by Nirmala Carvalho

An Indian newspaper reported an alleged meeting between the Hindu group and Catholic Church leaders. The alleged purpose of the meeting was the creation of a joint organisation. For Fr Joseph Xavier, the claim is an attempt at “false propaganda” for electoral purposes. “There was no meeting for that purpose,” he said; “there was a Christmas celebration,” which the Catholic Bishops Conference of India organises every year.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Reports that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a radical Hindu paramilitary ultranationalist group, and India’s Catholic Church plan to work together are totally false.

For Fr Joseph Xavier, a Jesuit priest expert in human rights and criminology, and a former executive director of the Indian Social Institute in New Delhi, news to that effect in the Indian media are a total fabrication, and reflect specific political aims.

Speaking to AsiaNews, the Jesuit scholar noted that reports about an alleged meeting in mid-December between some leaders of the Indian Church and representatives of the extremist group (which supports the ideology of Hindutva) is nothing but a pitiful attempt at “false propaganda” for electoral purposes. “There was no meeting for that purpose,” he said; “there was a Christmas celebration.

The controversy arose after the Economic Times published an article on 4 January about the alleged meeting. “On December 17, 4-5 archbishops, 40-50 bishops from across 10 to 12 states met. It was decided to develop a movement. This is preparing the ground to lay the seeds for an organisation,” the paper quoted Indresh Kumar, a member of RSS’ National Executive, as saying. Such an entity would follow along the lines of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, which the RSS established over a decade ago.

Mgr Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, archbishop of Faridabad, issued a statement, denying this version of the event. “First,” the prelate said, “it was not a meeting. It was a Christmas celebration”. Secondly, “Claims about discussions concerning a political forum are absolutely baseless."

In the hours that followed the publication of the article, other members of the Indian Catholic Church expressed shock and dismay, saying that reporting of the event was twisted and incorrectly presented by the media.

Father Xavier noted that the alleged meeting "was nothing more than the celebration of Christmas. Every year, the Catholic Church invites representatives of various political groups, especially the government. Home Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh was one of those invited this year.”

"The Economic Times reported the formal event,” he said, “and built up what happened on 17 December, jazzing it up to make it more controversial. It seems that no one - not even the editor or the reporter - had the time to establish the facts."

The Jesuit noted that the United Christian Forum (UCF) has decided to hold consultations to discuss what happened. The meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, "we have to wonder what drove RSS radicals to spread such news,” he said. “Why is this non-state group trying to woo the Christian community? How can this effort be connected to the broader strategy of annihilating minorities, Dalits, Adivasis and other marginalised communities?"

For the scholar, there is only one answer. "Everyone knows that five Indian states will go to the polls shortly. They include Kerala, which has a sizable Christian electorate."

"No dialogue can take place in a vacuum,” Fr Xavier said, “unless there is openness and a common ground based on the values and principles enshrined in the Constitution of India. Christian leaders have a responsibility to put aside the minority syndrome in order to challenge and confront those elements that are destroying the democratic and secular ethos of this great nation.”

• india
• catholic
• church
• hindu
• radicals
• rss
• meeting