“Minority communities should feel secure in the country and no one should be forced to prove one’s nationalism,” said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), the apex body for the Catholic church, as a suggestion for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The CBCI added that “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.”
“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,” said the recommendation letter sent in response to the government’s invitation for suggestions and proposals.
Warning that “there should be no centralisation, commercialisation and communalisation of education,” the report, prepared by Fr. Joseph Manipadam, secretary, CBCI’s Office for Education and Culture, said, “There should be no saffronisation of text books 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,” the report said.
CBCI has more than 20 million members.
