Soroj Mullick SDB –
A Celebration for Whom?
Whose Independence? As India marks its 78th Independence Day, it is time to ask a sobering question: is freedom truly a shared reality for all its citizens? While political leaders deliver rousing speeches and the flag flies high, for millions of Indian Christians and Muslims, the celebration rings hollow. Their experience of the Indian republic is increasingly defined by fear, exclusion, and silence.
India’s promise at independence in 1947 was bold: a pluralistic democracy based on equality and justice for all, irrespective of religion, caste, or creed. But today, the country seems more dependent than ever—not on God or the Constitution, but on majoritarian power and populist politics. As Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen observed in his prophetic 1941 message, “The Declaration of Independence is also a Declaration of Dependence”—dependence on God and on justice rooted in divine law. India’s democratic soul risks collapse unless it reclaims that deeper foundation.
The Rise of Majoritarianism
In the past decade, India has witnessed a troubling shift in its political and social climate. The idea of the nation has been narrowed into a rigid religious identity—an India for Hindus, defined by Hindutva ideology. This vision excludes millions of Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and others, who find themselves labelled as outsiders, threats, or second-class citizens. The Majoritarian’ s muzzling on minorities in India is more than evident.
Anti-conversion laws, cow protection vigilantism, and propaganda about “love jihad” are not isolated events—they are coordinated tools to assert majoritarian control. Christians are accused of “forced conversions” and attacked during prayer services. Muslims are boycotted economically, denied housing, and lynched in broad daylight. And all this happens in the name of cultural nationalism. The judiciary, media, and law enforcement—which should defend constitutional values—often remain silent or complicit. A dangerous dependency has emerged: one where democratic institutions no longer serve all citizens equally but bow to majoritarian sentiment.
Second-Class Citizens in a First-World Fantasy
While the government celebrates India as a rising global power, religious minorities live in a parallel reality of increasing marginalization. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) openly excluded Muslim refugees based on religion—a violation of secular principles. In BJP-ruled states, churches are vandalized, Christian tribal communities face social ostracism, and interfaith couples are hounded by state machinery.
Muslims, in particular, face systemic discrimination in housing, education, and employment. From being labeled “anti-national” to being criminalised for their dietary habits or dress, their every action is scrutinized through a lens of suspicion. Meanwhile, Christian educational institutions—though serving millions—are vilified as tools of Western subversion.
This is not the democracy promised by the Constitution. Rather, it reflects what Fulton Sheen warned against: a nation that derives rights from the State or the mob, not from God. Such a democracy is always one election away from dictatorship.
The False God of Nationalism
At the heart of India’s current crisis is the replacement of spiritual values with a dangerous form of political religion. As Sheen rightly put it, “If religion is democracy, let us drop religion and become State servants.” Religion, rightly understood, brings humanity to God and upholds the sacredness of every person. But when religion becomes a political tool—as Hindutva has made it—it ceases to be a moral compass.
Many faith leaders have remained silent, choosing comfort over conscience. But silence in the face of oppression is complicity. The Gospel demands justice, and the Church must speak out—not only for Christians, but for all oppressed peoples. The challenge today is not just persecution of Christians or Muslims; it is the betrayal of India’s soul.
A Christian Call to Conscience
For Christians in India, the answer lies not in fear or retreat, but in prophetic witness. The Church must follow Christ’s example: proclaim liberty to the captives, comfort the afflicted, and confront the powerful with truth. Our schools, parishes, and communities must become sanctuaries of peace, dialogue, and solidarity with the marginalized.
Pope Francis in Fratelli Tutti reminds us that religion has a duty to serve human dignity—not through domination, but through love. Christians in India must rediscover this vocation. The cross was never meant to be carried in silence—it is a symbol of courageous resistance against injustice.
A New Declaration of Dependence
India’s future depends not on technological progress or military power, but on moral clarity. As Archbishop Sheen declared, “We are independent of dictators because we are dependent on God.” True freedom does not come from the ballot box alone, but from the inner conviction that every human life is sacred.
India needs a new Declaration of Dependence—not on the majority, but on justice; not on power, but on truth; not on identity politics, but on the shared humanity that binds all citizens. Christians and Muslims are not threats to India’s integrity—they are its conscience.
Reclaiming Hope
“Blessed are those who have not lost hope,” says Sirach 14:2. Despite increasing persecution, India’s minorities have not lost hope. But that hope must not be theirs alone—it must become a national resolve to reclaim the Republic from the clutches of fear and exclusion.
In this 78th year of independence, let every Indian—Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or atheist—remember the true spirit of freedom. Not as license to dominate, but as a sacred duty to protect the weakest among us. India will be truly free when all its citizens can live without fear, worship without threat, and dream without discrimination. Until then, our celebration remains incomplete.