Will this year's national elections bring relief?

Imagine this: You wake up in your home, in a neighbourhood somewhere in Canada, on a Sunday morning and go through your regular routine of getting your family ready and out the door to get to church on time. Imagine your shock when you drive up to your church parking lot, only to find your church building a pile of still-smoking embers while congregation members mill around trying to figure out how your church burned down overnight.

Then imagine finding out that three of your congregation members – that lovely young couple and their small child – didn't make it as far as the church parking lot because they were kidnapped on their way to church and police suspect foul play. On top of that, your pastor just announced that the sweet 86-year-old lady who always sits in the second row was attacked and raped yesterday morning while serving breakfast at your church-funded soup kitchen.

Hard to imagine isn't it? Who in their right mind would burn down a church, kidnap a young Canadian family and rape an 86 year old woman? What would cause people to carry out such horrible acts? It's difficult to imagine something like this happening in Canada. It seems unheard of to be so fearful that you have to watch your back every time you head for church.

Christians in India don't have to imagine this kind of thing because they're experiencing it firsthand – over and over again. As you read this, Indian Christians are living with fear, mourning the death of family and friends, and trying to make things feel 'normal' for their young children who find themselves living in refugee camp tents without a clue as to when they'll be able to return home; or if they'll even have a home to return to.

How and why are such things happening to religious minorities in a democratic country? A report by the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) of The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) issued on February 26, 2009 attempts to answer these questions and recommends actions that India's state leaders could take to help relieve the tension behind the attacks and protect India's vulnerable Christians.

Christians in India, particularly those living in the state of Orissa, have faced religiously motivated violence for years. Violence in the country skyrocketed in August 2008 after Christians were falsely blamed for killing Laxmanananda Saraswati, a World Hindu Council leader. Tensions fueled by Hindu extremists who started the renewed attacks inspired escalated violence that has impacted at least seven Indian states, resulted in the death of over 100 people and displaced over 50,000 people, at least 15,000 of whom are now in relief camps. Others have taken shelter with friends or family or are hiding in forests.

The violence against the vulnerable Christian population has been intense enough to attract international media attention as well as condemnation from world leaders. The Supreme Court of India announced on January 5, 2009 that the Orissa government should resign if it is unable to protect Christians who have been targeted in the riots that started last August.

Currently, Christians in India are hoping that the country's upcoming national elections (held from April 16 to May 13) will provide an opportunity for politicians and political parties to prioritize religious freedom for all people in India. This will take more than just campaign words. Action is needed to protect those who have been persecuted and to hold those responsible for the violence accountable for their actions.

On March 2, 2009, the same day that the government of India announced the dates of the upcoming elections, Christian denominations from across India presented a joint memorandum demanding that political parties guarantee safety for religious minorities, ensure their participation in the upcoming elections, defend freedom of religion and bring to justice those who discriminate against Christian minorities.

Will India's politicians take the demands brought to them by India's Christian leaders and those of political and church leaders from around the world seriously? History has shown that a country's emphasis on freedom of religion is a key factor in the creation of stronger, healthier communities and results in a stability that benefits the nation on many levels, including the economy – a topic that is sure to receive a lot of attention in India's elections. Let's hope and pray that India's leaders recognize the urgency of this matter and that India's Christians soon experience the peace and safety that all people deserve.

Jocelyn Durston is International Policy Analyst with The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.