Freedom of Conscience Is the Soul of India
Statement by the Evangelical Fellowship of India
New Delhi, 13 November 2025
The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) expresses deep concern over the recent public remarks of Mr Mohan Bhagwat, Chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), asserting that there is “no Ahindu in Bharat” and that “Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra,” which has serious implications for the moral and constitutional foundations of our Republic.
India’s glorious freedom struggle against colonial and feudal rule is evidence that the nation is not founded on ancestry or religious inheritance but on the equal citizenship of all its people. The Evangelical Fellowship of India, the national body representing Indian Evangelicals, has always upheld this conviction.
After the freedom struggle, our founding fathers made it an urgent priority that the new nation’s Constitution guaranteed freedom of conscience and the right of every person to profess, practise, and propagate faith. To declare that all Indians are Hindus is a sectarian argument that denies the very freedom that makes national unity possible. Citizenship in India is a civic and legal identity, not a religious one. Faith may guide our values but it does not define our nationality.
Mr Bhagwat, as the head of a non-state organisation, has as much right as we do to express his views and convictions. But EFI is concerned that he conflates his organisation, the RSS, with his faith itself, holding it therefore above the law. In a democracy, no organisation, however large, can claim a sanctity or impunity that imperils the rule of law, which underpins our existence as a plural society and nation.
Indian Christians, with our ancient tradition, are proud citizens of this land. The community has served the nation faithfully through schools, hospitals, social initiatives, and humanitarian work. Our faith teaches us to love our neighbour, to honour truth, and to pray for those in authority. Loyalty to Christ deepens our loyalty and faithfulness to India.
Mr Bhagwat’s remarks come at a time when the nation is preparing to celebrate seventy-five years of the Constitution, a reminder that our freedom rests on justice and equality, not on cultural supremacy. As people of one human family, we affirm that India’s greatness lies not in uniformity but in harmony that upholds shared values and equality.
EFI calls upon all citizens, and particularly people of faith, to uphold the dignity of every person and the constitutional promise of liberty. We appeal for reflection rather than hostility, for dialogue rather than division. EFI reaffirms its faith in the Constitution and its confidence in the moral strength of the Indian people. We remain committed to building peace, defending truth, and serving all in the name of Christ.
EFI calls upon the Government of India to ensure that the secular and democratic character of our nation remains inviolate. May India continue to be a home where every person can live without fear and worship without compulsion.
Issued by:
Rev. Vijayesh Lal
General Secretary, Evangelical Fellowship of India
New Delhi