Catholic bishops’ body says lynchings dented Narendra Modi government’s credibility 

The apex body for the Catholic bishops in India, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, with more than 20 million members, while suggesting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Sankalp Patra” for the 2019 Lok Sabha election said: “Minority communities should feel secure in the country and no one should be forced to prove one’s nationalism. Nationalism is in the blood of every Indian, whether belonging to a majority or minority community, and that no one should even doubt such a thing or alienate anyone by being suspicious.”

CBCI sent a letter in response to the government’s invitation for suggestions and proposals, which said: “Lynching in the name of differences in religious practices, food habits, and cultural differences, have considerably dented the credibility of the government and made minorities feel unsafe. The constitutional right to practice, preach and propagate one’s religion must be upheld.”

Father Joseph Manipadam, secretary of CBCI’s office for education and culture, prepared a report, which said: “There should be no saffronization of textbooks or distortion of historical facts. The government should acknowledge the contribution of Christian missionaries in education in India. Even today, they run the most sought after institutions in the country. Involve them in drafting the National Education Policy.”

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