Catholic Religious pledge to protect secularism

Mangalore Today News Network

Ranchi, Feb 25, 2018: Catholic priests and nuns from 31 religious congregations have pledged to protect the secular and democratic ethos of Indian constitution amid calls from rightwing Hindu groups to make India a theocratic nation.

“There is an urgent need for us to wake up to the harsh realities of diluting the secular, socialistic and democratic ethos of our constitution and protect them,” said Father Jacob Peenickaparambil Feb. 19.

He was speaking at the end of a three-day biennial convention of Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace in Ranchi, the capital of north-eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.

More than 60 men and women from Religious congregations discussed the theme “challenges to secular democracy in India today” – and felt the need to create awareness among the people to protect the constitution of India.

“Unless we propagate the values of our constitution, its secular, socialistic and democratic values, and the rights of minorities will not be safe in the country,” said Father Peenikaparambil, national convenor of the group and a member of Carmelite Mary Immaculate (CMI) congregation.

Several speakers at the meeting said pro-Hindu groups continue to clamor to make India a Hindus-alone state, with the government supporting them with discriminative policies that sideline Muslims, Christians, dalits, tribals and other social and ethnic minorities.

“The discriminatory policies in force in the country have widened the gap between the rich and the poor,” said Sister Manju Kulapuram, national executive secretary of the forum.

She cited the increasing cases of attacks against Christians and Muslims, including several cases of lynching in the past two years in the name of protection of cows taking place in the country.

“Unless we come together and challenge those fomenting such attacks with the tacit support of the government, our future is very bleak,” she told ucanews.com.

Pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which came to power in 2014, now controls governments in 19 of the 29 states. Hindu groups consider BJP the party that supports their ideology of Hindu nation.

Father Roy Thomas, a social worker priest, said Christians schools should make special efforts to teach constitutional values “our students and the struggle of our freedom fighters to make the country free secular nation.”