To Indian Christians: How we should respond to religious persecution

Washington, D.C. is hosting the annual International Religious Freedom Summit this week. While religious freedom is always an important topic, it feels even more urgent this year. All over the world, from Nigeria to North Korea to Afghanistan to Burma, there is persecution and unrest.
It’s happening here in India as well. All you need to do is look at the past 18 months of chaos and upheaval that have engulfed the Indian state of Manipur.
There are about 600,000 Kuki Christians in Manipur who have been forced to resort to self-defense to protect themselves from attacks against them due to their ethnic and Christian identity. Resisting those who would impose an extremist Hindu identity, the Meitei population has hit back at the state by capturing the arms in the hold of the state and attacking both the Kuki population and the state forces.
This cycle of violence is due to the radical ideology of violent extremist Hinduism. Extremism has come back to bite the Indian state in Manipur, as it has adversely affected the Meitei, who have long struggled for their own tribal identity and land — a struggle made all the more difficult because about 10% of their population is Christian.
This religious and ethnic struggle has attracted attention around India, and the large Naga Christian population in the State of Manipur is watching how the conflict plays out. But they are on the alert.
Indians, and the rest of the world for that matter, must understand that it is the Hindu culture and not extremist Hinduism that has held India together for millennia. The radicalized Hindu agenda has successfully polarized India according to ethnic identities, religious identities, and caste.
The pluralistic, diverse, and peaceful India we previously knew is under threat. Corporate India is not concerned about Indian unity and the disintegration of society. Most of them have already parked much of their financial resources abroad, and many elite upper-caste Indians have moved abroad with their millions of dollars, even as cultural and religious hate is spewed by the media channels owned by the rich and powerful.
It is clear that something needs to change, and I believe the Church has a significant role to play, even while enduring persecution and propaganda. That is because the Church has the power, through the love of Jesus, to demonstrate authentic peace and harmony in Manipur.
First, the love of Christ will not allow us to treat our neighbors — no matter their religion or ethnic identity — as our enemies. Christ-followers cannot sink into any form of Christian nationalism if we are indeed serious about following Jesus.
Next, the love of Christ includes acknowledging the basic right of human freedom. It does not allow for the violence and destruction that has left many of the churches of the Manipur heartland in ruins. The state has not protected the rights of both Kuki and Meitei Christians.
Radicalized Hindu forces in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chattisgarh have banned Christian home meetings, which means that Christians now cannot pray and worship God in their own homes with other Christians. This is a reminder of what happened in the early centuries of the church, in radicalized Muslim nations, in the Soviet Union, and now in China.
Anyone with knowledge of Christian history knows that such persecution will only lead to more people being attracted to Jesus Christ as they see Christians continue to faithfully follow Jesus despite the unjust consequences. This freedom of conscience, and the authenticity of their faith, is not taken away just because an antagonistic faction holds political power.
The love of Christ also allows for religious pluralism. It allows people to make their own free choices with regard to their personal faith. The propaganda that smears Indian Christians, claiming they engage in forced and fraudulent conversions, adds dangerous fuel to this fire. The fact that the State of Assam has even banned prayer for divine healing is a clear example of just how radicalized this version of Hinduism is.
Furthermore, the government's clampdown on any compassionate work of education, healthcare, and economic development through foreign assistance speaks of a callous attitude toward the poor and marginalized. Millions have lost their jobs and livelihoods without providing an alternate means of social care.
The philosophy seems to be that the ruling class doesn't want Christians involved in the social sphere through Christian networks. The idea of the unconditional love of Christ, without the pressure to convert, is somehow lost on the very people who send their children to the best English education institutions in India and abroad.
Christians, on the other hand, must remain faithful to the Gospel, and the goal of peace on earth through Jesus' love and sacrifice. We must resist any hint of Christian nationalism or counterproductive separatism in response to the persecution we receive.
Manipur has not been dealt a just hand, but that should never be an excuse — for them or Christians anywhere — to repay evil for evil.
Archbishop Joseph D’Souza is an internationally renowned human and civil rights activist. He is the founder of Dignity Freedom Network, an organization that advocates for and delivers humanitarian aid to the marginalized and outcastes of South Asia. He is archbishop of the Anglican Good Shepherd Church of India and serves as the President of the All India Christian Council.