Mumbai: Why do Christians, one of India's largest religious communities, need a 965-page tome to establish their contribution to the nation? Dr Louis D'Silva, former Professor of Political Science at the University of Mumbai and editor of 'Christians in India: The Nation's Vital Asset', believes the answer lies in the growing need to reclaim a history and legacy that risk being overshadowed by a narrative portraying the community as religious zealots seeking to convert people through force or fraud.
Released in Mumbai on Saturday, the book seeks to challenge this perception by documenting the community's contributions across diverse fields.
Book Chronicles Two Millennia Of History
Compiled over more than 15 years, the book spans over two millennia, tracing the history of Christianity in India from its early days through the colonial era to modern India. It documents the community's imprint on fields as diverse as education, healthcare, sports, the arts, administration and defence.
“We are a community that forms 2.3% of India's population, but Christians have served as Chiefs of Staff in the Army, Navy and Air Force,” says D'Silva, a Bandra resident.
In his foreword, Oswald Cardinal Gracias, former Archbishop of Bombay, describes the book as a profound testament to this legacy. “It is a vivid portrayal of the Christian community's unwavering commitment to the betterment of our society, and their dedication to upholding the core values that define our beloved India,” he writes.
Contributions Across Defence And Social Development
Each of the book's 41 chapters explores a field in which Christians have made contributions disproportionate to their relatively small population. Major General Eustace D'Souza has contributed a chapter on the community's role in the country's defence. Other contributors have documented the role played by members of the community in the study of Indian history, music, sports and social development.
Concerns Over Violence And Conversion Allegations
D'Silva says that despite being a peace-loving and service-oriented community, Christians have faced violence in recent years. "Take a single year - 2024; there were 835 instances of attacks on the community across India," said D'Silva. “It is all a big farce that Christians are indulging in forced religious conversions. There is not a single case of forced conversion proved in a court of law. So you can imagine." D'Silva, however, acknowledges that groups operating outside established churches have caused social tensions through their activities.
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FCRA And Anti-Conversion Laws Raise Concerns
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and anti-conversion laws in various states are among the legislations that affect the community's work, says D'Silva. “Father Frazer Mascarenhas (former principal of St Xavier's College, Mumbai) called the FCRA a law against compassion. The Christian community has never been known for its duplicity,” he adds.
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