New Delhi: When India’s women’s cricket team stormed into the world cup final, millions celebrated the moment. Jemimah Rodrigues stood tall among the heroes of that day, playing a brilliant knock that led India to victory. After the match, she lifted her eyes toward the sky and said, “I thank Jesus.” It was a quiet, personal expression of gratitude a moment of faith in a sea of celebration. But that simple act set off a wave of criticism from some corners of society.
Tamil Nadu BJP leader Kasturi Shankar took to social media, questioning Jemimah’s words. She asked what would happen if someone thanked Lord Shiva, Hanuman, or Rama after a match. Her comment suggested that expressing Christian faith publicly was somehow wrong or unnecessary. What should have been a national celebration of skill and spirit turned into a discussion about religion and identity.
The outrage against Jemimah’s words reveals something deeper and more troubling. It shows how expressions of Christian faith are being judged differently in today’s India. When Hindu players fold their hands in prayer, touch the pitch in reverence, or visit temples before matches, they are admired for their devotion. When Muslim players bow in sujood after victory, the gesture is accepted as faith. But when a Christian thanks Jesus, the same public suddenly becomes uneasy, and political voices call it “conversion propaganda.”
This uneven standard highlights a slow but visible erosion of India’s secular spirit. Our Constitution guarantees the right to freely profess and practice any religion, but this right now seems to come with conditions. Minority faiths, especially Christians and Muslims, are being asked to remain silent about their beliefs in public spaces.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ case is not the first time she has faced such prejudice. In 2024, her family’s membership at a well-known Mumbai club was cancelled after management accused her father of conducting religious meetings on the premises. There was no clear evidence of any “conversion activity,” but the family was targeted online by extremist groups. Social media was filled with hateful comments calling them “missionaries” and “anti-nationals.” Now, even after she made history on the cricket field, some continue to treat her as a symbol of suspicion rather than national pride.
This incident must be seen in the broader context of rising hostility toward Christians across India. Over the past few years, several states have introduced strict anti-conversion laws. While these laws claim to prevent “forced conversions,” in practice they have often been used to harass pastors, stop prayer meetings, or shut down small churches. Reports from civil society groups show increasing cases of violence and intimidation from rural Uttar Pradesh to tribal regions in Chhattisgarh.
In many cases, mobs have attacked Christians on the suspicion that they were “converting” others, even when all they were doing was praying together. These acts go unpunished or are justified in the name of protecting culture and tradition. This environment of fear forces many Christians to hide their faith, keeping their prayers behind closed doors.
India’s Christian community, though small in number, has made extraordinary contributions to the country. Christian institutions have educated generations of Indians regardless of religion or background through schools, colleges, and hospitals. From Mother Teresa’s work among the poorest to countless missionaries who built healthcare centers in remote villages, Christians have quietly served the nation. Yet today, this community finds itself questioned for its very identity.
The criticism of Jemimah Rodrigues is a reflection of this growing intolerance. Her public expression of gratitude to Jesus was not a sermon or a conversion call. It was a personal statement of belief something natural for a person of faith. If India truly respects religious freedom, that faith should be celebrated, not condemned.
The debate also shows how religion has become a political weapon. Instead of protecting the freedom of all religions, political voices often use religion to divide and dominate. By questioning Jemimah’s faith, leaders like Kasturi Shankar send a dangerous message that Christians should know their “place” and remain invisible. But faith is not something to be hidden or approved by politicians. It belongs to the conscience of every individual.
India’s greatness lies in its diversity. It has been home to every major religion in the world. From the early arrival of St. Thomas in Kerala nearly two thousand years ago to the many Christian communities that have lived peacefully across the nation, Christianity is as Indian as any other faith. It is not foreign, and it is not a threat.
The real threat is intolerance the slow poisoning of society by suspicion and hatred. When people are afraid to thank their God, when politicians question a citizen’s right to express belief, it is not just an attack on one religion. It is an attack on India’s idea of freedom itself.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ prayer should have united people in admiration. Instead, it revealed how fragile our sense of acceptance has become. India must remember that secularism does not mean the absence of faith. It means the presence of equal respect for all faiths. A Christian has the same right to say “Thank you, Jesus” as a Hindu has to say “Jai Shri Ram” or a Muslim to say “Alhamdulillah.”
True patriotism is not measured by the name of the god we thank, but by the love we show for the country we serve. Jemimah’s faith did not divide the team or the nation; it strengthened her spirit. Her courage to speak from the heart should be seen as an example of honesty, not arrogance.
India must stand with its Christian citizens. They deserve protection from hate, equality in expression, and dignity in public life. Silencing them would mean silencing a vital part of India’s moral and cultural story.
Faith is not a crime, and gratitude is not a threat. Jemimah Rodrigues did not do anything wrong by thanking Jesus. She did what every Indian should be free to do to speak from the soul without fear. It is time for the nation to listen to that voice and ensure that no one is ever told to stay silent for believing in God.