By: JurmoloyaRava
CHRISTIANS are in danger of becoming an extinct species in Pakistan. In Quetta, for example, two suicide bombers last week attacked a church, killing nine people and wounding more than 50.
Next door in India, in 2017 there were more than 650 attacks on Christians, who make up only two per cent of the population.
Last week in Bhopal, a mob disrupted a carol service, so that police had to take a number of Christians into protective custody for their own safety. A vehicle belonging to the Christians was torched.
It wasn’t anything as bad as in Pakistan, but Father Maria Stephen, spokesman for the regional bishops’ council, said this kind of attack raised serious questions about the lack of religious freedom in India.
All this is very distressing to people like myself who attended Christian-run schools such as St Xavier’s in India. The products of these schools have helped to keep India largely secular.
In a city like Kolkata, Christians are safe and Christmas is celebrated even by Hindus. My friends and relatives in India appear happy to receive Christmas cards with religious themes.
In London, Christmas has become almost a Hindu festival, judging by the number of families I know who get in a Christmas tree and embrace seasonal festivities (though turkey remains difficult to curry). This year, as in the past, I will try and catch the festival of nine lessons and carols live from King’s College, Cambridge, on Christmas Eve.
Narendra Modi, who is prime minister of all Indians, should be very concerned that attacks on Christians – and Muslims – appear to multiply when the BJP is in power.
[TheChamp-Sharing]
