BJP-JMM are silent on Christians, why don’t those who made them kings have any feelings?
In December 2019, when Hemant Soren’s alliance got the Mandate in Jharkhand, Soren first reached the Cardinal House on Purulia Road in Ranchi to seek the blessings of Archbishop Felix Tobo . Soren’s move was criticized by the BJP at the time. The party said this government will operate according to the missionary’s instructions.
Five years later, the political mood in Jharkhand seems to have changed. This time, neither the BJP nor Hemant Soren’s party talked about Christians. Interestingly, Jharkhand’s third most populous Christian group has also remained silent throughout the election process.
In this case, the question arises, which side does the Christian community stand on to play the role of kingmaker this time?
How many Christians are there in Jharkhand?
According to the 2011 census, Jharkhand’s Christian population is approximately 4.3%. This is the third largest population after Hindus and Muslims. This number is said to have increased over the past 13 years. The Simdega, Gumla and Khunti districts of Jharkhand are predominantly Christian.
According to reports, about 51% of Simdega’s population is Christian. In Jharkhand, a majority of Dalits and people from tribal communities have converted to Christianity.
How influential are Christians in politics?
Christian groups hold about 10% of the seats in the Jharkhand Assembly. It mainly includes 2 seats in Simdega, 2 seats in Khunti and 3 seats in Gumla. Interestingly, all seats where the Christian element is dominant are reserved for tribals.
In the five seats of Simdega and Gumla, Christian groups played an important role in winning or losing. In the 2019 elections, the Congress and JMM won these 5 seats.
Jharkhand has 81 assembly seats and requires 42 MLAs to form the government. Under such circumstances, these eight Christian-dominated seats are very important.
Whose side do Christians in Jharkhand stand on?
After the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Raghubar Das in 2014, it started taking strict action against the missionaries. The Raghubar Das government enacted strict laws regarding religious conversion. Many advertisements for missionaries were also published.
During this period, relevant agencies also conducted raids and punitive actions against the church and its related organizations. For various reasons, in 2019 Christians united and moved towards the Indian Union.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP did gain Christian votes, but the party lost miserably in Christian-dominated areas. Even party leader Lewis Marandi, who belongs to a Christian group, was unable to keep his seat.
The BJP has sounded the alarm on Christian institutions even in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in which it was also defeated in Christian-dominated areas.
It is said that the political leanings of most Christian groups this time were also in favor of the Indian Union. Recently Lewis Marandi also left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joined the JMM.
What is the problem for Christians this time?
Christian organizations have held meetings in different areas of Ranchi and Gumla ahead of the announcement of assembly elections in Jharkhand. At this meeting, he discussed his problems with religious leaders. Security is said to be the biggest issue facing Christians in this election.
From 2014 to 2019, many Christian leaders and preachers were arrested. Not only that, the Missionaries of Charity were also accused of child theft during this period. Women from Christian communities work in the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, devoting their lives to the community.
Recently, an organization called “World Watch Gate” released a report. According to the report, India ranks 11th in the world for attacks against Christians.
If we look at it from a state perspective, Jharkhand is the third largest state and the state where Christians are most attacked.
