Kochi: The Syro Malabar Media Commission has strongly condemned the rising tide of hate and violence targeting Christians in India, questioning whether Christians are fated to exist only as sacrificial victims in their own land. The commission’s response follows a deeply provocative statement made by BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar in Maharashtra, in which he allegedly offered monetary rewards ranging from ₹3 lakh to ₹11 lakh to those who attack Christian priests and missionaries.
This incendiary call to violence has triggered widespread protest from Christian communities in Maharashtra, a region with a centuries-old Christian heritage tracing back to the 13th century. The commission expressed shock that such dangerous rhetoric could emerge from a democratic representative in a secular republic, and even more alarming, that such statements were not immediately and unequivocally condemned by authorities.
According to reports compiled by human rights organizations, since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed power in 2014, India has witnessed over 4,300 incidents of targeted violence against Christians. The Syro Malabar Media Commission warned that this trend signals not just a deterioration in law and order, but a calculated political move to stir religious divisions for electoral gain. “It raises a grim question is Kerala next in the BJP's communal strategy?” the statement asked, alluding to the party’s growing interest in making inroads into the southern state.
The commission further noted that Christians across the country, who have long contributed to India’s education, healthcare, and social development, are increasingly being vilified as outsiders and enemies. The use of dehumanizing language and hate-filled narratives in public speeches, media, and social platforms has emboldened extremists and eroded constitutional safeguards for minority communities.
Referring to the fear and vulnerability now gripping Christian communities in various parts of India, the statement emphasized that no citizen should be made to feel unsafe or unwanted because of their faith. “In a nation that proudly declares unity in diversity, how have we come to this point where priests, nuns, and missionaries people who have dedicated their lives to service are hunted down with rewards on their heads?” the Commission asked.
The Media Commission also criticized the muted response from law enforcement and political leadership. “Silence in the face of hate is complicity,” the statement declared, urging civil society, religious leaders, and media voices to speak out against the normalization of hate speech and violence.
The Syro Malabar Church, one of the largest Eastern Catholic Churches in the world, reiterated its commitment to peace, dialogue, and coexistence. But it warned that such virtues should not be mistaken for weakness or submission in the face of injustice.
“We are not enemies. We are citizens. We are contributors to the soul of this country,” the Commission asserted, adding that India’s constitutional values must not be trampled in pursuit of sectarian political agendas.
In closing, the Syro Malabar Media Commission called upon the Union Government, the Election Commission, and human rights bodies to take decisive action against Padalkar’s hate speech and to ensure the protection of religious minorities. “This is not just a Christian issue. It is a question of what kind of India we are becoming.”