India has a vast population that is diverse as well as religious. The country is home to not only the majority of the world’s Hindus but also for Christians. On July 3, 2021, the country would celebrate Indian Christian Day for the first time ever. The day would be celebrated as an annual day of remembrance of Lord Jesus Christ. This is a special day for the followers of Christianity in India.
As per the promoters of Christianity, “The celebration of Indian Christian Day on July 3, 2021, would launch the Decade of Celebration to honor 2000th anniversary of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose teachings and principles have shaped the world.”
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July 3 is chosen for the day because “It is traditionally observed as St Thomas Day, the day celebrating St Thomas the Apostle who came to India in 52 AD. It is historically believed that St Thomas was martyred near Chennai in 72 AD.”
For the promoters, “By marking the day every year we, as the followers of Lord Jesus, can preserve our identity within India’s cultural heritage, while uniting with all those who wish to celebrate it, irrespective of language, custom, creed, religion or region.”
As per the Former spokesman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) choosing the feast day of Saint Thomas as Indian Christian Day “Signals a positive move towards overcoming the apparent differing opinions on the history of the Saint Thomas’s arrival in India.”
He further said, “This would be an important step in making Christianity as part of Indian history and ethos. In light of attempts by some right-wing organization to create the impression that Christianity is foreign to India, it is necessary to highlight its antiquity in the country.”
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He added, “Christianity is part and parcel of Indian history for the last 2,000 years and has given birth to many indigenized forms of the Christian life.”
“Any effort to undo this great civilization contribution is tantamount to negating the very foundation of India itself. Christianity has introduced new social teachings which worked as a catalyst in several social reform movements and has been instrumental in introducing modern education.”
He further said that he would like to urge UNESCO to recognize some of India’s churches and highlight some of the publications that focus on the contribution to the history of India.
Christianity is India’s third-largest religion after Hinduism and Islam. There are nearly 27.8 million followers, which constitutes 2.3 percent of India’s population.