NEW DELHI, Jan 3: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien on Friday called for the Narendra Modi government to face “hard questions” about its treatment of the Christian community, including the alleged weaponization of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and the government’s failure to address the crisis in Manipur. His remarks also included a direct challenge to the church on its response to these issues, coming just days after Prime Minister Modi attended a Christmas celebration hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in Delhi.
In a post, O’Brien raised concerns that voices within the Christian community were not being adequately heard and should be brought to the Union government’s attention. “These are the hard questions that must be asked of the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi. Many Christmases have gone by, now answers have to be demanded,” he stated. He specifically questioned the Prime Minister’s decision to turn Christmas Day into “Good Governance Day” and asked why the government was allegedly using the FCRA to target Christian-run institutions.
O’Brien also criticized the government’s handling of the situation in Manipur, accusing it of ignoring the people of the state, where ethnic violence has led to widespread displacement and death. He further denounced the passing of anti-conversion laws, arguing that they violated constitutional rights under Articles 14, 15, and 25. The laws have been implemented in multiple states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan.
Additionally, O’Brien questioned the government’s push for the Waqf bill, accusing it of “playing minority versus minority,” particularly in Kerala. He also pointed out the government’s failure to condemn hate speech and communal slurs, questioning why such actions were not addressed more forcefully.
The TMC leader voiced concerns over increasing violence against Christians and attacks on institutions run by minorities. He also raised the issue of India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) losing its United Nations accreditation twice since 2014. O’Brien specifically mentioned the case of Father Stan Swamy, a tribal rights activist and Jesuit priest who died in custody in July 2021 after being arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
“In my two decades in public life, including three terms in Parliament, I have written columns on a range of subjects but never one on the church in India. This is a first. It needed to be written. More silence on the subject would make me complicit,” O’Brien wrote, underscoring the gravity of the issues at hand.
O’Brien’s remarks come in the wake of a December meeting between several Christian MPs and the CBCI, during which concerns about the treatment of minorities were raised. During that meeting, Christian MPs urged the church leadership to move beyond symbolic gestures and take a firm stand against those who were failing to uphold the Constitution.
O’Brien concluded by asserting that the Christian leadership should take a stronger position and challenge those who are not protecting the fundamental values of the Constitution, particularly in light of the government’s policies and the rising tensions regarding minority rights in India.
