While Christianity has made a lasting impact on society, politics and administration in countries across the world, it has become flexible in its approach towards the caste system in India. The existing society here has deeply influenced the religion, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader and Lok Sabha member Thol. Thirumavalavan has said. “In India, it has established itself without making any fundamental change to the existing society. It is a strange phenomenon. Here, the roots of caste has nourished Christianity,” he said, releasing Christhuvathil Jaathi (Caste in Christianity), authored by writer Nivedita Louis, in Chennai on Thursday. He said the “roots of Christianity in India are the roots of caste” and it does not possess the “roots of its Christian values”. “The approach seems to be that other factors do not matter so long as they remain Christians. Visit the church and sit separately. Be a Christian and it does not matter if you have separate burial grounds. This flexibility, I say, is not the weakness of Christianity. But it only proves the power of the caste system, which has swallowed Christianity,” he said. The VCK leader said that in Indian society, even the basic structure of a family is constructed on the

As we go forth into the New Year, the news that on average every day two Christians have faced attacks is a reality India is confronted with. India’s Christian community, a significant part of the nation’s diverse religious fabric, has been faced with a torrent of hate speech and discrimination by members of radical extremist Hindutva groups. Amidst the rich tapestry of cultural coexistence and historical contribution, instances of discrimination, attacks and violence against Christians rings a bell of alarm for the community and the nation at large. In this year-ender, we delve into the intricacies of these challenges, examining the slurs while centring the voices within the community itself. CJP spoke to Nancy, name changed, who is from Tamil Nadu. She works for a national faith based development organisation and is based in Northern India. Reflecting on the past decade, she stated that, “In the last eight years things have changed drastically in the country. Hate is regularly spread against minorities which is bad for democracy. I haven’t experienced any prejudices or instances personally directly but there is growing suspicion among colleagues and friends who were once close. They now support the current regime which is both sad and very

Members of the Catholic community recently launched a signature campaign titled “Not in Our Name! Christmas Celebrations with PM is Not in Our Name” against the growing hate crimes in the country. It was launched by Jesuit priests – Father Cedric Prakash and Father Prakash Luis – who said over 3,000 signatures were collected within a week. Expressing uneasiness and anguish over the bishops’ failure to address the growing hate crimes against Christians and ethnic violence in Manipur during the recent Christmas celebrations at the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi, a statement released by the campaign organisers said, “Christian community has been disturbed by the Christmas gathering called by the PM. The participation of ‘so-called leaders’ and their praise for Modi, especially their silence on the incidents of violence against Christians across India, is condemnable.” The statement further reads, “The anti-conversion laws which have been put into place in BJP-ruled states are used as weapons against the fundamental right to preach, practise and propagate one’s religion. Celebrations in schools have been stopped and Christians have been arrested without any warrant and put behind bars for no offence of their.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Christmas with the Christian community on December

Alappuzha: In an alarming revelation, a report compiled by a human rights group revealed that Christians in the country faced an average of two attacks per day last year. The United Christian Forum (UCF), a Delhi- based human rights group, revealed the atrocities based on incidents reported on their helpline number. According to the report, Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of cases of violence against Christians, followed by Jharkhand and Haryana. Notably, no such incident was reported in Kerala. Initially, the group released the report of various episodes of violence up to November 2023. Later, they prepared a separate list after collecting reports of violence during the Christmas period. UCF launched its toll-free number on January 19, 2015, to learn about the violence targetting Christians in the country. The forum also verifies the authenticity of the reports before recording them same. As per the data published by the UCF, there were 687 attacks on Christians till November 2023. Of these, 531 cases are concentrated in four states. The state-wise distribution of attacks is UP (287), Chhattisgarh (148), Jharkhand (49), Haryana (47), Madhya Pradesh (35), Karnataka (21), Punjab (18), Bihar (14), Gujrat (8), Tamil Nadu (8), Jammu and Kashmir (8), Rajasthan (7), Orissa (7), Delhi

The vice-chancellor of a British-era university, a Christian, has been arrested in an alleged "attempt to murder" case and remanded in judicial custody in a northern Indian state. Rajendra Bihari Lal, the vice-chancellor of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on Dec. 31 after a complaint by Diwakar Nath Tripathi, a local leader of the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “This case is a trap” to arrest Lal as he successfully got bail in several other cases registered against him, an associate of his, who did not want to be named, told UCA News on Jan. 3. Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state and is ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, which enacted a stringent anti-conversion law in 2021 targeting mostly Christians. Many cases were registered against Lal under the anti-conversion law but he got bail from the courts. A police official at Naini police station in Prayagraj district where the latest complaint was registered said Tripathi stated in his complaint that two men who accompanied Lal in a vehicle opened fire at him while he was returning home from a morning walk. “I hope and pray that truth will triumph,” Lal's associate said, adding that he was being targeted "mostly because of his religion." He said the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition

