The NPF should have stepped in and pushed for the visa to be approved, but instead it “failed to stand up for the sentiments of the Naga people.”
Graham is globally known as a Christian evangelist, missionary, and author, known for leading the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and the international Christian relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse.
He is the son of the late evangelist Billy Graham and has continued his father’s legacy through global evangelistic tours and humanitarian work, which draws both support and criticism in India.
Nagaland is often called the “Christian State” of India, with over 87 percent of its 2.2 million people being Christians, mostly Baptists.
Christianity is deeply integrated into Naga society, influencing social, governmental, and public life.
The religion was introduced by American missionaries and saw rapid conversion from the mid-20th century.
This article was originally published on Indian govt comes under fire for denying visa to Rev. Franklin Graham