Christianity is not a colonial legacy but an Indian tradition

Christianity has been part of India’s spiritual and cultural landscape for over two millennia. Through tradition, via customs, art and historical records, it has been affirmed that Saint Thomas the Apostle brought the message of Christ to the Malabar Coast in the 1st century AD.

The Acts of Thomas describe his journey via the Parthian Empire and a sea route to “India”. Early Church theologians and writers of the third and fourth centuries, such as Origen, Eusebius, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Ambrose of Milan, mention Thomas preaching in India. Gregory of Nazianzus states in his Oration: “Even those Kingdoms which were shut out by rugged mountains became accessible to them, as India to Thomas…”

Ambrose of Milan spoke about Christianity in India in his commentary on the Book of Psalms, where he mentions that the Apostle Thomas carried the gospel to the Indian people.

Persian crosses still standing at St Thomas Mount, Chennai, and Syriac inscriptions from the sixth to ninth centuries confirm an ancient Christian presence in India. Today, Saint Thomas Christians maintain unique rites and claim apostolic origins. Christianity in India is thus not a colonial legacy but an indigenous tradition as ancient as other great spiritual paths that shape our nation’s moral fabric.

Since Independence, Christian institutions have played a transformative role in India’s development.

Approximately 55,000 Christian educational institutions have produced generations of outstanding citizens: Political leaders, civil servants, industrialists, scientists, professionals, entrepreneurs, and creative personalities. Parents of non-Christian backgrounds chose these Christian institutions for their academic reputation, values, and all-round development of their children from theatre to sports.

Over 4,000 Christian hospitals and healthcare centres are operating in India. From large missionary hospitals in cities to small dispensaries in villages, the Christian commitment to serve the sick and suffering remains unwavering. During national crises — natural disasters, epidemics, or the pandemic — Christian doctors, nurses, and volunteers have consistently been offering care and compassion where it was most needed.

Equally significant is the Church’s outreach to society’s most neglected: The poor, Dalits, tribals, migrants, and the disabled. Through self-help groups, literacy programmes, skill development, women’s empowerment, and rehabilitation centres, Christians uphold the dignity of every human and build bridges across caste and class. Their tireless work continues to break barriers of discrimination and uplift the marginalised.

Over the past few decades, various attempts have been made to malign this selfless service by linking it to forced conversions. This malicious campaign is now being exacerbated in the era of social media. Nothing could be further from the truth. This was affirmed in a landmark Supreme Court judgment on October 17. In response to FIRs filed under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, a bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra quashed multiple cases from Fatehpur district that alleged “mass religious conversions” of Hindus to Christianity. The Court observed that criminal law must not be used to harass innocent citizens. Justice Pardiwala noted legal infirmities, procedural lapses, and lack of credible evidence, ruling that continuing such prosecutions would be a “travesty of justice” as stated in the judgment.

Cabinets, at the Centre and in states, have had ministers who are alumni from Christian institutions from across India. They stand testimony that conversion is not the aim of these institutions. India’s greatness lies in its unity amid diversity. The Christian community’s service exemplifies this ideal of educating the mind, healing the body, and nurturing the spirit. In doing so, Christians in India remain steadfast partners in the mission of nation-building and a more humane, just, inclusive, and compassionate India.

This article was originally published on https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/christianity-is-not-a-colonial-legacy-but-an-indian-tradition-10437692/