The Catholic bishops face criticism for supporting the BJP government’s Waqf legislation
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Severely criticising the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) for its support of the Waqf amendments, about a dozen Christian leaders on Tuesday said state interference in the affairs of one minority could well open the door to similar intrusions into the rights and governance of other religious communities, including Christians.
In its statement on March 25, the Catholic bishops’ organisation extended support to the BJP government’s Waqf Bill and said earlier provisions were inconsistent with the Constitution and the country’s secular democratic values.
In response to the CBCI’s statement, Christian activists and leaders including noted rights activists John Dayal, AC Michael, rights lawyer Susan Abraham and others wrote the letter criticising their decision to support the new legislation.
“It is important to recognise that responses shaped primarily by immediate or local anxieties may inadvertently lead to consequences that also affect the Christian community’s long-term interests. A precedent that enables state interference in the affairs of one minority may well open the door to similar intrusions into the rights and governance of other religious communities, including Christians,” reads the letter.
The letter asserted that at a time when Christian institutions are themselves under increasing scrutiny and pressure from political and state authorities—and when the number of reported incidents of violence and discrimination against Christians has sharply risen, including over 800 documented cases in 2024 alone—they must be particularly “vigilant in safeguarding the broader principles of minority rights and religious freedom. “As citizens, it is our constitutional duty to uphold the rights of all religious communities and to stand in solidarity with those whose freedoms are under threat,” it said.
Besides John Dayal, AC Michael, and Susan Abraham, the letter was signed by Allen Brooks, ex-chairperson of the Assam State Commission for Minorities; Brinelle D’Souza, academic and activist; Dorothy Fernandes PBVM, former National Convener of the Forum of Religious for Justice & Peace; Walter Fernandes SJ, Director of the North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati; Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, Secretary, Ecclesia of Women in Asia; Frazer Mascarenhas SJ, former principal, St. Xavier’s College Mumbai; and Thomas Pallithanam, People’s Action For Rural Awakening & Meluko, Andhra Pradesh.
