A section of the Church invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a function. We would be ingrates if we did not therefore thank him for speaking up at last on hate crimes, as we had been urging him to do for the past six months, and specially as we requested him to do when a delegation met him at his residence on Christmas eve last.
His statement now is a change from what he said then, after ordering the cameras to be switched off.
Freedom of faith, as enunciated in the Hague and UN documents, is quite a part of the Indian Constitution. There has been much tragedy and human suffering because the constitutional guarantees have not been fully practiced. And because some political groups have enjoyed immunity and government patronage and protection.
We are happy that he did not call for a "ten-year moratorium" as he had in his speech on Independence Day last year, but said "We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard."
The minorities have not been attacking anyone.
The future will tell if groups professing religious nationalism have heard him. TV debates suggest the Sangh parivar has not heard him. Or perhaps they think he does not mean what he says. I wish he had also addressed the Sangh Parivar.
And if state governments and their police forces will act against hate crimes and hate mongers.
God bless India.
John Dayal is member, National Integration Council and former national president, All India Catholic Union
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His statement now is a change from what he said then, after ordering the cameras to be switched off.
Freedom of faith, as enunciated in the Hague and UN documents, is quite a part of the Indian Constitution. There has been much tragedy and human suffering because the constitutional guarantees have not been fully practiced. And because some political groups have enjoyed immunity and government patronage and protection.
We are happy that he did not call for a "ten-year moratorium" as he had in his speech on Independence Day last year, but said "We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard."
The minorities have not been attacking anyone.
The future will tell if groups professing religious nationalism have heard him. TV debates suggest the Sangh parivar has not heard him. Or perhaps they think he does not mean what he says. I wish he had also addressed the Sangh Parivar.
And if state governments and their police forces will act against hate crimes and hate mongers.
God bless India.
John Dayal is member, National Integration Council and former national president, All India Catholic Union
