The first six months of 2019 witnessed 158 incidents of violence against Christians in 23 states of India, says United Christian Forum, based on the records of its helpline.

Among the 158 incidents recorded, 130 relate to attacks or intimidation and threats by violent mobs that beat up faithful assembled peacefully in church or house-church for prayer service.

Freedom of Religion or Belief is severely curtailed in 23 of India’s 29 states.

This means that “practicing one’s faith is becoming dangerous to life in over 90 percent of the Indian territory,” bemoans the forum.
All the incidents were recorded at the UCF Helpline Number 1800-208-4545.

“Mob violence has become a norm in the country with no political party taking strong position against such acts of violence,” regrets a UCF press release.

Another disturbing trend is the refusal of police to file First Information Record against violence perpetrators. “Only 24 incidents out of 158 have FIRs registered against them,” the press release says.

It also notes that the police inaction was noted in 11 states are “under the rule of so-called secular parties” as against 12 states under the rule of the pro-Hindu National Democratic Alliance.

List of states where violence against Christians are reported are: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Uttar Pradesh continues to witness highest number of incidents with 32 incidents of violence reported against Christians followed by 31 incidents in Tamil Nadu, the press release says.

In the recorded 158 incidents, 110 women and 89 children injured. “Sadly, these incidents have become so common nobody has time to condemn them including political, civil society and religious leaders. There are just about couple of publications which gave unbiased report,” the forum bemoans. (See Focus)

Catholic bishops have proposed a series of changes in a draft education policy prepared by the Indian government, criticizing its silence on the rights and contributions of Christians.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, led by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), drafted the National Education Policy (NEP 2019) in its attempt to revise and modernize the country’s education system and invited public responses to it.

The Indian bishops’ Office for Education submitted a 28-page proposal on July 25, when a six-member delegation met with Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank at his office in New Delhi. Education comes under Nishank’s portfolio.

Father Joseph Manipadam, secretary of the bishops’ education office, told ucanews.com the draft policy failed to address basic issues of education such as lack of teachers and lack of basic facilities such as drinking water, basic hygiene and clean toilets.

The Indian government should invite Pope Francis to come to the populous nation as vast numbers of people were anxiously hoping for such a visit, according to an Opposition Congress Party Member of Parliament.

Kodikunnil Suresh told the lower house that a papal visit would enhance the nation’s reputation for honouring individuals who enhance communal tolerance and understanding.

It was not just Catholics, but rather a broad cross-section of Indians who wished to see Pope Francis visit, argued the parliamentarian from the nation’s south. Suresh, himself a Hindu, added that the presence of the leader of the Catholic Church would encourage acts of mercy and charity as well as the elimination of social evils.

No Pope has visited India since Pope St John Paul II in November 1999.

However, Suresh told ucanews.com that Francis, since his election as Pope in 2013, had on several occasions expressed a personal desire to come.

And Catholic Church leaders in India during the past six years have publicly appealed to the government to issue an official papal invitation. In March last year, Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias directly asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do so.

The Church in India will observe August 10 as a “Day of Mourning” for Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin.

“Throughout India, August 10 is being observed as ‘Day of Mourning’ in all the churches. Rallies, demonstrations and candle vigils are conducted and specials prayers are offered in the churches,” says a press release from the Office of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

In the national capital, the office will collaborate with the National Council of Churches (NCCI) and National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC) to hold a special program at Jantar Mantar near the Parliament building, a venue marked for public protest.

The program will begin at 10 pm and last for two hours, according to a press release from the Catholic bishops’ conference.

NCCI is the national body of Protestant and Orthodox Churches and their associations and centres in India.

“We request your presence for the Day of Mourning observance… and support the marginalized minorities,” says the press release.

The Constitution (Scheduled Caste) order 1950 was signed on August 10, 1950, by then President of India that says that “No person who professes a religion other than Hinduism shall be deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Caste.”

Church leaders have expressed their condolences following the death of Sushma Swaraj, India’s former external affairs minister, recalling her role in securing freedom for two abducted Catholic priests.

Swaraj, a prominent member of the pro – Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), died on August 6 following a heart attack. She was 67.

“She brought a human touch to all decisions of the ministry. As foreign minister, she was our best ambassador and projected a great image of the country in international circles,” said Cardinal Oswald Gracias, president of the Indian bishops’ conference.

Swaraj headed the foreign ministry during the first term (May 2014 to May 2019) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An acute diabetic, she underwent a kidney transplant in 2016. She later moved away from active politics and was not part of the cabinet.

The untimely death of BJP leader and former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has saddened Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who freed 18 months after his abduction by suspected Islamic militants in strife-torn Yemen in 2016.

Recalling Swaraj’s role as external affairs minister in securing his freedom, Father Uzhu-nnalil said he prayed for the 67-year-old leader, who “was like a sister” to him.

“I feel so sad about the demise of such a beloved and pleasant personality. Of course, I prayed at once for her soul and then prayed for her near and dear ones,” the Indian Express quoted Father Uzhunnalil saying as saying.

The priest was abducted in Herat province in western Afghanistan by unidentified gunmen on June 2, 2014. He was released on Feb. 22, 2015.