New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to find a place for any Christian members in his council of 58 ministers that was sworn-in in May. But then again, the Bharatiya Janata Party doesn’t have any member from the community in its top decision-making bodies, the parliamentary board and the election committee, either.
In Modi’s council of ministers, there are 54 ministers from the majority Hindu community, two Sikhs, one Buddhist and one Muslim.
During his first tenure, he had inducted a Christian, former civil servant K.J. Alphons, in one of the later reshuffles. However, after Modi and the BJP secured another term earlier this year, Alphons didn’t make it to the new council of ministers, and nor did any other member of the community.
The Kerala factor
Speaking to ThePrint, Alphons said: “It’s the prerogative of the prime minister to select a minister in his cabinet. Nobody can question his authority. Moreover, PM Modi does not believe in caste or religion while selecting ministers or appointing them to senior posts.
“India has been moving from caste or religion-based society to a development-based society.”
However, a senior BJP leader said on the condition of anonymity that Alphons was selected as a minister because party president Amit Shah wanted to make inroads in Kerala’s Christian community, in view of the Lok Sabha elections. However, the party didn’t get the desired results in the elections.
According to the BJP leader, Shah has done many experiments to help the party in Kerala. Earlier, he installed state party president K. Rajasekharan as Mizoram governor, but asked him to resign and contest the Lok Sabha elections against Congress’ Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram. Alphons’ ouster from the council of ministers was more political.
Now, Shah has selected V. Muraleedharan into the council of ministers for his Kerala BJP expansion plans, added the leader.
However, a second BJP leader who also didn’t wish to be named said the PM probably did not find a suitable candidate, and has kept his options open for future reshuffles.
Relationship varies with demographic power
Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, political commentator and PM Modi’s biographer, said the BJP is politically a Hindu party and derives its strength from majoritarian politics. The reason why Modi has not selected any Christian in his council of ministers is because the BJP’s electoral prospects don’t depend on minority vote-share.
The party’s relationship with a community clearly varies according to demographic power. In BJP’s election committee, there is a member from the Muslim community, Shahnawaz Hussain, one from the tribal community, Jual Oram, and one woman, Vijaya Rahatkar.
But while Christians don’t have a place in these units, in states where they have a sizeable presence, the party has made space for them.
According to the 2011 Census, Christians form the third largest community in India after Hindus and Muslims, with a population of close to 2.5 crore.
In Nagaland and Mizoram, Christians dominate with around 90 per cent of the population, while in Meghalaya, the community accounts for 74 per cent of people. This is followed by Goa and Kerala, where Christians form 25 per cent and 18 per cent of the population respectively.
That’s why, in Goa, five out of 12 BJP ministers are Christian, while Mizoram and Nagaland have Christian state BJP presidents — J.V. Hluna and Temjen Imna Along respectively.
Actually Indian Hindus itselves admit that For last 60 years their Congress Govt Opened no schools and colleges in India. Hence Most Hindus are forced to settle in Christian countries as refugees and clean Toilets in Developed Christian countries. The luckier ones have managed to get fake Degree certificates from congress leaders and use them to Take up jobs as CEO’s and CTos. Otherwise Why else will Indians settle In christian countries risking conversion by missionaries and Beef which will never banned in christian Countries?
And it is a known fact that these rice bag refugees take their caste cousins to Christian countries to add caste color to it.
Why no Jains? Why no Zoroastrians? Why no followers of Sanamahism? Why no followers of Judaism? Why no Baha’is? Once you have finished asking these questions, you can go on to regions, caste, sub caste, gender etc, one article every Saturday till you are done. Clearly there is a severe drought of intelligent topics to write on.
Rajvir Singh. Thats why the most developed countries are Christian while Hindus/Sikhs
are only fit to clean toilets in Christian Countries/ Canada. No doubt With congress opening no colleges in 50 years Modi will be addressing 50000 uneducated refugees who have gone to clean toilets in USA but shamelessly still show their love to India.
Most of the Christian support Congress and have membership of INC . When they shun BJP under what ever influence How they will find place in BJP government ? For many years they have been acting like a vote-bank of Congrsss. Once they join nationalistic main stream , they will be part of government.
Thank Modi for not having any “Christian” minister or any one in policy making bodies.We, genuine Christians would not like to have apologists like Kannamthanam for Modi or Sha to flaunt as show pieces
Why there are no Christians among Modi’s ministers.
What you are try to communicate. Really Sick of your dirty Journalism
If not for the votes they bring in, some Christians and other minorities could be brought in to bridge the talent deficit.
Christian and talent? Except loyalty to vatican they have no talent.
Rajvir Singh. Thats why the most developed countries are Christian while Hindus/Sikhs
are only fit to clean toilets in Christian Countries/ Canada. No doubt With congress opening no colleges in 50 years Modi will be addressing 50000 uneducated refugees who have gone to clean toilets in USA but shamelessly still show their love to India.
Actually, in the West Christian Indians are usually uneducated people. Hindus have the second highest income of any religious group, after Jews. Christians marry their cousins in India and are not very smart, and being to sign an X for your name only counts as literacy in Kerala.
Actually Indian Hindus itselves admit that For last 60 years their Congress Govt Opened no schools and colleges in India. Hence Most Hindus are forced to settle in Christian countries as refugees and clean Toilets in Developed Christian countries. The luckier ones have managed to get fake Degree certificates from congress leaders and use them to Take up jobs as CEO’s and CTos. Otherwise Why else will Indians settle In christian countries risking conversion by missionaries and Beef which will never banned in christian Countries?
And it is a known fact that these rice bag refugees take their caste cousins to Christian countries to add caste color to it.
West allows only educated Hindus into their countries that’s why they fall high income bracket, they are not rich because they are hindus