Derek O'Brien's column: The Ever-Increasing Attacks on Christians Raise Many Questions

Scene one: Kolkata. When a woman looks up, she feels the melody of a song with a prickly chill that has moved swiftly in the air. Before they can experience her, she disappears. But they know that this special feeling will return at the end of 2026. It's the feeling that will come with the Christmas-themed lights on Park Street (now Mother Teresa Array), the carols echoing on the stages in the parks, the tunes playing on the sidewalks, the churches and chapels. The main road is opened to pedestrians for two nights. Churches are lit up with lights. There are very few cities that can match this festive fervor of community solidarity. Christmas in Kolkata is not an occasion that goes by without leaving a trace. It takes its time, pauses and soaks in true happiness. The Kolkata Christmas Festival has now entered its 15th year. It carries forward the age-old tradition of 'Bodo Din'. From Christmas to the early days of the New Year, this celebration is celebrated by everyone. Lights, decorations, food. The choir and band perform for all who will stop for a while to listen—and smile and sway along to the music. Scenario Two: Somewhere in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan. No, it's not the Christmas we know. Harassing those who earn a living by selling Santa Claus hats on the roadside. Beating up those who wear them. Toppling Christmas trees in malls. Demolishing the decorations put up for the New Year. Threatening a community steeped in prayer. How different these two pictures are from each other! Senior Jesuit priest Fr Cedric Prakash told this columnist: "What is happening to Christians in India today is not only unacceptable, but also unconstitutional. On the one hand, the Prime Minister pretends that everything is fine and goes to churches on Christmas Day and on the other hand, he does not even condemn the attacks on religious and social symbols associated with Christmas. The head of the largest body of Catholic bishops in India also issued a video message, saying: "Peaceful carol singers and worshippers gathered in churches have been targeted, creating a sense of fear and anguish among law-abiding citizens." Such incidents deeply hurt the soul of our Constitution. I strongly condemn these acts of hatred and violence. However, the Christian community should not fall into the trap of being dragged into the limelight just for 'negative reasons'. A positive message is key. This community has made significant contributions especially in the field of education and health. Seven crore students are enrolled in 54,000 Christian-run educational institutions across the country every year. At least three out of every four students studying in them are non-Christians. Several ministers in the Union Cabinet have been alumni of Christian-run institutions — JP Nadda, Piyush Goyal, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jyotiraditya Scindia and even LK Advani in the past. At the same time, this community-run health institution provides services to about two percent of India's population. 80% of this work is done in remote and medically disadvantaged areas. During the pandemic, 60,000 in-patient beds were made available in more than a thousand hospitals. The Catholic Health Association of India is India's largest non-governmental health network with over 3,500 institutions. Supreme Court advocate Colin Gonsalves makes it clear that in any court you will not find a case of conviction in which someone has been forcibly converted. It's all political propaganda. Today, 600 cases of attacks on Christians are reported in the country every year. If the judiciary also remains silent, who will protect us? In any court of law, you will not find a case of conviction in which forced conversion has been done. This is propaganda. There are 600 cases of attacks on Christians in the country every year. If the judiciary is also silent, who will protect us? (These are the author's own views)