On Monday a missionary hospital in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India's Central Province was the latest attack on the Christian institutions by a Hindu mob. It was allegedly attacked by a group of locals led by BJP activists on Monday following a dispute over a piece of land, which both sides claim belong to them. It is widely reported in the media that the group damaged the hospital gate, a generator and disrupted electric and water supply striking fear among patients and staff. It is also very perplexing that though several police personnel passed by no one care to intervened and thus the attack continued unabated. This hospital established in 1974 when there were no health care facilities in those areas. Sisters and doctors went to nearby villages and conducted many camps and supplied free medicines.

It is probably the first and daring attempt to attack on the symbols of Christian Mission work. The success of Christianity not always simply on the level of a great religious message; but it is in the consistent and very well thought out establishment of institutions such as hospitals and orphanages to serve the needs of the community. The very core of that principle is being attacked in Ujjain.

Indian Christians saw the worst persecution in 2017 since last 10 years.

There are 351 cases alone reported in 2017. There are also so many incidents go unreported either because the victim is too afraid to report incidents or the police refuse to register the complaint.

The most hostile state to Christians is Tamil Nadu in the south of the country, with 52 cases. Uttar Pradesh with 50, is a close second, followed by Chhattisgarh (43), Madhya Pradesh (36) and Maharashtra (38). Only six cases were recorded in the capital, Delhi.

There is no surprise that the states where there is most violence are dominated ruled by the right-wing Hindu nationalist BJP. In Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, the violence 'has a disturbing overlay of caste discrimination, and the victims largely come from the so called lower castes in villages where the dominant groups object to prayer houses and even the entry of missionaries'.

It is distressing to see even private worship being attacked by Hindu right-wing activists violating the privacy and sanctity of an individual or a family and trampling upon their constitutional rights.

The instances of attacks on churches on Sundays and other important days of worship such as Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter and Christmas have increased.

There are instances of Christian children attending Bible camps being taken into custody and detained on suspicion of being targeted for conversion, describing it as 'bizarre and unheard-of', and to public figures denouncing Christianity through official channels, the report noted.

The BJP and its allies are planning to stage more attacks on the upcoming Christian Feasts such as Easter.

Last year, the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre had declared the Christmas Day as Good Governance Day and Good Friday as 'Digital India Day' which was not only an insult to the religious sentiments of the Christians but violations of religious rights of minorities guaranteed by the Constitution of India.

Persecution of Christians is rising in India. More than ever before, the growth of radical Hinduism in the nation is fueling violent attacks, with even greater impunity for attackers as the state governments and local administrations sides with radical groups.

Is India drifting away from Secularism? Before answering the question we would see what is Secularism is: "Secularism is the principle of the separation of government institutions and persons mandated to represent the state from religious institutions and religious dignitaries"

What this means is the government functioning should not interfere in religion and it's institutions. Coming to the question of Hindu Nationalism. We must understand what Hindu Nationalism is-"Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expressions of social and political thought, based on the native spiritual and cultural traditions of historical Indian subcontinent." Coming to move towards Hindu Nationalism, it is no secret that BJP has adopted this as its official ideology in 1989. There should no doubt that BJP will pursue it's ideology when it comes to power just like when Left Parties come in power they will implement socialist ideology or Congress its liberal and minority appeasement. Every major political party has different ideologies, this is pretty common across the world like Democrats and Republicans in US. Surely, there is no doubt that Hindu Nationalism is the ideology followed by the ruling govt, but the definition of the Hindu Nationalism gets twisted and turned to make it look like anti minority but the actual ideology is a stark contrast.

It is now an important time to secure not only legal protections for religious liberty, but also to strengthen societyâ€™s understanding of why religious liberty deserves such protections. The religious liberty is ultimately based on oneâ€™s individual conscience. Passing a national anti-conversion law in India, or anywhere, is an attempt to democratically eliminate the most basic human rights of a democratic society. Is India stands on the verge of criminalizing religious liberty? Let me conclude with what James Madison said "religion is a matter of individual conscience and could not be directed by the government in any way."

( Father Varghese is the Executive Director, Institute for Religious Freedom and Tolerance, New York.)

+Father Joseph Varghese

â€¢The Syrian Orthodox Church. Malankara Archdiocese of North America.

â€¢ Executive Council: Religions for Peace USA.

â€¢Member: Inter-Religious Convening Tables: National Council of Churches.

â€¢Executive Director: Institute for Religious Freedom and Tolerance(IRFT), New York.

â€¢Member: U.S. Consultation of The Oriental Orthodox - Roman Catholic Churches.

â€¢Delegate: Standing Conference on Oriental Orthodox Churches( SCOOCH).

Subscribe and Support Your Regional Media Outlets. Your Support Helps Us Stay Afloat and Continue Serving the Community

Attack on Christians: Is India drifting away from Secularism?