Christian leaders in India have rejected the offer of the RSS to form a Christian forum within the militant Hindu organization.
Christian leaders in India have rejected the offer of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to form a Christian forum within the militant Hindu organization. Over 200 church leaders, including representatives of the Church of North India and Church of South India met in New Delhi on 13 Feb 2016 under the auspices of the United Christian Forum to discuss the proposal. The RSS and its political arm, the country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have been accused of fomenting persecution of religious minorities in India. Observers speculated the proposal by the RSS to create a Christian wing of a Hindu nationalist organization was a form of blackmail — the offer to join an organization antithetical to Christian values was a hint that a refusal might presage worse things to come. Participants in the meeting said the Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Anglican leaders agreed the RSS was not someone with whom the churches should identify, but the formal response to the invitation was couched in moderate language, saying the churches had a policy of not joining political activist groups.
