(Compiled by George Abraham)
An Indian Christian Day will be celebrated on June 29th in New York, which is expected to bring together Indian Christians from all over the Northeastern United States, regardless of creed, region, language, or denomination, to celebrate the heritage and traditions of Christianity over two millennia. It has become fashionable for Sangh Parivar elements here and in India to cast Christianity in a negative light, often linking it up with colonial times. They are making great efforts at home and abroad to portray Christianity in India as purely a product of European colonialism.
By doing so, they are not only denigrating a segment of the society that has contributed immensely to the socio-economic progress of India but also inhibiting a stigma and marginalizing them to their political ends. It is a fabricated lie that gets repeated, and the Indian Christian Day was specifically established to challenge that growing narrative. It ignores India’s ancient Christian traditions, especially the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala, who predate colonialism by over a millennia.
The roots of Christianity in India run deep, tracing back to St. Thomas, the Apostle’s arrival on the Malabar coast in 52 A.D. This ancient tradition, enduring over centuries, is a testament to the indigenous nature of Indian Christianity. It is believed that St. Thomas, one of Jesus Christ’s twelve disciples, came to India to preach the Gospel. The active Roman and Middle Eastern trade with South India during the first century made it plausible for a Middle Eastern Missionary to reach the sub-continent.
Historians also note that the Indian Church had strong ecclesiastical ties with the Persian and Syriac churches rather than with European ones. These early Christians became known as ‘Nasranis’ and followed Eastern Syriac (Chaldean) liturgical traditions. Early Christians maintained all cultural integration with local Indian customs. When Vasco da Gama arrived in Calicut in 1498, there was already a thriving Christian community in Kerala with established churches with strong links to the Syrian Church. In fact, the history of local resistance to Latinization by the Portuguese is another illustration of the indigenous character of the earlier Church. In 1653, an event called the Coonan Cross oath was a major act against Portuguese religious domination, prompting one to conclude that Indian Christianity was more anti-colonial than colonial. As the author Clara A.B. Joseph puts it this way : “The portrayal of Indian Christianity as a colonial enterprise is not only historically inaccurate but also diminishes the agency and legacy of Indian Christians who predated and often resisted colonial powers.”
Indian Christians have made significant contributions to India’s social reform, education, and healthcare. Despite constituting only about 2.3% of India’s population today, their contributions span centuries and are deeply embedded in India’s modern institutional framework. They played a pioneering role in establishing modern education in India, including for marginalized groups.
They established modern schools in many regions, especially in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the Northeast. Institutions like Madras Christian College (1837), St. Xavier’s College (1869), Loyola College (Chennai), and St. Stephen’s College (Delhi), 1881 became elite centers of learning. They also focused on inclusivity, training Girls, Dalits, and members of the Tribal community long before States took an active interest in them. They also opened schools in vernacular languages to reach the rural poor. William Carey and Alexander Duff promoted English and Vernacular Education. The Syrian Christian community in Kerala led the way in 100% literary efforts in Kerala.
Christian Missions also established many of India’s earliest and most respected healthcare institutions. Christian Medical College in Vellore is world-renowned for medical training and treatment. St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore and hundreds of mission hospitals in remote and underserved areas were hallmarks of their commitment to serve even under difficult and trying conditions.
Christians’ missions were early advocates of social justice, often challenging caste-based exclusion and promoting human dignity. They focused primarily on providing education and empowering the Dalits, one of the most oppressed groups in India. Promoting gender equality was another objective of their mission, achieved through education and the employment of women across the subcontinent. They also worked with Adivasi communities in Northeast and Central India, providing education, health, and legal advocacy.
Regional scripts in Malayalam, Tamil, Khasi, and Mizo were originally created to facilitate the printing of books, including grammar books, dictionaries, newspapers, and literature in Indian languages, further facilitating the development of modern pros and literary forms in Indian languages like Bengali, Tamil, and Marathi. William Carey, who is known as a Bible translator and education reformer, was instrumental in developing the Devanagari script that made it possible to print the first book in Hindi, and it was a copy of the Bible.
For Indian Christians, there is much to be thankful for as they celebrate this day in New York. There will also be celebrations across major cities in the U.S. and around the world in the next few days. However, as we celebrate this great legacy, we are mindful of the perilous situations Indian Christians are facing from the ultra-nationalists and Sangh Parivar organizations in India as their freedom of conscience and freedom to worship as per the constitution is severely challenged, especially in BJP-ruled states. Manipur still remains a fresh wound in our hearts as those who are entrusted with governance continue to ignore the death, misery, and destruction that go unabated. A prayer is also in order for those who are the victims along with those who are silent in face of injustice.
Happy Indian Christian Day.
Indian Christian Day will be celebration on June 29th in New York
