‘Misconstrued’, say officials, as Christian delegation issues press release on President Murmu’s response to attacks on community, Graham Staines killing

Archbishop Couto, however, refuted this and told The Indian Express that the memorandum was shared with Rashtrapati Bhavan in advance.

“We don’t know on the basis of what the appointment was sought, but we were clear that we would hand over the memorandum… The memorandum was shared with Rashtrapati Bhavan in advance and she seemed to have been briefed about it, given her response,” Couto said.

He said the delegation consisted of five people and sought only five minutes of the President’s time. The meeting, however, lasted for a little less than ten minutes.

“She was very gracious and gave us a patient hearing…There were no arguments or heated discussions or the like. We only conveyed information about such incidents,” he said.

Rashtrapati Bhavan sources said that such interactions and meetings did not usually generate press notes.

“It was beyond the established protocol to issue a press note after a courtesy meeting. There is a procedure for submitting a memorandum to the presidential secretariat,” a source in the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

The press release issued by the Delhi NCR Christian Community on April 13, the day the delegation met the President, said, “The Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu received a delegation of Christian leaders from Delhi at the Rashtrapati Bhawan earlier today. The delegation comprised Archbishop Anil JT Couto, Bishop Subodh Mondal, Bishop Paul Swarup, Dr. Michael Williams and Mrs. Tehmina Arora… The President was briefed about the steep increase in the incidents of violence against Christians, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh…On the 19th of February 2023, about 22,000 concerned Christians of Delhi had gathered together in a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar. The various Christian leaders had drafted and signed the memorandum on that day and had sought time to meet with the President to present the same.”

It added: “After giving a patient hearing to the delegation, the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu recalled her days in Jharkhand and Odisha and fondly recalled the service of the church, the nuns and other members of the Christian community in the area. She applauded their unflinching service in the area of healthcare and education and nation building. She also mentioned her time volunteering with the nuns in the region.”

“She recalled the tragic loss of Graham Staines, an Australian missionary who was brutally murdered along with his two young sons in 1999, (of whom) she was a neighbour. She expressed regret (at) her inability at the time to avert his tragic loss. She stated she has read reports about the targeting of Christian…However, she believes that these violent attacks have been perpetrated by only a small handful of people in India. She stressed that the secular fabric of the nation comprising its unity in diversity was still vibrant. She assured the delegation that she would follow up and initiate action that is within her powers to ensure that police and law enforcement complacency, unwarranted arrests, and harassment of Christian families, and the attacks on institutions, as highlighted in the memorandum, are addressed,” it said.