Has Narendra Modi met Pope to be recognised as world statesman?

All said and done, Modi has fired many salvoes by meeting the Pope. He made a big statement to all those who says that he belong to a political party that hates Christians and persecutes them. It is a different matter that Modi and BJP baiters forget that Atal Bihari Vajpayee too met the Pope during his visit to Rome in the year 2000

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Delhi on Wednesday after concluding visit to Italy and UK, his meeting with world's most venerable Christian religious leader his holiness Pope Francis was very significant for more than one reason. While the meeting was scheduled for just 20 minutes, it went on for almost an hour. Indeed, it was an important meeting as Pope is virtually worshipped by Catholic Christians across the world and India has a huge population of Catholic Christians.

Modi was happily talking to the Pope when Christians in India are allegedly facing lot persecution from right wing forces. Over 300 incidents of violence targeting the Christian community were reported this year in the country with Uttar Pradesh topping the list, according to a fact-finding report of the NGO United Against Hate, Association for Protection of Civil Rights and United Christian Forum. And same way, it is also said that Christian organisations are luring people in remote parts of the country to embrace Christianity.

However, Modi-Pope meeting did not touch sensitive issues. But, it boosted the sagging morale of Christians in India. Now United Christian forum national coordinator AC Michael is hopeful that things would improve for Christians of India. Their schools, churches and other institutions won't be attacked. So the one action of Modi has changed the mood. The Christians are upbeat. This is the Modi for you. He is a game- changer.

Now Christian organisations have to answer to an age old allegation against them that their one point agenda is to swell their number by converting people to their faith. They argue that India's Constitiuion gives full right to every citizen to profess any religion of their choice. They should come clean on issue of conversation.

All said and done, Modi has fired many salvoes by meeting the Pope. He made a big statement to all those who says that he belong to a political party that hates Christians and persecutes them. It is a different matter that Modi and BJP baiters forget that Atal Bihari Vajpayee too met the Pope during his visit to Rome in the year 2000.

And as that is not enough when Pope John Paul-2 passed away in the year 2005, the then India's Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had attended his funeral. Remember during those days Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA government was at the centre and it sent Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to attend the funeral. If we scan through the pages of history, we would know that even the first Prime Minister of India Pt Jawarhal Lal Nehru too had very friendly meeting with the Pope in Vatican city in 1955. Remember that even Pope has visited India couple of times. In a nutshell, it can be said that India has been maintaining very good ties with Pope, who is also head of the State of Vatican City.

Even Modi detractors accept privately that he is a matchless political strategist. He knew that Goa assembly poll is now just couple of months away, he must do something big. Hence, he sought meeting with Pope. Of course, Goa poll could not be his only motive, but it was one of the factors. That cannot be denied. He knows that Goa has a huge population of Catholic Christians. They would have change of heart for his party once he visits the Vatican City. Goa assembly poll is scheduled for February, 2022. So not much time is left for the elections.

Currently, BJP is ruling Goa but things are not smooth for the saffron party as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also making huge inroads there. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is promising moon to Goans. Even Trinamool Congress (TMC) is trying to make its presence felt there.TMC party supremo Mamata Banerjee was recently there to test the political waters of Goa. The BJP in Goa has 27 MLAs of which 15 are Catholics. Continuing with Goa, It would not be easy for BJP to retain power in Goa as the archbishop of the catholic community in Goa had issued a statement against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Surely, it had put a lot of pressure on the BJP catholic MLAs.

They are reportedly happy by the PM's visit to the Vatican. There is no question about that the PM-Pope meeting would also help the party in Manipur where the Christian population is about 41.29 per cent, The party has wrested power in the Christian-majority Nagaland and Meghalaya too. It is not a pariah for Christians. You can say with one hour meeting with a holy man, Modi has again come closer to Christians in India.

Apart from Goa and North-Eastern States, Catholic Christians are there in all parts of the country. The Catholic Church in India is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope and the Curia in Rome. There are over two crore Catholics in India. Apart from Catholic, a variety of other denominations are present in India. For example, 13 per cent of Indian Christians are Baptists, 7 per cent identify with the Church of North India and another 7 per cent identify with the Church of South India. Even for non Catholics, Pope is a much respected leader. They all feel elated that their PM has met a top Christian leader.

Do not forget, Modi is not the kind of leader who is happy with his popularity in India only. After seven years at the helm of affairs, he understands pretty well that he can become world statesmen if he interacts with non-political icons of the world too. It can be Pope as well. That would go a long way for him to be recognised as a world statesman. It goes without saying that the world, especially where Catholics are big in numbers noticed his one-on–one meeting with Pope.

Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, United States, Italy, France, Colombia, Poland, Spain, Democratic Republic of Congo are the top ten countries of the world with largest number of Catholic Christians. Narendra Modi has reached out to Catholic Christians of these countries too!

(The author is Delhi-based senior journalist and writer. He is author of Gandhi's Delhi which has brought to the forth many hidden facts about Mahatma Gandhi)