#YT Vinayaraj

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The birth of the 21st century unleashed the onslaught of neo-liberal economic policies and the religious fundamentalist insurgence changed our concept of nation, nationalism, and politics. The Hindutva politics of cultural nationalism and its violent disposition toward indigenous and minority sections in this country provoked us to ask “Who sings the nation?” (Spivak) and “Whose imagined community?” (Partha Chatterjee). The issues such as the Babri Masjid case, Muthalaq case, Uniform Civil Code, the CAA, anti-conversion laws, and attacks on Dalit/Tribal Christians so and so forth have unveiled the wretched status of minorities in this country. Realizing that Muslims are hard to nationalize/ Hinduise, Christians are now targeted to be  integrated into the pan-Indian Hindu cultural identity. Recently, some of the church leaders are satiated through frequent visits and political offers by the communal forces, and of course, few of them have already preyed on it due to the issues connected with foreign funds or any other personal issues of corruption. However, Christians should not forget the ideological position of Hindutva as it renders Christians, Muslims, and Communists internal threats to the Indian Nation.

Fr. Dr. Y.T Vinayaraj, director, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS)

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Submitting ourselves to this political agenda of the communal forces will defeat our Christian mandate to work for the establishment of God’s just world on earth and blemish its legacy in this country towards holding up the values of secularism and social democracy. This is nothing but a violation of the Christian moral principles and the teachings of Jesus Christ. No Christian leaders have been given any mandate from the faith communities to represent them and to compromise with the majoritarian politics. The leaders who indulge in this exclusive politics deceive the grassroots Christian people who face violent attacks from Hindu fanatics. The leaders who forget the history of Indian Christian public witness will take the Indian church to its impending doom and we don’t want to do that. The Indian church wants to challenge the exclusionary politics of the communal forces and stand in solidarity with the other minorities and the subjugated section who are not even considered citizens in this country. Today, Christian participation in nation- building finds its location in the civil society movements that uphold the values of secularism and diversity.

Fr. Dr. Y.T Vinayaraj, director, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS)

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The discussions initiated by M.M. Thomas and P.D Devanandan in the late 1960s and the early 70s facilitated Indian Christians to relocate themselves into the modern ideological framework of a secular state. The article written by M.M. Thomas in 1967 entitled “The Christian Community in a Secular State” affirmed the role of Christian communities in building a secular-democratic nation in India. Christian role in envisaging a secular democratic state in India was thought out by M.M. Thomas and his colleagues even before it was added to the constitution of India in 1976. It is nothing but open secularism that ensures equal treatment to all religions and at the same time protects religions from becoming communal in content and practice. Critiquing the Brahminic content of Indian social values, Thomas urged Indian churches to engage with the ideals of Ambedkarism and become a de-casteist community in practice as a model to Indian society.

Fr. Dr. Y.T Vinayaraj, director, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS)