As India celebrated Christmas and welcomed the New Year, the nation witnessed a starkly divergent reality. While Kolkata in West Bengal basked in its traditional festive glory, reports emerged from states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan of harassment, violence, and fear targeting Christmas symbols and worshippers.
Scene One: Kolkata's Enduring Spirit of 'Boro Din'
The city of Kolkata, with its unique cultural tapestry, once again showcased its deep embrace of Christmas, locally known as 'Boro Din' or the 'Big Day'. The festive spirit, described by Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien, is not a fleeting moment but a season that settles in, much like Durga Puja or Eid in the city.
The annual Kolkata Christmas Festival, now in its 15th year, illuminates the iconic Park Street, renamed Mother Teresa Sarani. The street turns into a pedestrian zone for two nights, alive with carols sung in parks, by buskers on pavements, and within historic cathedrals. The city's celebration is a powerful testament to community and togetherness, where lights, food, and music are enjoyed by people from all backgrounds.
Scene Two: A Christmas Marred by Intimidation
In sharp contrast, several incidents in northern India painted a disturbing picture. Reports detailed the harassment of street vendors selling Santa Claus caps, physical assaults on individuals wearing them, and the tearing down of Christmas trees in shopping malls. Decorations put up for the New Year were ransacked, and congregations were reportedly threatened during worship.
Father Cedric Prakash, a Gujarat-based Jesuit priest and rights activist, condemned these actions as 'blatantly unconstitutional' and hypocritical. He criticized the political narrative where photo-ops at churches are not matched by condemnation of such attacks. Echoing this sentiment, the head of the largest body of Catholic bishops in India released a rare, scathing video message, condemning the acts of hatred and violence that 'deeply wound the spirit of our Constitution'.
Contributions and the Call for Constitutional Protection
Amid the negative headlines, the significant contributions of the Christian community to India's social fabric stand out. The community runs a vast network of 54,000 educational institutions enrolling 6 crore students annually, with an estimated three out of four students being non-Christians.
Prominent alumni from these institutions include Union Ministers like J P Nadda, Piyush Goyal, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ashwini Vaishnav, and Jyotiraditya Scindia. In healthcare, institutions run by the community serve about 2% of India's population, with 80% of this work in remote areas. During the pandemic, they offered 60,000 inpatient beds across 1,000 hospitals.
Supreme Court advocate Colin Gonsalves highlighted the alarming scale, noting about 600 attacks per year on Christians. He argued that allegations of forced conversions have not led to a single court conviction and labeled the ongoing violence as akin to terrorism, urging the judiciary to break its silence. The piece concludes with a powerful 'Amen,' underscoring the urgent need to protect the constitutional right to freedom of religion for all.
