Dear Christians, let us respect our culture, honor our nation, and not demonise our Prime Minister

After the Bihar elections, Modiji observed that Bharat is restless for development. He requested that all Chief Ministers set aside communal and votebank agendas and work toward the development and prosperity of all with inclusivity. The Bharatiya Janata Party brings development through inclusivity, without corruption or terrorism. Even Shashi Tharoor, the opposition representative, praised Modiji's speech for emphasising "Bharat's constructive impatience for development" and freeing ourselves from a mindset of slavery to the colonial way of life. Tharoor noted that "the PM's speech was dedicated to 'overturning Macaulay's 200-year legacy of 'slave mentality' (i.e., a colonial mindset)."

The Prime Minister said, "When a nation fails to honour itself, it ends up [denying its roots]." He appealed to the nation for a decade-long mission to restore pride in India's languages, heritage, and systems of knowledge. In 1835, Lord Macaulay campaigned to root out Bharatiyata from within the Bharatiya people "by creating Indians who would appear Indian but think like the British." It is happening today. Many of us do not even know that the Sanskrit name of our country is Bharat, not India. India is the name the colonisers gave us. Ironically, we learn Sanskrit from English using a dictionary made by a Britisher. Whereas two hundred years ago, the British learned Sanskrit from our ancestors, who did not need an English-Sanskrit dictionary to teach their children their original language.

The Prime Minister pointed out to Mahatma Gandhi's struggle against foreign-made goods and models of governance. Gandhiji wanted a Bharat that honors Swaraj and uses Swadeshi goods. However, the subsequent governments of India, led invariably by nepotistic children who studied abroad, did not value our indigenous goods, services, or models of governance. Gradually, Bharat became dependent on other nations for goods, ideas, services, and even education. Many of us live depressed lives with a sense of deeply ingrained inferiority. Our people feel ashamed of following our culture, speaking our languages, and living our way of life.

The sense of inferiority complex is so deep that people think that unless they adopt alien ways, the English language, and foreign culture, they cannot achieve anything in life. Our traditional system of education valued skill and scholarship equally. It is replaced by a system that promotes British language and thought, creating unskilled people who carry only head knowledge. Our culture has many good things. We must prioritize our Bharatiya culture and not be slaves of the Mughals or the British. For instance, Bharatiya Christians can eat vegetarian food, practice Ahimsa (non-violence), wear colourful clothes, remove their sandals before entering places of worship, speak and pray in their vernacular languages, and stay away from legitimating homosexual marriages.

We cannot be copycats of the West in every matter. We worship God, but respect our leaders and serve our country patriotically. Bharat Mata ki Jai. Jai Masih! Modiji ki jai! The "jai" has many meanings. The Bharatiya Janata Party represents Bharat and its cultural values, not a British colony. It is a party for all Bharatiyas, not any particular religion. Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and many patriotic Christ-followers and Muslims are also joining the BJP. Selective welfare of one community for vote bank politics is having adverse consequences on the kindi alliance. They have no backbone to speak for what is right and just, for instance, in the Munambam matter. They don't dare to call a spade a spade.

For example, in Munambam in Kerala, the Waqf board was claiming many Christian people's properties. The amended Waqf bill helped people to fight for justice and retain their properties. The BJP helped Christians of Kerala. Therefore, many Christian priests and pastors are seeking other alternatives. If we have religious freedom, many will vote only for Modiji's NDA and BJP, and the development they bring. We do not like terrorism or corruption that the Indi alliance is condoning. We are happy with Modiji's model of development and prosperity with inclusivity. In contrast, Jihadis are setting many Christians of Nigeria and the Middle East free from their earthly bodies and sending them heavenward each day. Therefore, let us not demonise the Prime Minister and the NDA.