Verghese V Joseph –
India, the world’s largest democracy, is a nation of diverse cultures, languages, and religions. Among its religious tapestry, Christianity holds a significant place, with a population of over 28 million adherents, constituting around 2.3% of the total populace. As the country gears up for its next general elections in 2024, the political landscape is rife with anticipation and speculation. For the Christian community, these elections carry particular significance, offering both challenges and opportunities that could reshape their socio-political standing within the Indian context.
To understand the potential impact of the 2024 elections on Christians in India, it is imperative to delve into the historical backdrop. Christianity in India has ancient roots, dating back to the arrival of the Apostle Thomas in the first century AD. Over the centuries, Christianity spread across the Indian subcontinent, establishing communities that have contributed significantly to the nation’s social, educational, and cultural fabric.
However, the journey of Christians in India has not been devoid of challenges. The community has often faced discrimination and persecution, particularly in regions marked by religious tensions and communal violence. Allegations such as forced conversions, attacks on churches, and socio-economic marginalisation have been recurrent concerns, reflecting broader societal fault lines and political dynamics.
In the realm of Indian politics, religious identity plays a pivotal role, influencing voting patterns, policy agendas, and electoral outcomes. The country’s secular constitution guarantees religious freedom and equality for all citizens. However, the practical realisation of these ideals has been subject to various interpretations and contestations over the years.
The political representation of Christians in India has been a matter of debate, with questions raised about their visibility and influence within the corridors of power. While Christians have occupied prominent positions in politics, bureaucracy, and other spheres, their numerical minority status has sometimes marginalised their collective voice in the political arena.
Against this backdrop, the 2024 elections emerge as a critical juncture for the Christian community in India. There is a palpable sense of anticipation and expectation as Christians assess the potential implications of the electoral process on their rights, interests, and socio-political status.
One of the key areas of focus is the protection of religious freedoms. In recent years, concerns have been raised about infringements on the rights of religious minorities, including Christians, through legislation, social attitudes, and state actions. The outcome of the 2024 elections could have far-reaching consequences for the safeguarding of these fundamental freedoms and the promotion of inclusive governance.
Educational rights also loom large on the agenda of the Christian community. Christian educational institutions, known for their contribution to the education sector, have often grappled with regulatory challenges and ideological pressures. The electoral choices made in 2024 could shape the policy landscape concerning educational institutions run by religious minorities, impacting issues such as autonomy, funding, and curriculum.
Representation in government is another critical aspect that Christians are closely monitoring. While individuals from the community have held positions of power and influence at various levels, there is an ongoing quest for broader and more meaningful representation in legislative bodies and decision-making forums. The outcome of the 2024 elections will determine the extent to which the aspirations of Christians for equitable representation are realised within the political establishment.
In the run-up to the 2024 elections, Christians in India are actively engaged in strategic imperatives aimed at maximising their political agency and influence. These initiatives encompass a spectrum of activities, including voter mobilisation drives, community outreach programmes, advocacy efforts, and dialogue with political parties.
Voter mobilisation assumes paramount importance as Christians seek to harness their demographic strength and translate it into electoral impact. Voter registration campaigns, awareness workshops, and advocacy for voting rights are integral components of this endeavour, aimed at ensuring maximum participation and representation in the electoral process.
Community outreach programs play a complementary role in fostering solidarity, empowerment, and civic engagement among Christians. Through initiatives such as social welfare projects, skill development initiatives, and cultural exchanges, the community seeks to strengthen its social capital and build bridges with diverse segments of society.
Advocacy efforts constitute another pillar of the strategic agenda, focusing on policy advocacy, legal interventions, and public awareness campaigns. Issues such as religious freedom, social justice, and minority rights are championed through lobbying, litigation, and media advocacy, aimed at influencing public discourse and policy outcomes.
Dialogue with political parties forms an essential dimension of the engagement strategy, enabling Christians to articulate their concerns, aspirations, and expectations directly to political stakeholders. Through consultations, consultations, and negotiations, the community endeavors to shape party agendas, candidate selection processes, and election manifestos in a manner that reflects its interests and priorities.
