Can you name the largest democratic nation in the world? It is India, and more than 900 million citizens were eligible to vote in the recent election, which has been called the greatest election show on Earth and takes several weeks to complete. Despite this most of us in the West are relatively unaware of what unfolds in the Indian sub-continent. In the end the incumbent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reelected even though the election brought to the fore the differences and disparities in the country based on religion. The majority in India is Hindu and Modi has emphasized the numerical superiority of this group rather than working toward a secular society.
There are approximately 170 million Muslims in India and 28 million Christians but these minority groups have felt marginalized under Modi's leadership. Christians in India trace their origins back to St. Thomas -- yes, Doubting Thomas -- who is reputed to have evangelized there in the first century.
While Christianity is an ancient tradition in India, many of the converts are relatively recent. They are the Dalits, the group known as Untouchables when I was young. They have been an underclass, poor and trapped in a caste system which relegated them to the worst jobs in society and considered less than human. They too were Hindu but many have become Christian as a way to acceptance and worth. It is a brutal irony that while they are regarded as "untouchable" the women are often exploited in the sex trade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBOYQty9fCs
Modi won in a landslide, and now we will see what happens to the religious minorities who have felt pushed to the edge of Indian society and are persecuted in some regions. We can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who desire a place of opportunity and equality.
Have you been aware of the election in India? Have you heard of the Christian Dalits?
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