The current global and national socio-political scenario closely resembles the period preceding the Second World War. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Israel's relentless bombing of Gaza resulting in the deaths of thousands—particularly women and children—the fragile ceasefires between India and Pakistan and between Israel and Iran, the trade wars initiated by US President Donald Trump, and the decline of democracy with the rise of far-right parties across nations are all alarming indicators of a disturbing trend of gross injustice and violence.

India is no exception. Fascist tendencies are on the rise, marked by discrimination, hatred, persecution, and violence against minorities and marginalised communities. Denial of justice and fundamental rights, particularly to Muslims and Christians, has become a daily reality. The arrest and imprisonment of two nuns from the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) Congregation in Durg, Chhattisgarh—falsely accused of religious conversion and human trafficking—is the latest in a series of incidents of harassment, intimidation, and violence against Christians in India.

In 2025 alone, there have been 378 incidents of violence against Christians in India, according to reports from the United Christian Forum (UCF). In a write-up circulated on social media, Dr. Suresh Mathew, former editor of Indian Currents, highlighted that there have been 4,694 incidents of attacks on Christians in the last 11 years, also providing a year-wise breakdown of the attacks.

Stringent anti-conversion laws—whose constitutionality is currently being challenged in India's Supreme Court—have further facilitated such attacks. These laws, enacted and implemented with the connivance of Hindutva right-wing groups, exemplify how legislation is weaponised against minorities by the BJP governments.

The intention of the BJP governments appears to be discrediting the welfare and developmental activities carried out by hundreds of Christian groups and institutions by branding them as inducements for religious conversion. The Godi media and the BJP's IT cells have proven to be active partners in maligning Christians.

As a result, numerous welfare and developmental initiatives aimed at empowering the underprivileged have come to a standstill. The RSS, the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, never accepted the present Constitution of India at the time of its adoption. It instead advocated for a constitution based on Manusmriti, which promotes a caste-based hierarchical society where women and lower castes remain subservient to men and upper castes. Empowering Dalits, Tribals, and other backwards communities runs counter to the social order envisaged by Hindutva ideology.

It is not only Christians but also anyone working for the empowerment of the poor and marginalised, including Dalits and Tribals, who are branded as "Naxals," "Tukde Tukde gangs," or "anti-nationals." Many social activists, academics, and lawyers have been languishing in jail for years, accused of being Maoists under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Most of those arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case fall into this category. Fr. Stan Swamy, the 84-year-old Jesuit priest who died as an undertrial prisoner, was one of them.

Communal conflicts—incited and orchestrated by vested interests with overt and covert support from the ruling class—have severely undermined justice and peace. Religion is no longer merely a sedative; it has become a toxic weapon used to gain and maintain political power.

What is gravely lacking today, both in India and globally, is the vital combination of justice and peace. When law enforcement agencies collude with right-wing groups who take the law into their own hands, victims are rendered helpless. There can be no peace without justice. Creating a repressive environment in which dissent and the questioning of injustice are branded as anti-national is not true peace. It is nothing more than enforced silence—the peace of a graveyard.

In this frightening and confusing context, what should be the response of Christians in India? They must look to Jesus and the prophets who preceded and followed him. Fr. Stan Swamy stands as the latest prophetic figure in India. It is pertinent to remember his words before his arrest and incarceration:

"Why has truth become so bitter, dissent so intolerable, justice so out of reach? Yet truth must be spoken, the right to dissent must be upheld, and justice must reach the poor. I am not a silent spectator… and am ready to pay the price, whatever it may be."

Fr. Stan Swamy's words radiate COURAGE, born of deep conviction and commitment to the vision and core values of Jesus: The Reign of God characterised by justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, and human dignity.
Along with courage, he embodied COMPASSION for the tribals of Jharkhand, whose forest, land, and water resources were unjustly taken from them. He had compassion for the hundreds of tribal youths imprisoned and falsely accused of being Maoists simply for protesting against injustice and exploitation. He also demonstrated CREATIVITY by filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Jharkhand High Court to secure the release of these young people. In this, Fr. Stan was walking in the footsteps of Jesus and the prophets.

A follower of Jesus must have the courage to speak truth to power and protest against injustice and violence that violate the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. Christians must protest not only when injustice is done to nuns but to any citizen of India, regardless of religion, caste, or gender, especially the underprivileged.

Some social media posts have criticised the silence and apathy of Catholic Church leaders in India—particularly of the Syro-Malabar Church—in condemning attacks on Muslims and atrocities against Christians in the past. According to these critiques, Church leaders were silent during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, the anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat in 2002, and the Kandhamal genocide of Christians in Odisha (2008). Even in the case of the ongoing crisis in Manipur, the response has been muted.

It is also noted that, until recently, Syro-Malabar Church leaders remained silent when priests and nuns of the Latin rite and Christians of other denominations faced violent attacks. Accusations of religious conversion and subsequent arrests of nuns travelling with women aspiring to join convents or work in Christian institutions by Hindutva mobs are not new; such incidents have occurred repeatedly in the past. Binu Mathew of Countercurrents.org recently argued that justice should not be demanded only when Syrian Christians are attacked but whenever any minority community or Christian denomination is targeted.

For individuals to access justice, experience peace, and live in a compassionate society, certain foundational conditions must be met. Followers of Jesus have a responsibility to help establish these conditions in collaboration with all who uphold the foundational values of the Indian Constitution.

Key conditions include:
1.    Non-discrimination
2.    Non-exploitation
3.    Absence of hate speech and violence
4.    Rule of law
5.    Access to fundamental rights
6.    Reduction of extreme economic inequality

Over the past 11 years, these conditions have been steadily eroding in India. The ruling party has fostered an environment conducive to hate speech, mob violence, and religious vigilantism. Laws such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), anti-conversion laws, and so-called "love jihad" legislations are openly discriminatory. Legal instruments like the UAPA and NSA are weaponised against dissenters and minorities. The phenomenon of "bulldozer justice"—demolishing the homes and establishments of accused individuals without due process—disproportionately targets Muslims, and has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, yet still practised with impunity.

Furthermore, ruling authorities, in collusion with mainstream and social media, have vilified Muslims and Christians, branding them as anti-national. This polarisation has fragmented the nation and poses a grave threat to communal harmony.

Taking inspiration from Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, and prophetic figures like Fr. Stan Swamy, followers of Jesus must become facilitators of justice and peace by being courageous, compassionate, and creative.
They may adopt the following approaches:
1.    Protest using non-violent methods in collaboration with civil society organisations against attacks on minorities, women, Dalits, and Adivasis, as well as against human rights violations and the erosion of secular democracy. This reflects the active non-violence practised by Gandhi.
2.    Promote core constitutional values—democracy, secularism, justice, liberty, equality, dignity, federalism, and the rule of law—through all ministries, particularly education.
3.    Promote interfaith harmony: Prioritise spirituality rooted in Jesus' core teachings (compassion, justice, reconciliation) over mere religiosity. Personal witness remains the most potent form of evangelisation today.
4.    Embrace pluralism as a core value, appreciating and celebrating religious and cultural diversity. Foster interfaith communities working together for peace. Celebrate festivals of all faiths in public institutions, conduct interfaith prayers, and display ethical teachings from various scriptures.