Are churches the next target?
India’s Christian minority is growing increasingly concerned that the central government may be planning to assert control over church-owned institutions, following recent developments that suggest a potential targeting of Christian properties. This apprehension was fueled by an article in Organiser, the official publication of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist group closely aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The article suggested that the Catholic Church is India’s largest non-governmental landowner, surpassing even the Muslim Waqf Board.
The article came shortly after India’s Parliament passed amendments that strengthen government oversight of Waqf properties, which are Muslim-managed lands designated for religious and charitable purposes. The new law allows non-Muslims to be part of the Waqf boards, limits property donations, and expands the government’s legal power over these lands. While many in the Muslim community see this as an infringement on religious autonomy, Christian leaders worry that the same legal rationale could be applied to Christian institutions.
The Organiser article claimed that the Catholic Church owns approximately 70 million hectares of land, far more than previous estimates, and suggested this land was largely acquired during British colonial rule under the 1927 Indian Church Act. The article also accused Christian schools and hospitals of using free services to convert the poor to Christianity. However, historians and legal experts have disputed these claims, pointing out that the 1927 law did not grant land and primarily applied to Anglican institutions, not Catholic ones. In reality, much of the church-owned land was obtained through donations, purchases, or leases, and the accusations of forced conversions are widely considered unsubstantiated and part of Hindu nationalist rhetoric.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi warned that the changes to the Waqf law set a dangerous precedent for state interference in religious institutions, especially Christian ones. Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed concern, calling the campaign against Christian institutions part of a broader, systematic effort to marginalize religious minorities. Similar warnings were echoed by other political figures, such as Uddhav Thackeray, who alleged that the BJP’s ultimate goal is to redistribute religious and minority assets to benefit politically connected corporations.
The BJP, however, has defended the Waqf law, arguing that it is a reform designed to improve transparency, and has garnered support from some Christian organizations. Meanwhile, Christian MPs from the opposition have urged the Church to join Muslims in opposing the Waqf amendments, advocating for a unified stance in defense of minority rights enshrined in India’s Constitution. According to the 2011 census, Muslims make up about 14.2% and Christians about 2.3% of India’s population.