In an open letter to the Prime Minister, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council said it believes ‘God has appointed you’ as the nation's leader at this juncture, and highlighted ‘more open attacks on Christians across the nation’ urging his intervention.
In open letter, Nagaland Church body urges PM to stop violence against Christians, uphold Democracy
Kohima, January 2 (MExN): The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the apex body of Baptist churches in Nagaland, has issued an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing “deep regret” and “grave concern” over the increase in violence against Christians across India, particularly during the ongoing Christmas season and urging his intervention.
The council stated it believes “God has appointed you to be our political leader at this juncture of our nation’s history.” It highlighted that the Christmas season this year had witnessed, “more open attacks on Christians across the nation.”
In the letter, signed by NBCC General Secretary Rev Dr Mar Pongener, President Rev Achu Chang, and Secretary for Social Concern Dr Villo Naleo, the council cited data from the United Christians Forum documenting “more than 600 incidents of violence between January and October 2025 alone, averaging two attacks per day.” These incidents, it stated, include “mob assaults, public humiliation, church disruption, and the demolition of homes.”
It underscored a “bitter irony,” noting that in a country that prides itself on being the world's largest democracy, “citizens are facing attacks for simply celebrating Christmas.”
“The freedom to practice one’s faith seems like a distant dream when such incidents occur again and again,” the NBCC letter noted, appealing for the Prime Minister's attention to the issue.
Where are our leaders?
The church body expressed disappointment with Christian Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), “particularly those from your own BJP party,” for their perceived silence and failing to “raise their just voices against attacks on Christians and the hate speech directed at Christianity.”
It referred to recent incidents in states including UP (Bareily incident), Kerala, Delhi (Lajpat Nagar incident), Chattisgarh (Raipur shopping mall), Assam (St Mary School, Nalbari district), and Rajasthan.
“Yet, once again they proved us wrong by remaining silent on these critical issues in the crucial moment when Christians all over our nation needed their solidarity. They could be expecting religious extremists to attack us in our Christian home state, only then they might speak,” the council stated.
Defence of Christian identity
The NBCC stated that the “pace and intensity of attacks suggest that simply being a Christian is turning into an existential threat.” It held the “silence of the powers that be” responsible for allowing “religious hate speeches and campaigns calling for the mass murder of religious minorities within their political jurisdiction.”
The Council expressed bafflement at the “hatred vented against a community” that has, it asserted, contributed significantly to “the security, economy, culture and political shaping of modern India to this day.”
Clarifying on allegations often levelled by various groups, the NBCC questioned, “Have Christians lacked nationalism? Have Christians betrayed and worked against the constitution of India?” It defined Christian nationalism as “loyalty and patriotism to the nation,” asserting that Christians have not lacked in this compared to “cultural Hindu nationalists.”
Countering the portrayal of Christianity as a foreign faith, the letter highlighted its ancient roots in India, noting the arrival of St. Thomas in Kerala in the 1st century C.E. “Christianity is not the religion of the West; if we consider the origin of Christianity, it started in West Asia (Jerusalem),” the letter stated.
The NBCC acknowledged that Christians, despite their social identity as marginalized people, have been encouraged to develop a positive attitude towards suffering and trials. The fact that being marginalized itself gives a lot of room for harbouring hatred and grudge; but the thought of eternal vindication from every pain and depression gives glorious hope and absolute joy for believers to persevere.
“Our religious outlook on salvation has sustained our unity and composure in suffering. This is one of the greatest gifts of salvation, the power to persevere courageously,” the council explained.
It identified “divisive forces like Hindutva ideology, the RSS, UCC (Uniform Civil Code) and anti-conversion bills” as “disturbing Christian harmony in India.” It argued, “All these forces are collectively working against the identity, dignity and community of Christians in India.”
Non-negotiable moral clarity
NBCC also reasoned, given that many of the country’s lawmakers, politicians and bureaucrats were educated in Christian institutions, it is unimaginable that Christians should be treated as marginalized minorities, and be subjected to step-motherly treatment from the government.
The council reaffirmed that India must not forget that democracy can be innovative and resourceful. When democracy is exercised in its fullest measure, it can create peace and harmony, co-existence and unity. “Democracy must be shown both in the form of governance and a way of life. It must insure personal freedom of expression, equality of all persons before the law and freedom of all people from discrimination on grounds of religion, colour or race,” it emphasised.
Appealing to the Prime Minister’s legacy, the NBCC acknowledged that under his leadership, India has reached a global stature where it is seen as an “international democratic model.” It stressed that India’s ambition to be a world’s superpower is contingent on leaving behind “moral and intellectual turpitude for amelioration.”
The council concluded by assuring Modi of its prayers and support for nation-building while urging him to “address this matter with utmost urgency.”
