India: The Church does not lose hope, even in light of right wing triumph [BJP Extremist Party]

Vatican Insider ^ | 16-May-2014 | Paolo Affatato

[steve86]

The majority party and its leader Narenda Modi have ridden the wave of religious fanaticism. Minorities are appealing to the legacy of democracy and pluralism

India is officially in the hands of the Hindu right wing. The Catholic Church and other religious minorities are concerned but they are grinning and bearing it, grasping onto the old and deep-rooted legacy of democratic values and pluralism that characterizes the Indian nation. Their concerns stem from the contiguity of India’s leaders with groups of Hindu fanatics. This is the landscape that has been emerging in the Indian sub-continent since the official general election results came out.

[...]

So Modi seems to be holding out the olive branch to the opposition party, in order to reassure Muslim and Christian minorities (who make up 13.5% and 4.5% of the population respectively): In a nation that is 75% Hindu, BJP and Narendra Moni’s victory does not promise anything good for these minorities. The pedigree of this nationalist leader and his party is in fact rather controversial. The power held by the BJP, a party which appeared on the political scene in 1980, has been fuelled by a nationalist ideology referred to as hindutva. Hindutva promotes “one people, one language, one culture”, endorsing cast discrimination and discrimination against religious minorities which should be subdued or wiped out in the name of Hindu supremacy. The party, which came to power for the first time in 1998, showed its approval for extremist movements such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (the National Volunteers Organisation) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (world council of Hindus), and did not hesitate to take advantage of the religious factor to win votes.

[Cronos]

incidently, half of those in the wiki link are caused by Moslems.,,,

[Cronos]

I was at a prayer rally on the mall where one Christian leader with many mission groups in India was praising God about a prominent Hindu temple being destroyed by a national disaster.

horrible. What was that guy thinking?

[Cicero]

I may be wrong, but I think the Hindus are far more likely to behave themselves toward Christians when they are power, than when they are out of power and feeling resentful.

There are still resentful memories of the British Raj and colonialism, but the real violence and hatred remains between the Hindus and their former Muslim conquerors.

I doubt if there will be more violence toward Christians under the new government. More likely, less violence.

[TheThirdRuffian]

All mobs get violent.