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Modi’s Response to Religious Violence

March 2, 2015

by Priya Dadlani

After a series of brutal attacks on Roman Catholic churches in New Delhi, India, Prime

Minister Narendra Modi said that his administration will not tolerate violence on any

religion and that if the crimes continue they will, !act strongly in this regard"#

$ne of the latest and most sus%icious incidents was a robbery at a Catholic girls school in

the ca%ital" At least five Catholic churches in New Delhi have re%orted a myriad of

attacks from vandalism and arson to stone throwing" &e 'Modi( has instructed me that

the Delhi %olice must take effective measures so that %eo%le who commit such incidents

are caught and, a%art from that, such incidents are not re%eated,# )"*" )assi, %olice

commissioner, told the New +ork imes"

Peo%le were waiting for a res%onse from their %rime minister addressing the latest

e%isodes of religious violence" he first initial statement his office released was vague

and did not mention the s%ecific acts of violence against the churches" Instead, he

e-%ressed a dee% and concerned anguish# over the increasing crime rate in New Delhi"

Indian Christians felt es%ecially snubbed by his indirect statement"

&owever in the following days he released two statements, one in conversation with the

Police Commissioner and one to the nation" My government will not allow any religious

grou%, belonging to the minority or the ma.ority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or 

covertly,# Mr" Modi said to the nation on uesday"

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I think he/s been wanting to do it, but has not been able to gather courage to do it,# said

*hekhar 0u%ta, a .ournalist and vice1chairman of the India oday 0rou%" $ne, because

he is, dee% down, an R"*"*" man" &e does, dee% down, share the same beliefs and

concerns" And second, he was really shy about taking on his s%iritual and ideological

establishment"#

*ome Christian leaders are known to believe that the crimes were %art of a %lanned

movement by right1wing &indu grou%s to instill fear in India/s Christian minority" Mr"

Modi is staunchly associated with the Rashtriya *wayamsevak *angh, or R"*"*", a &indu

nationalist organi2ation and most of the %eo%le that voted him in office were &indus, who

make u% about 345 of India/s %o%ulation" In 6447, Modi was %ut under a visa ban

 because of the way he handled religious riots in the state he then led" &owever the Indian

court found him innocent on these counts"

8ast month President )arack $bama visited India and called for religious tolerance" &e

visited a school and relayed to a massive crowd of students, India will succeed so long

as it is not s%lintered along the lines of religious faith"# 9%on his return to the 9nited

*tates he reiterated the same views on India/s future"

:hatever lays ahead for the nation, Modi has made his choice to condemn religious

violence" &e has given ho%e to those who believed his cam%aign %romises to build a

modern India,# said New +ork imes o%inion columnist Carol 0iacomo" *uch an

ambitious vision could never be reali2ed if he allowed or enabled India to devolve into

religious turmoil"#