In India, it is the “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) against the constitution,” said Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien. He was speaking at an event for Christian university students held in Chennai, during which he also lauded the contributions made by the community’s institutions to the development of the health and education sectors of the country.
The MP was delivering the keynote address at the centenary event of the All India Catholic University Front (AICUF)at the Loyola College in Chennai on Saturday, May 17.
The AICUF, formed in 1924, is an organisation of Catholic university students, headquartered in Chennai. The MP spoke about the legacy of AICUF while contrasting it with the RSS, which also completed 100 years in 2025.
In the address, he hailed the contributions made by Christian institutions to the country.
The MP said that if mocked, Christians should highlight these achievements.He said that during the pandemic, 1,000 Christian run hospitals had given 60,000 beds to treat patients all over the country. "Over 80% of work done by Christian healthcare institutions are in remote, medically unserved regions. These institutions serve over 2% of India's population, which is around 2.5 crore people," he said.
He also raised questions about the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act (FCRA) licenses that had been revoked for several Christian run non governmental organisations (NGO). The MP pointed to the 2023 denial of FCRA clearance to the Missionaries of Charity and said, “They are doing such good work, why are you [the Union government] doing this, why are you targeting them?" he asked.
On December 27, 2021 the NGO founded by Mother Teresa was denied FCRA renewal on the grounds of alleged adverse financial inputs coming to the organisation. It was renewed days later, on January 8, 2022.
The MP also spoke about the education sector. “Around 54,000 educational institutions in the country are run by Christian organisations,” he said.
“Around 70% of those studying in these institutions are non-Christians. This is an example of how Christian institutions have worked for the development of all,” Derek O’Brien said.
“Next time they call you a rice bag, quote these numbers,” he said, referring to a slur used by the Hindutva right wing to disparage members of the Christian community. He also covered various topics ranging from the need for reservation and social justice to online misinformation.
It was in response to a student’s query about the popularity of the Rashtriya Swayamseva Sangh (RSS), the MP stated that in India, it is “RSS against the constitution”.
Repeating a quote that has been used by Pope Francis and many before him, the MP said, "The Church cannot and must not sit on the sidelines [in the fight for justice].”
During the speech, the MP called upon the students to “learn from the past, act in the present, and prepare for the future”. Five student members in the audience were also chosen to go to Delhi to observe proceedings of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
The address was part of a three-day event conducted by AICUF attended by around 400 members including school and college students and various alumni from Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and other states.