Nationalist Politics and the Minoritization of Christians

Abstract

Abstract Anticolonial movements of South Asia often defended religious heritage and yielded Hindu-, Muslim-, and Buddhist-majority regimes that marginalized Christians and others. National constitutions defined the nature and rights of citizenship, but could not fully address feelings of marginality, vulnerability, and dislocation among those who became minorities—or were minoritized—overnight. Minoritized groups such as Christians felt an undue burden to prove their loyalty toward and membership within new nation-states. In order to find their place in lands dominated by Hindus, Muslims, or Buddhists, Christians made use of newspapers to vocalize public opinion and turned to the law to press for religious freedom. Christian minorities face unique challenges and increasing hostility in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.