Pastor Jacob Prashanth from India has said that Authorities in India do not directly participate in the ongoing persecution of Christians but indirectly support the groups that attack Christians.
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| Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Jacob Prashanth of Vadavathoor Church, Kerala India |
In an interview with the Faith Reporters today 15 October 2021, the Seventh-day Adventist pastor at Vadavathoor Church in India's coastal state Kerala said “It’s not only Christians but all other religions that are not Hinduism are facing challenges in some parts of India”
“The
northern states, especially Uttar Pradesh, are
very hostile to non-Hindus because of converting Hindu followers into other
religions,” he said.
“Authorities do not officially attack one for converting to
Christianity. It is usually a set of local people who attack Christians while
authorities stand by without intervening” Pastor Prashanth explained.
He noted that the evidence that pins authorities’ involvement in
the persecution of Christians and other minority groups is the fact that
attackers are not held accountable for violating people’s freedom of
conscience.
“The outward appearance of the problem is that it is not carried
out by authorities, it is blamed on Hindu fanatics and community hatred but
when you look at the fact that the groups that attack Christians are not
prosecuted, it gives an impression that authorities are behind it and support
them in the shadows” Pastor Prashanth highlighted.
Although Pastor Prashanth has never been attacked or seen an
attack in his community he casts doubt on the future of freedom of worship in
India citing persecution increases steadily to engulf the whole India.
“Kerala is a moderate state, people are not ready to attack
neighbours but since 2014 when the administration that is pro-Hinduism and anti
the rest, we have realized a sharp increase in persecution of churches and
pastors” he commented.
Some states have already passed laws that prevent the conversion of Indians
especially to Christianity and this week Karnataka State laid a similar
strategy favoured by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
“One converting from one religion to another of their choice is
guaranteed in our constitution but Christians are having a tough time since the
new government is Hinduism oriented”
Despite all the evidence of persecution, on the contrary, Pastor
Prashanth expressed strength that the church will prevail and he will minister.
“For sure, I am uncertain of what the future holds for Christians
in India but we still minister, no matter what authorities do” he concluded.
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| Vadavathoor Seventh-day Adventist Church in India's coastal state, Kerala |
The US Commission of International Religious Freedom’s 2021 annual
report ranked India the fourth after Burma (Myanmar), China and Eritrea in the list
of countries that oppress religious freedom.
“The government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), promoted
Hindu nationalist policies resulting in systematic, ongoing, and egregious
violations of religious freedom,” the report commented.
“In late 2020, Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, passed
an ordinance avoiding any marriage conducted for the “sole purpose of unlawful
conversion or vice-versa,” the report noted.
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| About India by the Open Doors |
The Open Doors, an organisation that tracks religious freedom, in their
recent report ranked India in the top ten countries whose regimes oppress
religious freedom using religious nationalism to label those who are not
reverent to Hinduism as enemies of the state.
“Christians are accused of following a foreign faith and often physically attacked. If they don’t re-convert, their community may boycott them, with a devastating effect on their ability to earn income and buy food” the report says.
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