In a frank and heartfelt appeal, Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore, South India, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to adopt a more generous and trusting approach towards India’s Christian community, drawing inspiration from the inclusive leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
According to Catholic Connect, he made this appeal in a recent interview with veteran journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire.
Archbishop Machado expressed deep concern about the growing atmosphere of hostility, intimidation, and false accusations directed at Christians in the country. “Like Vajpayee, Modi must be more generous and trust us,” he said, highlighting the long-standing contributions of the Christian community to education, healthcare, and service to the marginalized.
He described a “pattern of intimidation” that is becoming increasingly mainstream. The Archbishop condemned inflammatory public statements made by political leaders, specifically referring to BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar, whoallegedly offered rewards for attacking Christian priests.
“How can leaders be allowed to incite violence in a democracy?” he asked. “This isn’t fringe behaviour anymore, it’s moving to the mainstream.”
Addressing frequent allegations of forced religious conversions, especially during Christian festivals, Archbishop Machado spoke of 11 reported disruptions during Christmas celebrations last year.
“People barged into our Christmas celebrations, even in Bangalore,” he said. “Before the Church could begin celebrating, markets were already selling Christmas goods. And yet we are blamed.”
“Are we so cheap as to say that bringing gifts to orphans or joy to hospital patients is an attempt to convert them?”
He also highlighted the irony in political leaders blaming Christian institutions for conversions, while many of them have been educated in such institutions.
Referencing a recent parliamentary intervention by Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, he noted: “Many senior politicians today, including the Finance Minister and the Foreign Minister, graduated from Christian institutions. Yet none had ever been converted.” “Why then,” he asked, “is this ‘conversion boogie’ used repeatedly against us?”
Archbishop Machado called out the lack of clear condemnation from national leadership in the face of ongoing hate speech and attacks. Emphasizing the Church's enduring commitment to the nation, he said: “We are not enemies of the state. We are co-builders of this country. We are ready to help the government. We want to build together.”
He reiterated his five appeals to the Prime Minister: protection from false allegations; action against hate speech. safety for Christian institutions. recognition of Christian contributions, and ull respect for religious freedom
His final message was firm yet dignified: “We believe in the Constitution. We ask not for privilege, but for peace, fairness, and dignity.”
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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