Alappuzha: Kerala Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan strongly criticised Christian priests on Sunday for their alleged silence on the issue of Manipur violence during the Christmas programme organised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi. Speaking after inaugurating a local committee office of his party CPI(M) in this coastal district, Cheriyan mocked certain bishops who attended the Prime Minister's programme, saying they got 'goosebumps' when BJP leaders invited them. He alleged that they forgot the issue of Manipur violence targeting their own community members when they were served with cakes and grape wine. "Did they urge the Indian Prime Minister to intervene in the matter?" the CPI(M) leader questioned. Stating that Christian community members were butchered in Manipur, Cheriyan also criticised certain Christian priests for still joining the BJP in Kerala. Neither the BJP nor the bishops have reacted to Cheriyan's allegations. During an interaction with the members of the Christian community at his residence on Christmas, Modi had heaped praise on the minority community for its role in the freedom movement and in various fields like healthcare and education, and said the country proudly acknowledges its contribution. Modi had said the values of compassion, inclusivity and justice for all propagated by

In a recent development in Kerala, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused supporters of the Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) of conducting cyber attacks against Christians who recently joined the party. This accusation follows the enrollment of around fifty Christian families, including Fr Shaiju Kurien, Secretary of the Orthodox Church Nilakkal Bhadrasanam in Pathanamthitta district in southern Kerala, who joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Saturday (30 December). As reported by Onmanorama, BJP state president K Surendran expressed concern over the cyber attacks and issued a stern warning of robust retaliation against those responsible, emphasising the party's commitment to protecting its new members. The party had recently resumed its 'Sneha Yatra,' an outreach program aimed at connecting with the Christian community in the state. However, the BJP's move to engage with minority communities has drawn criticism from the Congress, which has accused the party of pursuing divisive strategies. This development underscores the evolving political landscape in Kerala, where the BJP is intensifying efforts to broaden its appeal among diverse demographics, particularly by fostering ties with the Christian community. This article is originally published on  https://swarajyamag.com/news-brief/bjp-accuses-congress-and-cpim-of-cyber-attacks-on-christians-joining-party-in-kerala-vows-strong-retaliation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly claimed in public — including on the lawn of the White House in June — that India is not a hotbed of persecution or violence against religious minorities. “I’m actually really surprised that people say so. And so, people don’t say it. Indeed, India is a democracy,” Modi said while standing next to President Joe Biden during a visit to Washington this year. “We have always proved that democracy can deliver. And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender. There’s absolutely no space for discrimination.” In reality, Hindu nationalists organized mob attacks on Christian communities throughout the year, burning down churches and often destroying entire neighborhoods, leaving Christians displaced. The worst of the violence in 2023 occurred in Manipur, northern India, where members of the majority Hindu Meitei tribe went on a rampage against majority Christian Kuki-Zo communities throughout the spring and summer, often filming their atrocities. Modi’s government did not comment on the matter until a video went viral in the rest of the country showing a mob of presumably Meitei men raping Christian women in broad daylight and parading them naked through the streets. “The police were there with the mob which was attacking our village,” one

Persecution against Christians is expected to rise in several countries in the coming year, according to Release International. The organisation's new Persecution Trends report, released this week, warns of an intensfication of persecution in a number of countries, including Nigeria, India, Pakistan and China in 2024. Nigeria has suffered one of its worst Christmases after 160 were killed in a series of attacks in Plateau State between 23 December and Christmas Day. Morning Star News reports that the dead include church members and pastors, while hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Release International's Nigeria partner confirmed the reports. They said, "We are deeply saddened by these incidents and condemn these killings and attacks on innocent Christians during their worship." The Persecution Trends report predicts that persecution in Nigeria will rise in 2024. Attacks on Christian communities by jihadists are "dispossessing them of their lands by destroying their food supplies and forcing them to convert or flee". These attacks are expected to continue next year. Release CEO Paul Robinson is calling on the worldwide Church to pray for Christians in Nigeria. He also wants the Nigerian government "to take decisive and effective action to protect its vulnerable communities". "Our hearts go out to beleaguered Christians in Nigeria. We

BENGALURU: Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for hosting Christmas celebrations at his residence in New Delhi, Bengaluru Archbishop Dr Peter Machado suggested that the PM should also look into many pressing issues of the Christian community. In a letter to the PM, Dr Machado on Thursday said, “Christmas 2023 was special for Christians in India as PM Modi invited representatives of Christians in New Delhi to his own house on Christmas Day. To take positively forward Modiji’s Christmas message of peace and goodwill, it would be an excellent move on his part to address the concerns of the Christian community by taking into confidence Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and Religious and Lay leaders of the community. Instances of hate speeches against Christians, attacks on churches and institutions, and promulgation of anti-conversion laws in more and more states have led to deprivation and usurpation of the constitutional rights of Christians, which can be best handled by the Prime Minister’s Office with timely interventions. We all look up to the Prime Minister to give a soothing touch to the burning problem of Manipur, which may be an ethnic issue, but has left deep scars on the Christian community