By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, Dec 23, 2024: Narendra Modi created history on December 23 when he became the first Indian prime minister to visit the headquarters of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in New Delhi.
The prime minister took part in the Christmas celebrations hosted by the bishops at the CBCI Centre premises. He also interacted with key leaders from the Christian community, including cardinals, bishops and prominent lay leaders of the Church.
Addressing the program, Prime Minister Modi said Christ teaches love, harmony, and brotherhood and urged everyone to work towards strengthening these values in society.
He said attempts to spread violence and cause disruption in society pained him.
The prime minister stressed that only a human-centric approach, as adopted by India, could take a 21st-century world to new heights. Citing the Christmas market attack in Germany and the 2019 Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, Modi said it is important to come together and fight such challenges.
The prime minister recalled “a very satisfactory moment for me when we safely brought Father Alexis Prem Kumar from war-torn Afghanistan a decade back.”
Father Kumar, a member of the Jesuit Refugee Services, was working in western Herat province of Afghanistan when gunmen took him into custody on June 2, 2014.
It was PM Modi to announce the Jesuit’s release first through a tweet on February 22, 2015.
“He was stuck there for eight months and was in hostage… For us, all these missions are not mere diplomatic missions but an emotional commitment to bring back family members,” Modi told the Christmas program.
Modi said India sees it as its duty to bring its citizens to safety, no matter where they are or what crisis they face. When the Covid pandemic struck, many countries that talked big about human rights backed down from helping poor countries, the prime minister added.
He said India even moved beyond its capabilities to help poor countries during COVID-19 and provided medicines to over 150 nations. He also said India provided vaccines to several countries.
“Our youth have given us confidence that the dream of a Viksit Bharat will surely be fulfilled,” he said.
Modi said it is a moment of pride that Pope Francis has made Father George Koovakad, a priest from Kerala, a cardinal.
Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur, the CBCI president, said this was the first time that a prime minister of India came to the CBCI Center, the main center of the Catholic Church in the country.
“We are honored, we praise God because the Prime Minister has come… on behalf of Christians, we wish all the Indians Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,” Archbishop Thazhath tweeted after the program.
CBCI general secretary Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi expressed happiness over the prime minister’s attendance in the celebration. “I’m very happy that the prime minister is coming to the CBCI Center and joining us for this Christmas meeting. Christmas is a type of togetherness, of love, of affection, and I’m happy that together we are celebrating the birth of Jesus,” Archbishop Couto said.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the archbishop of Bombay and the former CBCI president who was present on the occasion, said that Prime Minister Modi attending the event showed that he is concerned about the minority communities.
“This is a beautiful event organized by CBCI, the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows his concern towards the minority communities,” said Cardinal Gracias, a member of Pope Francis’ advisory committee.
The CBCI is one of the first bishops’ conferences in the world, established in 1944. Its member bishops come from all three ritual Catholic Churches in India – Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara.
A week ago, PM Modi attended a Christmas celebration at federal Minister George Kurian’s residence in New Delhi, where he interacted with the members of the Christian community.
Sad, strange, but true – not one of the prelates present at that celebration had the nerve to raise Manipur and other such issues with him. Just what are we coming to???
I quote a statement from this report: “He said attempts to spread violence and cause disruption in society pained him.”
The above statement is very superficial. Surprisingly, Modi recalled two examples of attacks – one in Germany and another in Sri Lanka. But… the attacks on churches and Christians that happened and continues to happen in Manipur and other parts of India NEVER PAINED MODI. And it will not pain him because all the persecutions on Christians in India happen with his full knowledge and blessing. This is a classic example of his HYPOCRISY.
CBCI-Modi meeting at the CBCI Centre, “in the midst of continuous persecutions of Christians in India” is the HEIGHT OF STUPIDITY.
Height of duplicity and hypocrisy. PM Modi celebrates Christmas and bows down to child Jesus in Delhi while his followers burn Xmas cribs elsewhere.
Bishops and Cardinals are part of the game because they themselves are hypocrites.
Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the CBCI Centre in Delhi yesterday was a historic moment, marking the first time a Prime Minister has attended a Christmas celebration at the headquarters of the Catholic Church in India. His presence was a significant gesture of goodwill and inclusivity, and his words emphasizing the importance of love, harmony, and brotherhood were truly appreciated.
However, amidst the joy and celebration, it was hard not to notice the Prime Minister’s conspicuous silence on the issue of Manipur. The suffering of its people, the destruction of churches, and the continued conflict in the region are pressing concerns that require attention and action. The Prime Minister’s failure to address these issues undermined the positivity of his visit and left many feeling disappointed and concerned.
As the Prime Minister rightly emphasized, Christmas is a time for love, compassion, and kindness . It is a time to come together and work towards the betterment of society. But it is also a time to acknowledge the struggles and challenges faced by marginalized communities, including those in Manipur.
Let us hope that the Prime Minister’s visit to the CBCI Centre marks the beginning of a new era of inclusivity and concern for the welfare of all citizens, regardless of their faith or background.
This is nothing but POLITICAL POSTURING. He was just tom tomming his own मन की बात. What did je say on the ongoing violence in Manipur, the custodial death of Stan Swamy and the draconian anti-conversion laws used to harrass Christians? Are our venerable bishops compromising with the government just to protect their vast properties and foreign funds?