India has since long been a secular Democracy, with a very open religious environment where every citizen has the right to decide which faith to follow and practice. Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and people of many other faiths and religions have been living harmoniously with the Hindus in India, despite a few ugly and violent incidents in history which were mainly caused for political gains.
However, the atmosphere now has vitiated and ever since the BJP came to power in the Centre and most of the states, the radical Hindu elements, mainly from the RSS, Bajrang Dal and VHP, have brazenly started issuing violent statements and their cadre carrying out attacks against the minorities, especially Christians and their Churches besides forcibly reconverting Christians and a few Muslims to Hinduism. Is it not a basic democratic right of every Indian to decide which faith he wants to follow based on the information he is exposed to? How can anyone threaten to re-convert those who changed their faith and threaten to kill the Christian preachers and destroy Churches? The silence of the Prime Minister and his Government is frustrating and it is emboldening these extremist elements further and there is an atmosphere of insecurity in the country. Many minorities voted for the BJP, despite the party being tainted as a Hindu nationalist party, hoping for an impartial and secular atmosphere in the country. The inaction of the Central Government in this matter is further heightening the threat and insecurity.
Please join us in signing this petition to request Mr. Narendra Modi, the Honorable Prime Minister of India, to bring these radical elements within the NDA alliance to heel and to openly assure the Christians their safety and right to worship besides guaranteeing protection to their lives and properties.