However, the road to political empowerment and recognition for Christians in India is not without its challenges and controversies. The polarised nature of Indian politics, characterised by ideological divisions, identity politics, and electoral polarisation, poses hurdles to inclusive representation and consensus-building.
Communal tensions and religious polarisation, exacerbated by divisive rhetoric and communal violence, create an environment of fear and mistrust, hindering efforts towards constructive dialogue and cooperation. In such a charged atmosphere, the politics of appeasement, vote-bank calculations, and identity-based mobilisation often overshadow genuine efforts towards inclusive governance and social cohesion.
Moreover, the spectre of religious extremism and intolerance looms large, posing a threat to the pluralistic ethos and secular fabric of Indian society. Instances of violence against religious minorities, including Christians, underscore the fragility of religious harmony and the imperative of safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms.
In conclusion, India’s 2024 elections hold the promise of being a game-changer for Christians, offering both opportunities and challenges in equal measure. As the community navigates the complex terrain of Indian politics, it must draw upon its resilience, unity, and commitment to pluralism to realise its aspirations for equal citizenship, social justice, and religious freedom.
The stakes are high, and the choices made in the electoral arena will have far-reaching implications for the future trajectory of Christianity in India. Whether the 2024 elections will mark a turning point in the political fortunes of Christians, or merely reaffirm existing patterns of exclusion and marginalisation, remains to be seen. However, one thing is clear: the journey towards political empowerment and social justice for Christians in India is an ongoing struggle, one that requires steadfast resolve, collective action, and unwavering faith in the democratic ideals that underpin the nation’s constitutional framework.
Christians make up a sizable number in kerala and Goa. They are the majority community in Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya and sizable number in Manipur and Arunachal. They can have a major impact in their respective areas, provided that they lay aside their personal interests.
Chhotebhai has made a very valid point. Even though Christians comprise a mere 2.3% of the 140+ crore Indian population, in some states (as chhotebhai has pointed out) they constitute a large number of voters and therefore their united opinion can be a decisive factor in vote swing. This is provided Christians are united without any vested interests or personal agendas.
It must be mentioned here that Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 (CAA-2019) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) which contains names of citizens, have been suddenly resurrected by the ruling dispensation to create pandemonium and score brownie points on Hindutva in view of the ensuring general election. Several groups with vested interests, both in the ruling and opposition parties and others, are out to gain mileage out of CAA and NRC confusion. It must be mentioned here that CAA-2019 and NRC are interconnected even though the Union Home Ministry has been flip-flopping on this issue.
In this connection, a Christian NGO in Bengal comprising lay leaders, lawyers and several priests has been visiting various Church communities in Keorapukur, Thakurpukur, Krishnanagar, Dum Dum, etc. on an awareness campaign on CAA and NRC. However lofty the mission & vision of this group may be, instead of assuaging misconceptions about CAA-2019 and NRC, the team has scared the believers out of their wits. Many have lost sleep after interacting with them. Therefore the question that arises is how sound is the CAA-NRC knowledge of these leaned men? It would be prudent on the part of the Church authorities in Bengal and elsewhere to first get a dossier on CAA-NRC from the NGO’s untested legal team before they’re allowed into various churches to interact with the masses.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government has moved the Supreme Court under Article 131, challenging the constitutional validity of CAA and categorically stating that CAA-2019 will not be implemented in Kerala. The Supreme Court will hear all applications against CAA on Tuesday, March 19.
It appears the powers-that-be have conspired to plunge the nation into a heady mix of Electoral Bonds, CAA and NRC. The general election will have begun (19th April 2024) before the voters are able to grasp the Election Commission of India’s disclosure on Electoral Bonds where BJP has been the biggest beneficiary. Didn’t the Supreme Court of India term Electoral Bonds “Unconstitutional and Arbitrary?” Yet BJP will take high moral grounds!
In my opinion elections in India is a sheer “mockery of democracy” for two major reasons:
1) There is no guarantee that my vote will go to the party that I vote due to “manipulations of EVM”.
2) There is no law preventing the “horse trading”. There is no guarantee that the candidate I vote will remain in the same party for five full years. The elected candidate is bought and sold like a commercial commodity.
Hence, all our calculations, speculations and hope become a question mark.