Editorial
Persecutions in the land of Tagore, Vivekananda, and Gandhi
Opinion | Editorial | John S. Shilshi | 20-Dec-2025
India is fortunate to have given birth to three outstanding sons, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, and Mahatma Gandhi, who inspired generations not only in India but across the world. Apart from their liberal thinking, their thoughts on religious freedom were monumental and therefore serve as the basis for this very idea in this country. The world bows to them, because their concept of universal religion was considered superior to many Western thinkers. In a time when religion is used as a political tool and serious attempts are afoot to force unity through similarity in the country of their birth, their views on tolerance are more relevant than ever for India’s colourful diversity.
Rabindranath Tagore was a liberal thinker who strongly emphasised the philosophy of man-centric universal religion. In his own admission in ‘Sadhana’, one of his great literary works, his life, he said, was much influenced by the Upanishad and the Bhagwad Gita, the two great texts upon which Hinduism rests. But he made no secret about Buddha’s teachings having immense influence on him, nor did he ever talk of the supremacy of one religion over the other. According to him, true religion is a rhythm of life, joy, action, and co-existence. He believed in the philosophy of a mind without fear and a head held high, where knowledge is free and where the world is not broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls. He aspired that his countrymen wake up to this environment every day of their lives.
Swami Vivekananda spoke of acceptance for all religions. He said all religions are true, as all of them lead to the same destination. “If one religion is true, all others must be true," he said, arguing for the inherent validity of diverse spiritual paths. Talking about tolerance and acceptance, he said India's strength lay in sheltering persecuted faiths and that all religions teach purity and kindness, each deserving equal respect. In an article ‘Vivekananda on Religion’ (Janata Weekly-Jan 2023), Neeraj Jain wrote, “Unlike other saints, he did not offer prayers to the Almighty for his own salvation but sought salvation of the poor and the marginalised—be they Hindus, Muslims or Christians.” For him, freedom of religion meant freedom from religious bigotry and spiritual realisation, achieved through mutual respect, reason, and the recognition of universal truth.
Mahatma Gandhi was a believer in the Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism, which advocates the essential spiritual unity of all mankind. He said his brand of Hinduism was "all-inclusive. It is not anti-Muslim, anti-Christian or anti-any other religion. But it is pro-Muslim, pro-Christian and pro-every other living faith in the world.” Like Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi too had a conviction about the truth of all religions.
Undoubtedly, the philosophies of these three Hindu thinkers greatly influenced the founding fathers of the Indian constitution, that equality, liberty, fraternity, and freedom of religion ultimately formed the cornerstones of the Indian constitution. Though western concepts too were borrowed and incorporated in the framing of the Indian constitution, the thoughts of these three thinkers weighed heavily while dealing with the religious aspect of the pluralistic Indian society.
In the Indian constitution, the right to freedom of religion is guaranteed under Articles 25-28 as fundamental rights. It assures citizens the liberty to follow, profess, and promote any religion of their choice, subject to their conformity to public order, morality, and health. However, though the right is fundamental to one’s faith, it is not all-encompassing; there are limitations. In certain cases, all religious activities may not qualify as essential religious practice and may disturb public peace, morals, and the health of the society. But in such cases, it is the judiciary that holds the power to interpret whether an activity falls within the definition of essential religious practice and whether they are in conformity with the required social order. No individual or organisation is empowered to make this decision.
For example, the Supreme Court, in Acharya Jagdishwaranand Avadhuta vs. Commissioner of Police, Calcutta (1984), ruled that Tandava dance in procession or public places by Ananda Margis carrying lethal weapons and human skulls is not an essential religious rite of Anand Marga followers, and thus the order prohibiting such procession in the interest of 'public' order and morality is not a violation of Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. In other words, just as violation of freedom rights is viewed seriously, its exploitation is also strictly monitored. However, in today’s India, this robust arrangement is grumbling. There are more than a dozen states with anti-conversion laws, which in essence are aimed towards curtailing Christian activities, including humanitarian services. This has led to systematic targeting of Christians all over India. Under these laws, even prayer services are criminalised by exploiting the sweeping and vague interpretation of the term ‘conversion’.
Between January and November 2025, 702 cases of physical violence against Christians, in the form of murder, sexual assault, threat and intimidation, damage to religious properties, desecration of religious symbols, and disruption of prayer services, were reported. And in that, Uttar Pradesh comes on the top of the list with 183 incidents, while Chhattisgarh follows with 156 incidents. The government, the party in power, and the law enforcers maintain selective silence in complicity. Out of 702 incidents, only 45 cases led to the filing of FIRs. Likewise, in 2024, there were a total of 834 cases of hostility against Christians. In all, 197 FIRs were filed against Christians, out of which 128 were charges under the anti-conversion laws.
In the Hindi heartland, outfits like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal – front organisations of the Sang Parivar – are doing overtime, mounting surveillance on the movement of Christians. They act as policemen and detain innocent people and force the authorities to formally arrest them. The detention and arrest of two nuns from Kerala in Durg Railway Station and the detention of a nun with 19 young people heading for a seminar on youth mental health and skill development in Jamshedpur are some recent examples. States with anti-conversion laws are increasing, with Rajasthan as the latest addition, while Maharashtra and Goa, too, are understood to have readied their respective anti-conversion law drafts. Thus, the land of Tagore, Vivekananda, and Gandhi is sadly turning into a country of persecutors.
Come Christmas, and the Catholic Church hierarchy and other prominent Christian leaders of the country are likely to cosy up with the Prime Minister to exchange greetings since this has been a new-found tradition in recent times. Though we are aware that the anti-conversion laws and the selective targeting of Christians go on with full knowledge of the Prime Minister, prudence demands that the issue is raised to him, at least in a subtle manner. We insist that someone among the Christian leaders politely say,
Dear Prime Minister, thank you for joining us during the Christmas festival and for your appreciation of our contributions to the nation. Taking cues from your kind gestures and recognition of our contributions to fellow Indian, we are hopeful that people who perceive Christians as enemies of the country will change their minds, and attacks on Christian communities will stop. It will be the strongest message ever conveyed on behalf of every Indian Christian.
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