Christians, Activists Flay Hindu Politician’s Anti-Minority Remarks

ICC Note: Leader of “Hindu-nation” party in Gujarat attempts to create fear of Christian evangelism among tribal people ahead of possible elections in order to gain votes.

9/10/07 India (UCAN) — Church workers and rights activists have criticized a Hindu politician for trying to pit tribal people against Christians and Muslims in Gujarat state, western India .

On Sept. 2, state Chief Minister Narendra Modi told a public meeting that the federal government is planning to reserve jobs for Muslims at the expense of tribal people.

At another meeting the following day, Modi alleged the federal government aims to encourage conversion by extending job reservation to tribal converts to Christianity. “Your population will go down,” he warned the predominantly tribal audience.

Modi heads the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian people’s party) that has ruled Gujarat since December 2002. The Congress party is the main opposition in Gujarat . At the federal level, a coalition led by the Congress party came to power in May 2004 after ousting a BJP-led coalition.

Sonia Gandhi, an Italian-born woman, heads the Congress party. Modi often picks at her foreign origin and Catholic roots during public meetings.

At both recent meetings, Modi told tribal people the Congress party under Gandhi is trying to snatch their jobs to give to Muslims and Christians. The Indian Constitution has reserved 22 percent of government jobs for tribal people, irrespective of their religion.

Jesuit Father Xavier Manjooran, who has worked among tribal people for over two decades, said Modi has resorted to a “divide-and-rule” policy to win Hindu and tribal votes. “Modi is only bluffing the poor, innocent tribals, trying to create tension with his eyes fixed on elections,” the priest told UCA News.

Tribal people account for 16 percent of Gujarat ‘s 51 million people. They are a decisive electoral group for 49 of 182 seats in the state’s legislative assembly. A state assembly election is expected in the first half of December. The majority of tribal seats are now with the BJP.

Father Manjooran accused Modi of specializing “in the art of fishing in troubled waters.” He cited Hindu-Muslim riots that ripped through Gujarat a few months before the 2002 assembly elections, killing more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. The riots “paid rich dividends” to the BJP, which won more than two-thirds of the seats in the assembly, he noted.

The Jesuit priest said he finds no logic in Modi’s remarks alleging that the federal government encourages conversion. According to him, job reservation is the tribal people’s constitutional right and not a sop given by any political party.

Father Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit human rights activist, dismissed Modi’s accusations as “ridiculous” and challenged the chief minister to prove his public comments about conversion. Faith, Father Prakash explained, is a matter of individual conscience and no one can force others to change their religion.

“It is totally impossible unless the person agrees to it,” he added.

Christians form less than 1 percent of Gujarat ‘s people. Muslims account for 9 percent.

Father Prakash manages Prashant (tranquility), a human rights center, in Ahmedabad, the state’s commercial hub, some 920 kilometers southwest of New Delhi .

G.N. Devy, chairperson of the Tribal Bhasha (language) and Research Centre, dismissed Modi’s comments on conversion as “totally untrue.” The tribal activist said a “responsible head of a government” should refrain from making false statements. Modi is promoting bigotry and animosity against religious minorities, he added.

Juzair S. Bandukwala, another human rights activist, accused Modi of playing hate politics. “Modi is a past master in hate politics and knows well how to divide society by provoking suspicion against minorities,” he told UCA News.

Bandukwala noted Modi’s “favorite targets” are Muslims and Christians. “We were hoping Modi would moderate his views to go for development,” said Bandukwala, whose house was destroyed during the 2002 riots. “Unfortunately, this is turning out to be a mirage.”

The Muslim leader said Modi’s recent speeches showed he has not changed over the past five years.

Tribal activist Rajesh Mishra lamented that Modi works “overtime” to divide society to suit his political interests.