3 reasons India’s Christians are hopeful after election results

After India’s election results on June 4, Indian Christians share three reasons to be optimistic about religious freedom in the country.

A week after the Indian election results were announced on 4 June, Christians in the country are seeing signs of hope. Though Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the day and is likely to pursue his Hindu nationalist ‘Hindutva’ agenda, Open Doors local partners share three reasons they are feeling thankful and optimistic about the future. 

1. For the first time in three elections, the BJP doesn’t have the majority

Modi’s BJP won more seats than any other party – but, at 240 seats, were below the 272 needed for a parliamentary majority. That means they’ve had to form a coalition with other parties, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal (United) (JDU). These two regional parties are fundamentally opposed to the Hindutva agenda of the BJP and are known to support religious minorities. Additionally, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), the opposition alliance block, has made a strong comeback securing 234 seats.

This all indicates the Indian public is increasingly rejecting the BJP’s Hindu nationalistic agenda. “It is a clear mandate from the people of India that the majority of them do not favour communal divisions but rather opt for development at all levels – individually and nationally,” says Nitya*, an Open Doors local partner from south India.

She continues, “In the last two terms of BJP rule, people have grown tired of hearing about ‘good days coming’ but seeing nothing tangible. Other factors such as corruption, favouritism toward certain groups or firms, inflation, ever-increasing expenses, and the intense unemployment rate have either discouraged people from voting or prompted them to vote for a change.”

2. With a more diverse parliament, it will be harder to push for Hindutva-leaning legislation

For the past 10 years, the BJP party has been either in power on its own, or part of the ruling alliance in 16 states. Twelve of those 16 states have passed anti-conversion laws – purportedly to prevent forced conversion, but in reality abused to target Christians and other religious minorities. In effect, these anti-conversion laws are used to violate Indian citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of religion or belief.

The BJP government haven’t simply encouraged its implementation; they’ve also been vocal about wanting to make a nationwide anti-conversion law. They’ve also passed or tried to pass other major legislation that negatively impact religious minorities, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA, which excludes Muslims from fast-tracked citizenship) and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which would erode legal protections for Christian practices related to marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption.

“The election result means that the BJP’s polarisation and divisive politics against religious minorities will be less brazen at the national level,” shares Vishnu Reddy*, a local Open Doors partner from central India. “The coalition government will be bound by the built-in system of checks and balances and any radical policies against religious minorities will see some decline at the national level, and the BJP cannot dictate. Hopefully, the allies in the coalition government, which are not aligned with the BJP’s political orientation, will not let the BJP polarise the nation or implement anti-minority laws like the CAA and the UCC.”

It’s possible that the BJP-ruled states will continue to pursue policies which disadvantage Christians and other religious minorities, but there is hope that this election result will make them more reluctant to introduce such policies.

3. Christians have a better chance of having their voice heard

New avenues of hope for the persecuted church in India can be seen. It also means that the space for raising a voice has expanded, increasing advocacy opportunities for minorities.

“We acknowledge that the election result in India is a small step in the right direction,” says Reddy. “This is an answered prayer. The future is unknown: BJP has won, Hindutva nationalists continue with their rhetoric, and persecution will continue – but with more ears willing to listen in government, we may have more chances of being heard.”

This hope can be seen in Uttar Pradesh, where more than six hundred cases of persecution have been recorded in the last two years after the controversial passage of the state’s anti-conversion law in 2020. In the election, the INDIA coalition (BJP’s rival) was the largest seat-winner in Uttar Pradesh. Commentators believe this could mean there are increasing local opportunities for conversations about religious freedom.

Open Doors local partner Heena*, from north India, shares, “With BJP’s loss in Uttar Pradesh, persecution of Christians in this hotspot may slightly decline. The good news for the Christian community is that, though their voice is faint, being able to speak out against atrocities happening in their community could be a possibility.”

Finally, Anjhali Lhing*  – an Open Doors partner in north east India – exhorts the global body of Christ to stand with India’s Christians: “It is crucial for us to remain vigilant and supportive of our Christian community,” she says. “We must continue to stand together with our Christian brothers and sisters.”