Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India “proudly acknowledges” the contribution of the Christian community – from its role in India’s freedom struggle to its “active participation” in “social service”. He further said that the Christian community has been at forefront in serving poor and deprived.
In an interaction with members of the community at his residence in New Delhi, Modi said he had a very old and close relationship with the Christian community. “When I was Gujarat Chief Minister, I used to frequently interact with the Christian community and its leaders… Maninagar, from where I used to contest elections, has a large (Christian) population and due to this, I had a natural rapport,” he said.
“The Christian community has played an important role in the freedom movement. Many thinkers and leaders of the Christian community were involved in the freedom struggle. Gandhiji had said that the Non-Cooperation Movement was conceived under the patronage of Sushil Kumar Rudra, principal of St Stephen’s College,” the PM said.
“The Christian community has continued to play an important role in giving direction to society. It actively participates in social service, and is always at the forefront of serving the poor and the deprived. Even today, across India, Christian institutions are making a huge contribution in important areas like education and healthcare,” he said.
“On the occasion of Christmas… India proudly acknowledges the contribution of the Christian community,” Modi added.
“As a government, we are ensuring that the benefits of development reach everyone and nobody is left untouched. Today, the benefits of the development taking place in the country are reaching many people of the Christian community, especially the poor and deprived,” Modi said.
