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Decline of a nation’s inclusivity
India wasn’t always like this. Although militant Hindu fundamentalism has been around since the days of India’s struggle for independence (it was a member of the Hindu paramilitary RSS group who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, primarily because of his support for India’s minority
faith groups), India has long been known for
inclusive diversity and celebrated for its secular constitution and its status as the world’s largest democracy.
I first visited India in 2000 and lived in the southern state of Tamil Nadu for six months teaching English as a volunteer. I was just 19 at
the time. One of the things that struck me then
was how easily Christians and Hindus lived alongside each other. While the news at that time was increasingly dominated by clashes between Hindus and Muslims in northern India, and the long-running dispute with neighbouring Pakistan over Kashmir, it seemed that Christians were largely exempt from such strife. In the school where I worked two thirds of the pupils and staff were Hindu and the remainder Christians. They worked, ate and played together and staff of both faiths even lived together in shared housing. The Christians went to church on Sundays and the Hindus went to temple on Mondays and Thursdays, and they saluted the national flag together, as fellow Indian citizens, each morning. That was
PLEASE HELP
OPPRESSED
CHRISTIANS
In India and around the world today Christians are under increasing pressure from both hostile governments and militant groups.
Your gift can bring encouragement, pastoral care and practical support to our precious brothers and sisters in Christ.
Please make a gift today by
using the enclosed form, calling 01689 823491 or giving online at releaseinternational.org.
11
24 years ago.
John Lawson
Stock photo